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Agreed - the videos are useless to me just to watch and train with perceived effort or whatever.
You could probably create the TR workout easily enough and merge it with the video somehow with two windows if you fancied. Might try that with revolver as it's a very simple profile.
That is the first session I have done without a trainerroad syncing up with the video (just watched a xco race on redbull tv) It really didn't work, it isn't half as involving. I was planning on buying a new trainer next month and subscribing to sufferfest anyway, but still pissed off that they have taken that attitude.
Also find it a shame that sufferfest don;t do any mountain bike videos.
Zwift?
I tried zwift last year, thought it was complete and utter shite.
That is the first session I have done without a trainerroad syncing up with the video (just watched a xco race on redbull tv) It really didn’t work, it isn’t half as involving. I was planning on buying a new trainer next month and subscribing to sufferfest anyway, but still pissed off that they have taken that attitude.
Also find it a shame that sufferfest don;t do any mountain bike videos.
I like SF a lot but wonder how their schtick works for a complete training package - assuming they're not going for the bury yourself every single session approach which would be madness. Sounds a bit odd doing a sufferfest easy sweetspot sesh.
Injury has kept me off the bike since early June but have been trying to tick over on TrainerRoad, haven't really been able to get out of Z2/3 without much discomfort but hoping to start building back up soon.
Hadn't realised the Sufferfest workouts had been removed, I stopped using them a couple of years ago as I found I made better progress following the base/build plans. Shame as I like the idea of the odd one when motivation is lacking and a fresh option would be good.
One thing I do miss is the drag and drop videos for when I'm doing something less structured as over the last few weeks, I use a tablet these days as it's loads more convenient.
I tried zwift last year, thought it was complete and utter shite.
I get that, because I'm only a recent convert myself. But their training plans have improved and kind of morph to your missed workout / goals. Principally though as my plans are set in TodaysPlan, Zwift links to todays plan. I get all my target intervals & numbers plus the start/finish "hoops" are great to aim for when your buried deep toward then end of a 450w 1 min interval
Therefore I'm achieving the benefit of a better UI (IMO) than Trainerroad, using a very personalised training plan.
Outside of that I'm not sure I'm capable of being immersed as others though, for example when doing a Sunday morning ride by myself because is 0 degrees outside. I've joined the group rides but despite the w/kg based parameter of those to even things up I never find them quite as advertised and find myself outside of my desired training zone, so a bit dissatisfied with that.
So.. TSS...
This week I did two ramp tests on monday (first one I/a mis-shifting bike messed up), then a reduced amplitude billats workout tuesday. This gave me a TSS of 49 on monday and 67 on tuesday. Monday should have been a rest day but i needed to FTP test so i could turbo on tues. I'm aiming for a hard week this week and work/childcare meant an early turbo was my only option. I should have done a harder workout on tues but was lazy and legs feelin the ramp test.
Question really is, to assuage my nagging guilt, whats the difference between a monday with 0 TSS (rest day) followed by a killer session of TSS 110+ on tues or splitting the TSS between two days like I did?
or splitting the TSS between two days like I did?
On day 2 you may be able to perform to a peak due to tiredness. If you're going to do that, schedule workouts hard/dooable. So thats
Hard & Short and Hard & Short - 45mins sprint & 45 mins sprint
or
Hard & Short and Long & easy - 45mins sprint & 1.5hr Z2
or
Doable & doable - 2 x 20 and 2 x 20.
No point doing 5 x 3mins Vo2max on day 1, then trying that again on day 2 and failing. The exception id if your building for multi day / muscular endurance - I did lots of Vo2max day one and 2 or even 3 x 20 mins day 2 last winter - but that last 20 was often a struggle.
Not a coach, but...if you're only interested in accumulating TSS then no difference.
I guess it really depends on the original intention against how you actually acquired it?
Yeah I guess it makes no differnece. I'm starting to train harder now with the goal of structured turbo training through the cx season to be a peak fitness for the regional champs (my 1 A race) then maintaining that for the NT at SHrewbury 9second A race). I'd planned out my 3 weeek training 1 week rest (with B races at the end of the rest week and C races other wekends), but it meant that I had a rest week last week (due to my past cycle of training), but need also to have a rest week next (which coincides with tapering so I can make cx rnd 1 a 'b' race). Therefore I was planning a 1 week killer week this week so I'm not loosing fitness over three easy weeks.
In an ideal world I've have done 1.5 - 2hrs of warm up, 5 minute RAB intervals 5 minute rest on Tues. Instead I did 2 20 minute ramp tests monday evening and 1hr turbo with 4 RAB intervals on tues. Probably equates to the same thing.
