Week 12 Bike and Brick thread
So, I did a ton of travelling last week, which threw off my biking, and I got up this morning to do Saturday's bike. I got going on the 2 x 14 (Z4), and was feeling pretty good, so I switched things up on the fly, and converted to 2 x 20 (2). Got through the first one feeling great, had to push hard on the second one, but came up hitting 235 for FTP (first test in a while), up from about 220 at the beginning of January. I'd been working off of a swagged 230, so it's time to bump up the VO2 from 275 to 285!
I'm excited, since my high last season indoors was 242, and I've got a lot more get-faster training I'm planning on this year (mostly short-course).
Since I haven't been on the bike much in the last few weeks, I'm going to give the VO2 work a shot tomorrow, but I'm reserving the right to cut down from 5 x 2.5/2.5's...
Comments
Good news- I did an 8K over the weekend and all is good. I didn't "race" it but I'm still super happy about it. Now if I can just convince myself to wake up in the morning before the sun again I'll be good ot go!
Coming off the 8k race yesterday it was a tough bike. Very, very tough. The workout was 6x z5 intervals, 2:30 each. The last one and a half of the intervals were on the base bars…could not maintain aero. In fact it wasn't until I downloaded the data that I discovered I actually hit the last two intervals…power was all over the map as I tried to keep it over 170.
z5 intervals, 120%=270, 65%=146
279/154 (cad 96, HR 155)
279/160 (cad 96, HR 163)
283/152 (cad 97, HR 169)
282/149 (cad 97, HR 171)
279/144 (cad 96, HR 176)
276/145 (cad 96, HR 179)
8:00 of z3 time at the end: 191 watts (0.85)
The brick run started extremely slow but I actually felt pretty good after the first mile. I ended up at 7:03 for the 30 min run, so squarely in z3/HMP. However, it was a serious negative split, with mile paces:
1 – 7:48
2 – 7:13
3 – 6:54
4 – 6:36
5 (0.26 miles) – 5:52
Nice kick at the end but I think I may have re-aggravated my hamstring injury in that last push. Very dumb. I'm icing it as I write this. If it causes me to miss the VO2max interval run tomorrow I will be annoyed, but for a hamstring rest is critical and re-injury is all too easy.
Bike: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/74426463
Run: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/74426699
Cheers
Matt
Got the main set in, did about 10 minutes on the treadmill around Z2, and hit the showers. Tough week at work, so I'm thrilled to be sticking with any sort of schedule. Considering swimming on Friday!
120%=290/65%=157
290/173
291/155
289/172
289/158
291/158
290/152
15' of ABP pNorm=207 IF=.854
Running felt really good. I'm keeping the treadmill as my brick run for now. I've been hitting the great outdoors for my pure run days.
FTP 211 from the trainer and I have been fudging up outdoors based on my first outdoor rides. Probably closer to 220: 120% = 264
5x2.5 with approx 2.5-5min recovery until reaching the next flat/uphill
292/201
266/136
291/161
261/174
297/140
15'x219NP
Total 231 NP 1:03, TSS 124, IF 1.05 off estimated outdoor power. Should I bump the outdoorFTP up some or is normal to have a higher IF for interval riding?
60' with 6x 2.5'(2.5') @z5, z1 recoveries.
z5 intervals, 120%=270, 65%=146
287/157 (cad 91, HR 152)
279/154 (cad 90, HR 158)
278/149 (cad 91, HR 163)
281/140 (cad 91, HR 167)
283/148 (cad 91, HR 171)
280/147 (cad 95, HR 176) – did this one in a lower gear / higher cadence
Last two were on the base bars, not aero. Couldn't maintain the power in aero.
Strangely, as I look at when I did this exact same workout on Tuesday, my cadence for all intervals was 95-97…I guess I somehow self-selected a different gear tonight.
8:00 of z3 time at the end: 195 watts (0.865).
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/74760777
Now two recovery days until Saturday's brick!!
@David, your outdoor watts will definitely be higher than what you tested at. So 264 works for VO2 stuff on the trainer...but you can probably add 10% to your indoor FTP when riding outside until you can actually test!
Yesrterday I did the weekend ride, as I want to race a 5K on Saturday. Yesterday was the FIRST warm day of the year - sunny, 60F, NO RAIN!!!
My favorite route for spring days, exposed to the afternoon sun, with views of the Olympics, and no real traffic issues starts at the Chambers Creek Golf Course, site of the 2015 US Open (or some year far in the future).
Numbers: 20' FTP intervals at an intensity factor of 96 and 99%, with a total IF for the ride of 87%. 28 miles, an hour an a half. It feels good in the sun!
Now, for the run. The Chambers Creek Golf Course is set in an old quarry, with sandy rolling links snugged up against a palisade cliff side. So the run is first a mile along the cliff top, then a half mile DOWN. Next, along the sound, with a detour over the RR tracks and back on the new pier-like pedestrian bridge jutting over the rocky “beach”. Watch the duffers for a mile while I huff uphill and puff down. Then, the Piece d’ Resistance: climb 3/4 mile back up on switchbacks, some as steep as 22% (I walk that part). Finish strong, and make it to the car, doing 3.6 miles in 28 minutes.
It’s nice to run in shorts and a shirt, feel the sun on my skin, and be SWEATY afterwards. I haven’t done that for half a year, and forgot that I actually LIKE doing this kind of stuff. Meaning a hard brick with a tough run at the end, amongst gorgeous scenery.
