Sooo... getting back into our weekly 10 mile TTs although finding myself way off where I want to be, I guess because the weekly TT is typically the highest intensity riding I do on a weekly basis.
If I want to do one other short hard session a week I'm getting the impression it should be 4 x 5 minute intervals at a higher-than-TT pace.
The most suitable roads around me are all climbs, ranging from 2% average all the way up to approx 10% average. This is useful as I also want to get some climbing legs back!
Any danger in using hill reps as TT 'training'? I guess VO2 is V02, and the lack of specificity in the intervals isn't that big a deal if I'm TTing once a week anyway, i.e. I'm getting the specificity from the TTs themselves? Our TT courses are all pretty rolling anyway...
Some very strong testers hold with VO2 is VO2, you could train sat up like a postman on a gym bike as the cv effort is all that matters.
Others are the opposite and will work towards holding big intervals in position even on the turbo - recollect hearing John Archibald (100 mile TT record holder - 3 hrs 13 minutes!) on a podcast say he trains in position. It certainly trains mentality as it is hard, but the biomechanics of a stationary bike are quite different.
TTing once a week is the important thing - that is the key thing to get better, and the training session will just strengthen that.
Just getting back to riding after the first three months off with viral infection. Then went down with a further cold and twi more weeks off. On the interesting side, i have a new max HR of 222bpm - previously about 185. One vets circuit race in, and another tomorrow. At least i was not dropped l, but far from the pointy end. Back up to two solid club rides and one mid week extended commute, so about seven hours of Z2/4 (seldom 3) and some race interval training in the mix.
Reading 50 TT is in a week, then some 100 TTs and maybe some fitness for the Welsh 12h in August. Maybe. It’s a long oath back after three months walking the dog 😂. But endurance never teally leaves you. Thankfully.
I don’t ride 10’s. i’m not a glutton for punishment. We have the Westerley ten and a bit (11 laps of Hillingdon) which i have used as a means of honing position and comfort, and years ago I won the series, but I don’t really like the pain. So i like a 100 instead!
but I don’t really like the pain. So i like a 100 instead!
People say cyclists are weird sometimes.
Hard day at the Fred Whitton yesterday.
Been off colour for a few weeks and not ridden the bike in anger, so wasn’t expecting much, a just ride round sort of event. Except you can’t really ‘just ride round’ the Fred, so it went pretty much as expected. Compounded by a comically bad prep of 3 hours nights sleep on a YHA couch, and the morning being Baltic cold at first light. It turned into a lovely day, but there was frost at 6.30am, and I had no gloves. 5 miles down the road and up the Struggle and my hands were burning painful, felt tired, and there’s 11500 feet of climbing to go. Honestly thought about just riding to Keswick and calling it a day.
But! From this nadir things slowly improved – talking 1/10 to 5/10 but still, a significant increase. Got some pace under the wheels with some tasty descending, sun came out and the Lakes looked resplendent, good chat with other riders, and loads of people out and about cheering you on which makes a massive difference to your mood.
Physically things never really picked up – descended well and could tick over the flattish bits, but the legs just got zeroed on the climbs, every one was a battle and felt a level harder than it should. But recognizing I had un jour sans on my hands I just ground it out and didn’t really stop, just a minute or two here and there to refill water, chip time of 8hr 48mins. Wasn’t too fussed with a time objective as this parcours is always going to give me a bit of a leathering, but I wanted to be strong enough to ride round somewhat on my terms. Didn't happen, but such a class event - might try again next year.
Few photos – lovely day, bright sunshine but not too hot, cooling later on.
Good effort Garry! Worryingly close to my 'good day' time from several years ago I think 😂
Meanwhile I sacked off plans for a gruelling gravel effort in the hills above the Tay and went for a lovely sunny road spin, almost felt guilty just spinning along enjoying myself 😂
I did the 6hour solo race at Torq 3, 6, 9...
Felt like a complete bag of spanners for the first 4 hours almost quit after 2 but decided to keep going, got overtaken by seemingly everyone, twice. After 4 1/2 hours though I realised my legs felt fine so pushed on with my quickest lap, it left me with 50mins to do another, had been lapping 42-48 mins so pushed on and got fastest lap at 38...legs feel fine today...guess I should have gone harder but pleased my hydration and fueling were nailed and I finished a 6 hour race feeling strong. Finished mid to lower end of 49-59 cat but amusingly if I was 3 years younger I would have been on the podium
Big aim for me is still The Land Between race in august (500k gravel in Northumberland). My first self imposed big test at the weekend was to ride the EnglanDuro route as an ITT - Liverpool-Scarborough (about 40% off road). I ended up riding in reverse due to the unseasonable NE wind. The weather was less than ideal full stop but it's the only weekend I had available.
