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Haha is that in the women's folder? In our defence that was a warm up lap! 😆
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Sadly this was a chase not a break 🙁
Looks like one though 🙂
Just took a tape measure and spirit level to the commuter.. The saddle is nose down** I've done 1k+ miles on the commuter pain free.
Commuter / racing bike
Saddle height: 770mm/780mm
Saddle nose to back of stem: 455mm/435mm
Stack (bottom gap between fork and bottom of the stem): 180mm/215mm
*
This is my saddle, it's a pain in the backside to determine what is level on it:
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What does this tell me? I need to slam my racing bikes stem!!
Or just race the commuter 😀
You should do a comparison vid with the app.....
It's got discs 🙁
Not going to do anything until after the last race on Saturday- just hoping I stay upright!
Sort out my position for Abingdon.
I'm sure you'll be fine. What tipped the balance for me was the realisation that I could see the problems brewing but was often powerless (literally lol) to avoid them in the bunch. I had no choice but to ride behind these guys at times as moving up is a 3/4 lap long plan for me when the pace is raised.
Had I realised it was 5 to go- I may not have been where I was in the bunch. Equally- I would have probably have been just far enough forward to actually get taken out!
The thing that annoys me is that they were all being repeatedly told by experienced guys in the bunch to settle down but were too pig headed to reasses their riding!
One guy last week came up and said sorry for yelling at one point (we'd chatted at previous rounds). I told him not to be silly and that if he felt the need to shout then I probably needed a bollocking lol.
I know people game the system and try and yell their way into position but surely you know it's genuine if you're being told every single lap!!
It's almost like they need an experienced rider in the group, say in high viz, to shout at people if they're being a bit silly. Crazy idea I know!
Can't help but think that would have been a safer race!
Quite!!!!
So, time to regroup and plan ahead for next week. Mentally, this was due to be a final 'Saturday Race week' ready for the grand finale @ Hillingdon.
I was then planning on treating Abingdon as a C race or two and just training through them on my quest to get fitter, leaner and better prepped for the spring races.
So what to do now? I think I will treat this week as planned. That means:
Mon Rest
Tue KISS race
Wed Z1
Thur Z1
Fri Very low duration, high intensity leg openers.
Sat Race!
My goal of course is still to tick off more of TiReds list- so a top 50% finish. (I assume this means 50% of finishers not starters?).
Then I will probably take a week off of structure- Maybe hook the MTB out for a week and not worry about power or hr.
Then I need a 7 week plan to get me to 'Build 1' by the first Tuesday night...... I will probably cherry pick the 3 different Base weeks and choose workouts that focus on my key limiters.
Anybody care to help me identify what my main limiters are? (Don't pull punches 😉 )
Well... You'd think the obvious answer would be
"you're too big/fat"
But then you watch riders like Stannard who was FLYING and an absolute beast yesterday .... And you think, "Patience..."
You're wanting to go from nothing to superstar and it just takes time fella. You're putting the time in, you're putting the training in... Just have patience.
You're a quicker/better racer than you were 5 weeks ago... you'll be quicker and better again in 10 weeks from now.... You'll get there... Just wait a while.
You'll always be suited better to certain layouts/courses... I think Abingdon being pancake flat will suit you as you've got a bucket load of power/watts to play with... some riders, no matter how they train will never have 1200w that they can pull out of the hat.
You'll always be suited better to certain layouts/courses... I think Abingdon being pancake flat will suit you as you've got a bucket load of power/watts to play with... some riders, no matter how they train will never have 1200w that they can pull out of the hat.
Indeed, and CH should think himself lucky there are courses that suit him.
Where's my weekly Cat4 race that finishes up a 45min 7% climb?!
@CH, from what you've said you tend to struggle when there are surges in pace - maybe some under/over intervals would suit you?
It's almost like they need an experienced rider in the group, say in high viz, to shout at people if they're being a bit silly.
Thank you. I am inclined to agree. People who have just started racing will not appreciate that the season has only just begun, and that a nasty crash now will bring it to a rapid end. There are some experience old hands in the 4th cats, but the lack of tactics and slightly negative racing (save for the inevitable sprint) really so not help. There are plenty of opportunities for points.
If you would like to provide feedback to the organizers on my contribution, I would be very happy. I'd like BC to make it something formal - having a rolling Com who is happy to dodge the flying carbon 😉
Rest day today 😀
and mid pack means starters, not finishers, if you've signed on, you're racing.