Bike workout complete as scheduled and on target. I need to say thanks to Matt for the exchange we had earlier about resting harder. Matt, I took your advice. Monday was a total couch day, Tuesday, I scaled back the bike to 2x20min@FTP, the rest was OS only+swimming. Feeling recovered and it showed today.
60min, AP 207W xP237W IF .86 TSS 74
6x2.5min(2.5min)@120%=332W
319W cad 104
323W cad 105
330W cad 106
332W cad 106
334W cad 107
335W cad 107
Felt really good and plenty left in the tank. No 85% work, easy spin after, recovery began for Saturday. I enjoyed this one truly.
Nice work everybody, keep it up. We got to keep this going.
Very good brick workout this morning. The usual RnP's bad math correction yielded a total of 105 mins: W/U 10' easy, 2x20'(4') @ z4, 3x2.5'(2.5') @ z5, 2x15'(2') @ z3. The movie selection was Braveheart. Both z4 intervals felt surprisingly good. The z5 intervals were hard but I exceeded 120% solidly. The z3 work was good too…about 91%.
I'm sure my FTP will be higher in the next test, maybe 230??
Interval 1 (20' @z4) - NP: 224w (IF 0.994), cadence: 94, HR: 158
Interval 2 (20' @z4) - NP: 225w (IF 1.001), cadence: 95, HR: 165
z5 intervals, 120%=270, 65%=146
284/147, cad 93, HR 169
283/148, cad 93, HR 170
274/117, cad 93, HR 170 (stopped during recovery to change water bottles)
Interval 6 (15' @z3) - NP: 204w (IF 0.907), cadence: 91, HR: 158
Interval 7 (15' @z3) - NP: 205w (IF 0.913), cadence: 91, HR: 151
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/75160793
The run was a mixed bag. I went slowly to take it easy on my injured hamstring. I started to feel it about 1.5 miles in so turned around to stay close to home in case I needed to pull the plug. Ended up doing 4 miles in 28:06, a 7:02 pace…so solidly z3.
Splits: 1.5mi @7:08, 1.5mi @7:00, 1.0mi @6:57
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/75166153
The hammy felt okay during the workout but not great afterwards so I am icing heavily. I will not run tomorrow, and have committed to myself that if it feels worse tomorrow than today I will stop running for a week.
Cheers,
Matt
@Mike, you gotta love it when you hit a string of those, great feeling.
@Matt, great work, had a debate with myself over this run, ended as a mixed bag as I really wan to hit the run on target tomorrow, that one will make me faster.
Finally, I got a little closer to saying, brick complete as written, but almost, while the bike part came out near perfect and for the first time that I hit it all as planned, run, I just could not collect myself and my mind around 6:33 pace for 30min, so I broke HMP pace into segments of .75-1.0 miles and ran it like that. I will take it as is.
120min, AP 227W xP245W IF .89 TSS 155
2x20min(4min)@FTP+3x2.5min(2.5min)@120%+2x15min(2min)@80-85%FTP
FTP=277W 120%=332W
interval 1 xP 276W IF 1.0
interval 2 xP 281W IF 1.1
interval 3 AP 321W
interval 4 AP 328W
interval 5 AP 331W
interval 6 xP 232W IF .84
interval 7 xP 232W IF .84
Run, 4.5mi in 30min, not as written, just plain could not do it. Next time, I promise.
This was a back on the trainer, snowing in Kansas City, right, almost April. For some reason this done on the trainer was less physically draining but more mental challenge. Had no trouble hitting the numbers but there was a lot to cover. The 15min intervals in the end, it was just numbing, mind and body, I felt I had no control over legs, they were just spinning because that is what they did for the last hour and a half.
Getting better. Now, I hope this translates into good short course racing. That is all I am doing until Summer, no long course for now. Need to graduate short course and get speed.
I'm off the OS plan and onto the HIM but I'm going to keep tabs on y'all as the work in here is pretty motivating. Almost skipped my early HIM to stay OS the whole way but I'm racing Halfmax nationals in Oct and wanted another HIM under my belt for practice. Hard to pass up a local race that will let me coach a baseball game in the afternoon. Work travel has my summer crushed.
Sat "lazy" brick, aka leaving the run for long miles on sunday.
Totals: TSS 141, IF .92 NP 92
2x15 .96 then .97
3x2.5 270/135, 266/122, 269/105 (rehydrating)
3x12 .82,.86,.84
Looking forward to get back out of the garage and on the road. new bars show up this week and then time for a bike rebuild and refit. Has been about 4 years since the last major bike maintenance. Hoping a new clean chain will bump some of the testing numbers.
Well, it has been an interesting week to say the least. It started Sunday night with a wicked (and I do mean wicked) case of food poisoning; dropped 2.5lbs in a very short period. Nothing like pulling an all nighter hurling prior to getting on a plane for a 3 day 4 city business trip! Needless to say this has NOT been a good week in terms of workouts.
With that said, I got back on the horse last night to get back on schedule. Banged out the 5 x 2.5's but not much more. I struggled with maintaining the 120%, but averaged about 112-115% (I still need to download the data). I will be back to full strengh workouts tomorrow.
Good luck everyone with the weekend workouts.
I hit my first 20' feeling really worn out, but at my FTP. 20' #2 basically wasn't happening. I tried to hit my 3x120%, but that was pretty much not happening either. I did manage to hit the treadmill for my 30' of Z3 running. That wasn't too bad... all things considered.
I didn't think about this until just now, but is there any calibration or anything to worry about after swapping batteries in the hub? The computer picked it right up, so I didn't think about it too much.