I wanted to test myself riding through the night for the first time in a long time and with a loaded bike. Took sleeping kit but didn't need it, plus it was so cold I didn't really want to stop too long. Just kept plugging away.
Just under 19hrs elapsed time for 190miles, no major dramas or aches and pains. Felt like I could have kept going too, apart from saddle discomfort which I need to manage better. Feel surprisingly fresh today too considering. Not the hilliest course but a good test non the less.
So my main reflection is my training is going well, I've definitely felt the benefit of a year of regular pilates and (low weight functional movement) strength sessions in terms of robustness and durability. My main specific training is 1hr trainer road sessions on the wattbike 2-3 times per week, with commutes and outdoor rides focussing on low intensity in the most. I've seen my more planned approach to training recorded on intervals.icu, so good to feel it in practice too.
@snownrock - interesting to see you're getting value for longer rides by doing shorter TR rides consistently. I'm in a similar boat (with less extreme distances involved) and have a similar approach. I'm really curious to see how I fare.
@anagallis_arvensis & @Garry_Lager - nice job both of you. Sometimes all the training in the world can't prepare you for feeling shit on the bike so the fact that you both got something out of your rides despite feeling crap must feel satisfying.
If I'd have had the benefit of choice I might not have chosen this methodology I admit, but being time pressed as a lot of us are it was my only real choice. And with the benefit of a few months it's been perfect.
Previously my overall volume was the same, just not structured/planned. So I would feel good, override or overtrain and then go into the 'red' and constantly get minor illnesses requiring a few days off. Using the fitness chart on intervals.icu I've been much better at keeping my fitness in the 'green' (growth) zone and resting and recovering pre and post 'big' rides. Honestly, it's been a revelation. The growth is slow but it is sustainable.
Regarding gaining fitness with 1hr sessions, for me fitness (TSS) and FTP increase is valid no matter how it is achieved.
I'm not following a formal training plan on trainerroad but the AI workout recommendations have been really good.
Smashed my PB on one of our local 10 mile courses last night, all else being relatively equal (more low intensity miles in the legs between the two rides but not much high intensity) I think that is mostly down to the summer bike vs. the winter bike.
Never let it be said that it's not about the bike 😆
I did wonder if two very opposite wind directions played a part, we had a brisk 15mpg tailwind OUT tonight and the corresponding headwind back. I wondered if the outward leg just served as a very fast warmup (although the heart rate basically rose to my usual HR for a 10 mile effort, so not like I was taking it all that easy) and meant I could empty the tank back into the wind with some effort already in the legs so everything was firing correctly.
And of course I'm now getting supersitious about other marginal gainz, was it because I had two empty bottles in the cages to fill out the middle triangle? Was it my old but very compressive Bioracer shorts, was it because I wasn't wearing mitts, was it the 250ml of beetroot juice I've been drinking every morning (with associated gastric churn 😖). I can see how easy it is to become obsessive about this sort of stuff. Aero hex bolt skewers and aero socks incoming... 😆
Good work everyone. Impressed w the 8 hour Fred - doesn't sound like too bad of a day.
As other folks have mentioned, structure and paying attention to the form trace on intervals has been good for me, keeping it in the green zone. The fitness curve has been steadily increasing as well. I've been following a TR climbing road race plan and it's giving me FTP boosts. Following that structure and addding some additional protein into my diet has prevented the niggly upper respiratory bugs that hampered me previously.
In the last 4 weeks i've been riding outside on the weekend with some longer rides to boost time in the saddle (I'm looking at a longer day in June), and that's upsetting the TR algo. TR does seem to struggle with real life a little. So my Form curve is now sitting in the grey zone for the last couple of weeks, so i guess i may need to push the intensity of some sessions. I guess i could push TR up a notch from balanced perhaps. Any other thoughts. I do know i need to be a little careful pushing longer outdoor sessions, but just 90 - 120 on TR doesn't feel like enough.
Any thoughts from other TR users?
Cheers