Maybe you should try doing some one on one off intervals so help you deal with the surges you typically get in crits.
I find with Abingdon you don't get as many tight corners so you don't have to deal with the sprinting out of them. Just use some bombproof tyres because Saturday was an absolute puncture fest.
TiRed
Thank you. I am inclined to agree. People who have just started racing will not appreciate that the season has only just begun, and that a nasty crash now will bring it to a rapid end. There are some experience old hands in the 4th cats, but the lack of tactics and slightly negative racing (save for the inevitable sprint) really so not help. There are plenty of opportunities for points.If you would like to provide feedback to the organizers on my contribution, I would be very happy. I'd like BC to make it something formal - having a rolling Com who is happy to dodge the flying carbon
Rest day today
and mid pack means starters, not finishers, if you've signed on, you're racing.
Yes! I'll chat to Lucy on Saturday or message her.
Honestly it was shocking, I don't think there would have been half as many issues with you around (genuinely). First time I've had someone half wheeling me and shouting "inside"!? I'm relatively new to racing but that's dangerous as its unnecessary risk and distracting! First time I've felt unsafe too.
For abingdon I've got a choice of GP4000s or 4Seasons. Which have he most protection?
Depending on what happens this weekend now i may actually make it to watch. My oppo may have other stuff on that means he can't make Afan, if that's the case then i'll probably come up on the Parkwood for a chat. I should know more later in the week.
I'm a little bit too poor at the moment to enter though i'm afraid.
Honestly Nath, at the moment i'd love to.. but i got hit with a £400+ bill for the fire in living room last week, along with £150 for a rouge rodent in the loft space.... That wiped out my spare holiday money etc... So just not viable at the moment.
Ah I hear you.
I quit my job last Tuesday, serving my 2 months notice and then I've got nothing yet. Hence not buying a stages yet 😆
along with £150 for a rouge rodent in the loft space.
Exactly how much cheese did you put on the trap? 😯
LOL we got a man in because Mrs Weeksy was scared we had a gazillion of them, but it seems it may have just been a lone bandit...
@Weeksy- Sorry, I think you mis-understood what I was asking. I have 7 weeks between series to train. In order to focus my efforts in the right places, I need to objectively understand where I'm [b]most[/b] lacking.
I'm not trying to be something I'm not - I just want to maximise the gains.
@FifeAndy- Yes, when the pace picks up I was most disadvantaged in the earlier rounds but since I've lifted my eyes up the road and started attacking the attacks (IYSWIM) I've been able to hang a lot better. 2-8 minute power is certainly an area that needs work.
I am aware of over/under intervals but find a Zwift race gives me that organically anyhow along with a variety of lengthed Vo2 max intervals. Seperating them out into dedicated workouts would probably give better gains.
@Rawka- yes, definitely will include some 1min intervals in the plan.
I think there is definitely merit in going back to some aerobic work first. With a ramp up in volume too, it should help push the weight towards my target of 85kg. It will also give me plenty of hours to practice my riding position.
My cadence is creeping up- I managed 87rpm last week, but some drills wouldn't hurt so they can get bunged into the mix.
With 7 weeks to play with, I'm thinking 3 x Base 2, 1x Base R+R, 2x Base 3, 1xBase R+R with the first race at the end and then Build 1 etc from there?
I'll probably be a little lacking in top end again for the first race but should have higher overall fitness?
Weekly interval work + lower overall volume (Time Crunched type plan) would be the other option I suppose......
I have no idea what you just said @CH 😆
Lol! I'm not entirely sure either 😀
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So:
3 weeks doing the Base 2 plan.
1 week unloading fatigue doing the Base R+R plan.
2 weeks doing the Base 3 plan.
1 week unloading fatigue doing the Base R+R plan.
Then weekly races as I progress through the Build, Peak and Race week plans.
@CH is that the time crunched book? Looks good, might have to get a copy.
No, Joe Friel's MTB Training Bible. It's like a much clearer version of the original lol
Looks good @CH.
I'm going to revisit my plan - I'm going to focus my efforts on the top end I think.
If you can cope with the workload then that's obviously going to bring the best results.
The premise of periodisation is that the top end actually doesn't take long to add (weeks rather than months). So you start off doing loads of generic training then focus tighter and tighter on your target event until your training almost perfectly reflects your A race (highest priority). By then volume has probably almost halved to accommodate the intensity.
