Wk 13 - 3 days off can only mean one thing
A test week is coming up!
Sooo...how are we all feeling?? sounded like we had lots of tired legs at the end of last week. any special plans to rest up and recharge for our upcoming VDot and FTP?? Any predictions for new numbers or numbers that you're shooting for??? 
For me personally, the lighter week is perfect timing. Smoked after the long run yesterday and ready to recharge/rest a little. My guess is there will be no FTP test due to the power clinic but I'm gunning for a 22:15 5k. Last test was a 22:55 but I've gotten my mile time down with the IP focus. Will use the hard run this week as my honesty session. We shall see.
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I jump started my rest yesterday by taking the day off. I was teetering on overtrained, if not already there, so I made the executive decision to take the day off.
This week and next week's testing should be interesting. I'm doing an indoor TT on Saturday. Unfortunately, I'm in the same heat at Patrick, so I'm in big trouble.
I'm not expecting any big changes in FTP or Vdot. My workouts still seem hard to hold my current numbers, so we'll see.
Dave
It will be interesting to say the least for me. Sunday day off works out good as I will hopefully be ice fishing in NH all weekend.
It is early here in California and I decided to cancel the babysitter at 4am and skip the swim so I could sleep in. Totally backfired as I could not get back to sleep. Bummer. So I decided to attack all the issues that were milling around in my head causing me not to sleep. One is a fundraiser I am involved in on Feb 6. Our club is hosting a Cycle for ALS fundraiser and Steve and I are teaching/leading 2 x 1.5 hour classes and I needed to get going on the fundraising part. I am always fearful of asking for money. I finally finished my donation page and sent it out to family. Phew, one thing off my mind. Next issue to tackle is a fitness talk I am giving to the local city office workers of Danville. I am a guest speaker and any public speaking makes me nervous. So I started planning my talk.
Just last night at a bible study Steve and I host we discussed fear and how it truly limits us. Isn't that so true? I am pledging right now not to let FEAR stop me from doing things.
With that said....let's all think about next weeks tests as huge opportunities for growth. I am excited to try and better my 5K time.And if I don't ...no biggie, the test itself will be a big fitness booster. As far as the FT test...WELLL, not nearly as excited but I will not let fear of failure( how is that defined anyway in this situation???) stop me from giving it a valiant effort. Nothing about my recent bike workouts points to an increase in FT, probably a decrease but I will JUST DO IT!!!
OK friends, go out and don't let FEAR stop you!!!
CC
I am feeling pretty banged up after this weekend. I have been scaling back the weekend stuff mainly because I am usually up at the camp and riding is hard to get in. I managed most of the bike after a pretty hard day skiing and then somehow exceeded all expectations on the run yesterday. Problem was that after I was left totally shelled feeling most of the day and this morning. I need to take deep breaths on the weekends and realize that if I can get a decent run in on days that I ski that is plenty of stress on the body. Last year I was totally off the bike for 6 weeks and did not lose any watts with my skiing and running pretty much every day regimen so I figure that if I can get the midweek stuff done and some of the weekend stuff I will be in good shape heading into spring.
Seriously feeling like I am coming off a big weekend in an IM build right now and that is NOT OK for the end of January.
As for the testing next week...well, we will just have to wait and see how that goes...that is a long time away.
vDot sandbagger,
I have been tossing around starting a bible study but it's outside my comfort zone so you have 1 up on me!
After going thru a divorce and some family issues I decided that the worst decision making I recall on my part was when I made decisions based upon fear and not "best outcome/morals". I like your perspective on these tests. However the chips fall, we will be getting one heck of a workout in the process and working on the Mental-Fu.
Vince
I'm going to rejigger the schedule because I can't run a VDOT test except in a 5k race. There's one Feb. 13 in the area, so I'll probably do that.
A few questions/comments about this week's workouts:
1) Wednesday's run says 2 x 1/2 and 2 x 1 miles at 5k test pace. Isn't that the same as the Z5 pace we've been doing the last few weeks? Why the name change? As I recall, we're supposed to do the intervals not at Jack Daniel's I pace but rather at 5k pace from the last race. That's what I've been doing, which is 6:20 5k pace vs. 6:14 I pace.
2) I noticed that the volume of Tuesday/Thursday increased to 1:15. I guess I'll split up the 85% work into 2 sets of about 17-18 minutes, with 2' in between instead of going 38 minutes nonstop. Actually, the description for Tues/Thurs/Sat is identical this week, at least for intermediates.
3) We've done the last Saturday 2x15 or 20 with 3x4 at 110% and 2x15 at 85%! The remainder of the OS, the Saturdays are 30/30s with 85% remainder. I dreaded these Saturday workouts the last few weeks, but had a feeling of accomplishment at the end. I still find the 30/30s much less challenging than the FT work.
I noticed something while climbing I changed my pedaling from more pushing down and circle motion to pinching the seat with my thighs and pushing more across the top of the pedal stroke like a Leg Extension exercise. Then I would transition into the down stroke. I seemed to be pushing significantly more wattage at same PE and started to catch my faster climbing group riders. I bring this up because during the last FTP I was able to hammer the last 5 mins of my 2nd 20' effort with 327 watt avg for those 5 mins with a peak of 418 watts at the end. I was very surprised that not only was I not dying at the end of the FTP test but that I finished soooo much stronger with lower PE than I expected. I have yet to be able to find that euphoria/pedal stroke since but this weekend I might have found it again. Anyone else notice any pedaling mechanics quirks that helps boost your numbers?
