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[Closed] Started using a cycle coach, but it's too much. Getting the balance right?

flanagaj · 2020-02-24T12:22:56Z

I've been a life long cyclist who mountain bikes, cycle tours and rides 2-3 times / week. So this year aged 48 I decided to get a coach as I found that my usual 1 or 2 mid week 2 hour evening rides and 1 weekend 2-3 hour ride was keeping me fit, but my average speed of 13-15mph was woeful and I probably could use the time I had in a much more constructive manner to build a really good base for cycle touring. I found a good coach and my first task was to perform an FTP. (During the summer months when I mountain bike I can quite happily climb at 175 bpm for 10 minutes (max HR 190) without too much trouble). I performed the FTP and obtained a woeful FTP of 230 watts. The test itself was not fun and I ended up going to bed feeling wired and struggled to sleep. I'd never done one before. From this value my Training Peaks calendar was constructed and I was prescribed 5 rides / week. Ranging from 1 to 1.5 hour turbo rides and one 3hr + weekend ride. The turbo rides have been a lot of steady state work at 85 - 95% of FTP with some stress based workout to deduce one minute CP ... Now everything seemed to start off well and although the sessions were hard I completed them, but by week two I found my sleep really started suffering. At first I blamed the windy weather as that hasn't helped, but on reflection and looking at heart rate data I have done sessions where my HR has been at 160 bpm raising to 170 bpm for 45 mins. And I think the poor sleep is also due to the turbo sessions. When I compared my HR for the 1.5 hour turbo ride with an old ride I did prior to coaching I noticed that my outdoor rides had a HR profile that was in tune with the terrain I was riding. The high peaks up to 170 were for 15 mins max and I might have one or maybe two per ride, but there were loads of < 140 bpm sections. The turbo ride however were more a slightly positive increasing line but it was held constant with very little < 150 bpm recovery. I am planning on discussing with my coach, but I am interested as to how you go about starting to coach someone who has never been coached before. So you get an FTP from someone, but how do you know whether they can handle a steady state workout of 3 * 10 mins @95% ftp or whether instead you prescribe 3 * 7 mins @95% ftp. Just really interested to understand how you come up with the initial TSS value that stresses the individual, but does not end up drilling them into the ground? I have always had an issue whereby if I ride too hard or too long then my sleep is totally messed up and I don't think I can change that. Come to the conclusion it's genetic and I just shouldn't do it.

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tjagain

Posts: 44792

Full Member

Structured training for touring? Have I been doing it wrong all these years? Just ride and make sure yu enjoy the ride. Look at the clouds and the birds. Stop for a pint.

Posted : 26/02/2020 1:29 pm

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