I *think* I still need to increase the miles in my legs to lift me up to 3/4 standard which means cutting out some intensity for a bit so as not to run myself into the ground.
I'm roughly targeting a race about 8 weeks in to the Tuesday night series as my A race...
(I'll firm that up when I write the plan proper)
I'm actually thinking I need to go back to base as well for a couple of weeks.
With a huge change in seating position I can feel different muscles being worked/ the way I've been using them changing?
I tried a Z1 commute this morning, after a coffee might I add 😆 yeah I was an epic fail: https://www.strava.com/activities/858001124
I even kept behind the brompton/boris brigade!
P.s. Facebook has just reminded me of my first commuter 1 year ago today:
[b]WHAT WAS I THINKING!?!?![/b]
Cheap Ultegra 6800 cassettes and GP4000SII 23mm Tyres: https://www.canyon.com/en-gb/accessories/?category=T130#id=&sort=price&order=1
'Cheap' REYNOLDS 46 AERO C 2016 wheels there too.
Gray, that is a very good price for a very good set of wheels!
Indeed. Ideal for someone getting into racing, I'd say. I've already got some Reynolds jobbers, so not for me.
Loads of dirty cheap energy gels too if anyone wants them.
I tried a Z1 commute this morning, after a coffee might I add yeah I was an epic fail:
Depends on whose definitions of zones you use - will be practically impossible for you to hit z1 when your z2 band is so wide.
184 max HR is indeed a bit of a fail though 😀
@fifeandy - I was more disciplined on the way home https://www.strava.com/activities/858494665
Z1 = up to 125bpm 65% on my mio computer, which I think is impossible.
Z2 = 144 75%
Z3 = 157 82%
Z4 = 171 89%
Z5 = 189 94%
Z6 = 192 100%
At this point I've realised the above isn't correct as 100% is 198 for me, so they have all been bumped up slightly.
In other news last night I did a FTP test
305w!!! = 4.36w/kg
Very happy with that considering I commuted on the bike yesterday 🙂
You got 12th Nath.
They've got me as 34/35 which isn't right as I finished with the same group of 4 as Johnny (26th) but hey, it's not like I would have gotten my top 50% anyway by the looks of it.
Nath, try setting the zones in strava/mio to match these:
http://datacranker.com/heart-rate-zones/
If you don't already know LTHR, grabbing your average from your FTP test should get you pretty close.
Some might argue z2 extends too high on friels zones (what is used in the link), but they are still probably the most commonly used.
@CH - OFFS, I'd rather have been 15th or something, not 2 away from a point 😆
Message them mate, they may have thought you were lapped or something?
I'll check it out thanks for the link. My HRM died this morning so I was doing high cadence spins keeping it around 95-100 (when moving). Dusted the cobwebs off that's for sure!
Some might argue z2 extends too high on friels zones
Probably because z2 rides for most means riding as close to the z2/z3 boundary as possible 🙂
It does seem a little generous, though it's just an estimate based on an estimate so it's unlikely to be spot on anyway.
FWIW I find the Friel HR Zones line up surprising well with Coggan power zones [u]under ideal conditions[/u]. In winter my z2 power HR does seem to be 5 bpm higher than an equivalent summer z2 power effort. Suspect it's down to temperature regulation and that I've a general higher level of fatigue for most winter rides.
doing high cadence spins keeping it around 95-100
That's my natural cadence, but I have noticed I'm more of a spinner than most people I ride with.
That's my natural cadence, but I have noticed I'm more of a spinner than most people I ride with.
One thing I've noticed since having a power meter is how much easier I find it to produce power at cadences of 95-100 compared to at lower cadences. 250W at 80rpm feels like really hard work, much less so at 95rpm.
I struggle with high cadence when there's no resistance. I can hit 140 in a sprint but 95 generally sees me bouncing in the saddle.
I was actually changing up a gear at times in the KISS race last night to lower my cadence and help drop my HR. Probably why I got dropped with 1 mile to go 😉
My race cadence is 92/93 normally - no harm in getting it to 95 🙂
At first I was using 50/34 & 11-28, swapped to 52/36 & 12-25 - cadence remained the same.
If Canyon get my order out then I'll be running 52/36 & 11-23 at the weekend 😆