BTW: I cannot imagine that I could translate the seat pinching method to the TT position by virtue of positional differences between riding on the bar-tops vs TT position.
Vince
Feel ok physically. I've been enjoying the work mostly, hitting the numbers, been very consistent, which was my goal to begin with. Just work the program. This past weekend I added extra intervals to the bike wko, as I was feelin it and happy to be outside but this is the kind of trap one sets, I think. The run yesterday I started to add another 1000 and the little voice said, wtf wtf....
Swam today, now mentally feeling a bit fried. Starting to get cranky and sh**ty with people. Don't like it. As Chris said, end of January is not the time to be dragging. So I'll be splitting the difference for a week. I'll do the wko's but lay off the obsessing and concentrate on real life stuff that tends to fall to the wayside. Sort of a reversal of focus- put the wko's back in their place and hit refresh.
Good luck, all y'all.
This is EXACTLY where I'm at. My head space is also out of balance, and I need to turn my attention to training thoughts to my life overall. At least for a while,
Keith,
I think that this is supposed to be a mental confidence builder for the upcoming 5k test next week, with 3 x 1 miles at the pace you intend to hold on that test. Since the fitness is already in the barn, you should be able to do this workout at the pace you expect to hold for the upcoming one.
Mike
Like a couple of others, I need a race to test 5K which are pretty sparse in Chicago right now. I generally just up the pace after the test week, not a lot just a tish.
Don't get down if your FTP falls some with this test, the pVo2max stuff is designed to give you more "space" to later increase your power at Lactate Threshold. You can raise your FTP with specific vo2max stuff but not everyone does. I can already tell I won't be hitting my last test FTP unless I snap out my power funk.
Great Point Hayes. During last years OS I saw a very small increase after the vo2 block and was pretty disappointed. However, after the following block of FTP work I saw another great increase. Plus as many people have mentioned the fatigue level is pretty high right now. In the end it all works out.
Well week 13 and I am still looking forward to the next FTT, just like week 8. I have no vdot test planned as I am just going in to week 4 of running for me. I did Saturday's ride today and will only hit all of the workouts as schduled for week 13. I might even cancel one of the 30/30 bikes as depending how I feel on Thursday with the 4 days in a row.
So what do I expect. I know I am capable of a 210 which would give me a 9 watt incresae. I'll be shooting for 216 which would be a 7.5% increase from week 8 and a 20% increase from the first test. I might have to puke up a lung to do it but that's what the target is.
My biggest challenge will be getting this bike in on fresh legs. We are heading out on a ski trip this Friday and could possibly hit the slopes on Sunday. I may have to adjust my week around but the FTT test is really the only workout I want to get in next week the rest I'll play by ear.
Gordon
That's called pulling a "Stark".
Sorry John, couldn't resist!
Man did I need to read all these tired legs posts. Up until yesterday I had been absolutely nailing the bike and most of the run workouts. This weekend I flip flopped the bike and run for some scheduling issues and got absolutely murdered on the bike yesterday - and I didnt even have a drill bit handy!!!! While I managed to get my first 20' done at 102% the 2nd interval died about 6 min in and I just coasted home. Never even tried the 5 x 2's. My legs just said thats it we're done., first time this year I've just up and walked out on a workout. So off to recovery and I'm feeling a bit better today. Got to tell ya, its very theraputic hearing all the other stories. Thanks folks!!!!
I think you're my long lost twin.
EXACTLY the same experience.
Hayes...good to hear it from someone other than myself. When I say it to myself it comes of as being a whimp even though academically it makes sense. Thanks for the reality check...although I will still try to pass my last FTP test numbers.
V
Nice to meet you sis, lets go hammer this weeks rides!!!
Wow, am I glad to read that I am not the only one who is fried! I couldn't make up my mind yesterday, whether or not to do my bike which I switched out for a run on Saturday. After much waffling, I decided to bag it, as my back and hams were hurting a lot, and I was exhausted! I have definately been burning my candle at both ends, and am glad I skipped the bike workout for a rest day yesterday. It is rather interesting that the majority of those who posted, are getting burned out and overtrained right now. I agree that January is NOT a good time to feel this way! It is totally okay to hit the reset button, and pause/refresh for a day or two, whatever is needed. As for my 5K test next week, I am hoping to drop from 33:33 last test, to 31 or 32 min. We'll see what happens. I'm hoping that by taking some rest when needed, my times will improve. Of course, the last test was an improvement over my first one. Hope everyone is getting rested and has a good week! Be careful out there!
@Suzanne - I don't think this is an error I looked at week 14 and 15 and all the bike workouts seem to have bumped up to 1:15. I'll be putting in the 1:15 or as close as possible before I am off to work.
Gordon
Paul if you look at week 1 the info is there. Time trial for 40' hard to very hard, as if racing. Take your average HR for the test this is your LTHR. The beginner plan states no testing for week 8 or 14 for HR. My assumption is that you max HR is fixed so once you know you LTHR it does not change that much unless you push your self harder as you get in to better shape.
Gordon
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