Yeah I guess it makes no differnece
Goddam this invisible ink...
Whilst the TR thread is up- they are trickling people into the beta Calander feature. It’s pretty good 👍🏻
I’ve had a bad year with TR discipline. I’ve been through the best part of a whole BBS cycle with only about ten crisp TR intervals done on the Turbo. Mainly because of the weather and thanks to finding a Tuesday chaingang, I’ve either done a best-fit version of the interval set outside or swapped it for an outdoor group ride or race.
This time last year, I really applied myself to Sustained Power build for 8 weeks and had a great end of season peak but I’m struggling to give up the outdoor riding this time around.
I think the lack of a meaningful goal at the moment is holding me back.
Haha sorry Kryton! Agree with what you are saying.
Crosshair - just applied for early access to calendar. This is eaxctly what I need if I understnad the beta facebook group post right. looks ideal.
Yes the calendar is good.
Will hopefully be nicely polished on final release but very good to use.
You can add in race events which stay in place on the calendar and overlay the training programs around them and if things change pull and push weeks but the race events stay in place.
Well, at the weekend I did my first full hour on a bike since February (Baxter - 2). Stupid blinking Achilles... it is improving though. My left calf is now tiny! Still, now that I'm over the hump of being able to do stuff, I reckon I'll be able to make good progress from now on. Bring on next summer!
Have had a play with the calendar and it seems that I don't really need TrainingPEaks any more. Which is good, because I hated having to input my TR plan into my trainingpeaks calendar.
Not racing next year and the only thing keeping me using Training Peaks premium was the calendar.
Was hoping the TR calendar could be a good replacement so hopefully good news🤞
There is a quicker way to import TR plans into TP but since I only follow them loosely it still takes a bit of tinkering (combine with outdoors rides and shuffle everything around the masters thing of 2 weeks on, 1 off)
Still wating to be given beta access to the calendar..
Problem is if its good I'm going to want a power meter for outside riding even more 🙁
Did you tick all the boxes on both/every page to get access?
I bought a power meter last month. I've resisted long enough as I knew it would just be ooh isn't this an interesting toy but having a smart turbo for nearly a year I know enough for it to be useful.
From a TSS POV it's interesting as a chain gang club run over the same terrain using TR guesstimate of TSS was a lot different. Picking "7 Hard" gave me 120ish the power meter calc comes out around 170. I have to pick "10 All out" to get that TSS,
Power meter is probably making me ride slower on solo rides but harder when needed. Might just be because I've removed average speed from my Garmin in favour of power numbers for now though :0)
Of course if my FTP is wrong the TSS would come down for the power meter rides. FTP based on indoor ramp test. Power meters appear to match near enough. Numbers are similar enough for longer efforts 5min plus outdoors to indoors.
I always found that I could go harder outside than my indoor FTP would suggest. I have a decent fan but I do generally run pretty hot, so I think cooling is probably the main difference for me.
I always intended to do an FTP test outside one day, but never got around to it.
Got calender now.. its great. Exactly what I needed. Planned out my races and training till ealry December. Going to be doing a lot of turbo from now on as with cross season approaching stripiong and cleaning a bike once a week is enough!!
I've smashed my power records from 1 to 3 minutes outside but longer comes out about the same.
Fighting gradient and being able to stand and sprint properly helps on those efforts though.
Yes riding in a room of 18degC with a fan is certainly harder than outside but I don't feel the FTP is too far out.
Well, that's me done for the season, its rest pizza and beer from tomorrow. Ended with 90 mins @200w indoor Z2.
Time now to have a think on my goals next year before discussing my winter training plan. Interesting that year 4 of actual training has ended with me doing Z2 for 90 mins 20w higher than my FTP was four years ago :D. Some highs this year of adding 50w to each end of my Z2, improved ability and strategy for climbing, top 30 in marathons up 20-30 places form 2017, and finishing 1 place higher in Regional XCO without training for it, and despite some higher level racers at the top end of the Eastern league this year. The lows are mostly a mental inability to be confident in myself, and throwing my toys out the pram when things don't go right, wet camping and technical. I can work on those.
Ciao for now, enjoy 🙂
First hard turbo session of the year last night, Dade+2. Struggled with the last set. More mentally than actually the legs, don't really have the turbo motivation to beast myself yet. Hopefully it will come with a couple of session - sassefras tomorrow which will be vile if my heads not in it!
It's been too nice outside but tapering for the weekend and no time to go outside so I did my first TR session for a while too.
Kern-4 which on the face of it looked relatively easy but struggled to get the RPM over 80 and it was way down by the last couple of sets. Got through it. I'm blaming the bit of illness after a big ride at the weekend.
Looking forward to switching off in a couple of weeks and going back to Base for 3 months or so.
Slight hijack - but im on zwift, so what would be a good base training approach on that? Don't really want to spend much more than a hour though.
Do date i've just been logging on to whatever world is on at the time and chasing people around until i feel i cant do it any more - which is probably not the best approach.
TR is all about Sweet Spot for base training. Google it for the definition. % of FTP
I've not looked at the Zwift training programs since last year and they have changed. Probably pick on one of the FTP boosters as a starter.
There's a really long thread about zwift here:
https://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/zwift-my-journey-my-weight-and-my-fitness/page/237/
I suspect that the folks on that thread will have a better idea of what zwift offers than most of the folk on this thread.
Have had more of a play with the calendar feature. I like it a lot.
Is the calendar live yet or still beta?
I noticed I can add workouts to mine but no options to copy and paste and create my own plan.
It's still in beta I think. I seem to remember from the TR beta tester facebook page that copy/paste is on the list of things that will be added in.
Ah cool cheers, just wondering when I can drop TrainingPeaks!
I already have! Partly because I was finding the fitness/freshness graph was neither useful or healthy.
Actually like TP but since I won’t be racing next year my training will be a bit more general, I don’t feel the need to run both...the calendar is the only reason to keep Premium TP for me the moment.
Hope your year off racing is for good reasons. I've just had a year off due to baby arrival and watching my 'fitness' graph plummet all year has been depressing. I don't think that fitness/freshness is going to help me plan my training or workload now as I'll just be doing whatever I can fit in.
But yeah, TP is actually really good for lots of other reasons.
Grade 4 AC injury, not really sure if I’ll get back to it at 46...anyhow, will continue to train in the manner I’ve been accustomed to, may be difficult without the specific focus but it’s the only way I know.
I’m now dedicated to smashing the local training bashes!
Slight hijack – but im on zwift, so what would be a good base training approach on that? Don’t really want to spend much more than a hour though.
Do date i’ve just been logging on to whatever world is on at the time and chasing people around until i feel i cant do it any more – which is probably not the best approach.
I manually re-create my TR workouts in Zwift. Bit tedious but works a treat. There is a web tool called ZWOFactory that you can use to create workouts and transfer across. Much easier than using the Zwift workout creator.
Assuming you are a TR member I just run both programs. Zwift on the computer and TR on another window and reduced view with a 2nd ANT+ dongle or on phone/tablet.
Just remember to turn off the Zwift controllability of the trainer so TR does it.
Might get going again on TR in the next few weeks. What's the ramp test like with a 'dumb' trainer? I have an old frame set up permanently on the turbo so can keep the set up consistent over workouts.
I've a dumb trainer with power meter on the bike. I found the ramp test tricky as it always takes me a bit to get the power on target through resistance / gearing / cadence so changing every 3 minutes was hard.
It's one of the main reasons I'm contemplating upgrading to a direct drive smart trainer.
Might get going again on TR in the next few weeks. What’s the ramp test like with a ‘dumb’ trainer? I have an old frame set up permanently on the turbo so can keep the set up consistent over workouts.
It's ok but you do need to be quite active on the gears and cadence like sweaman says. It's nice and quick but I find it gives me a high ftp estimate that I wouldn't fancy using as a training basis. Depends on your own physiology, though, it could be spot on for you.
Interesting - I've been really struggling since doing the ramp test. I don't think I've properly completed an intense work out, been a bit demoralizing but I put it down to a lack of mental focus. I guess as I (and I think you?) focus on CX, we can probably over egg the ramp test more than a more staedy state rider. I might knock 5% of my FTP and see how I go.
I use a dumb trainer and its workable but a bit unsatisfactory, especially as I only have a 9-speed cassette. It's not the testing thats an issue but the actual workouts where you often find you are pushing an odd cadence to keep to power.
The cross VO2 max stuff is pretty hard, ferrals. I think because you can crush it when you're on form there's a tendency to think it's something you should always be able to do, but not sure that is the case.
I didn't do any serious riding July August and tried a couple of TR CX interval sessions at the start of the month to get my eye in for the season. Absolutely nowhere near completing them, even dropping ftp 5-10%. Just resolved to leave it until I'd done some racing - will probably jump back on next week and am expecting to see some improvement.