Was meant to get out for a short sharp XC ride but work put an end to that plan. So a version of Blood for me tonight (tweaked to take out the easy bits 😉 ). Will make a change from the long steady stuff. I might need the sick bucket!

Lawks amercy that looks, erm, fun.

Well Blood was a bit bonkers. I thought the app had broken as it seemed to be constantly beeping! Had to abandon as it was just too dynamic for my old diesel engine. Went and did a 4×5 with some sprints instead. My poor effort here.

Interesting test at this time of year though. Could be quite an interesting session to do on a Neo or Kickr in erg mode.

Impressive attempt and far better than mine would look!! Agree about the erg mode though. By the time I’d got resistance / gearing / cadence settled for a required power in that (I’m using an old trainer and a power2max pm) you’d be onto the next one.

It was a bit like that, power changes every 5 or 10 seconds for the first few minutes, just couldn’t keep up trying to get the right gear/cadence/power combination. I think not that well suited to the turbo (or me on the turbo anyway!)

A completely opposite kind of session for me – Andrews. Basically spin for 90 minutes.

Might try and find a short threshold or VO2max session for the weekend to get used to some hard work before the 8 minute test on Tuesday – Charybdis looks the job.

Darwin for me, week 4 of Sweet Spot 2.

Feels like the last couple of weeks have stepped up a notch, looking forward to easy week but may try and delay it a while longer into Christmas.

I’ve been signed off for a week.

The worst thing is I’ve had accuse puncture and now I’m in agony.

Hi all,

It’s time for me to do another FTP test. Last time I did the 8min one, this time I fancy doing the 20min one (just for a change).

Any reason why I shouldn’t mix up the FTP tests?

Cheers

Hi all , what do you do when you get ill? Trained on Tuesday but have a stinking cold . Do you just carry on when feeling better or go back a session when following a plan? Only on trad base low volume 1, but was about to start the rest week

Traditional advice is cold above the neck train at reduced intensity, below the neck rest.

Viral infections carry an increased risk of cardiomyopathy – life changing. If in doubt rest.

Anything with a sore throat then forget it.

Remember watching a documentary with some teenage girl who was an avid runner – trained with a sore throat and then got that ‘chronic fatigue syndrome’ – and then just climbing the stairs was a big effort for her.

Sore throat and very snotty 🙂 do I carry on where I left off when fit and ready?

Last year I ignored a throat/chest infection and lost 4 months winter training to illness, and ended up asthmatic (EIB).

Rest, get rid of the illness. When better re-do and FTP test as it will have changed. I reckon I comprimised a lot of my training last year by not doing so, ploughing on regardless and not being able to complete VO2max intervals which is detrimental to the workouts – silly boy.

Sorry that should have read 2 months ^^

Any reason why I shouldn’t mix up the FTP tests?

You’ll be measuring something different, so lacking consistency. Interesting exercise to do both though and see if you get different numbers. I suspect I’d get a higher number from the 20 test than the 8 right now, probably the other way around in summer.

I’ve been signed off for a week.

The shoulder? What a pain. Prognosis?

Any reason why I shouldn’t mix up the FTP tests?

You’ll be measuring something different, so lacking consistency. Interesting exercise to do both though and see if you get different numbers. I suspect I’d get a higher number from the 20 test than the 8 right now, probably the other way around in summer.

Yeah exactly this…

I did a 20min FTP test on a Wattbike about 5 weeks ago and my result had dropped 15w since my previous test. I then did a 20min test on my Turbo on tuesday this week using my race bike and stages power meter.

My power had dropped another 3w however, the conditions and settings etc were completely different so the result isn’t really comparable

The shoulder? What a pain. Prognosis?

Luckily I’m in the Sweet Spot rest week, So I’ll just defer the Build plan FTP test for a few more days – a week on Tuesday. All being well I’ll just train over the xmas week to make it up whereas I wasn’t planning to before.

Yes. Hmm how can I make this a short story….

I have spasming Rhomboid, and for years my upper trap spasms & knots after about 90mins riding – after 7 hrs of last years Bonty it was so bad I couldn’t hold the bars and had to retire.

So I saw a physio last night. after an assessment, apparently I’m defective from birth in that my torso twists slightly to the right with regard to the direction my legs are going. When riding a bike and holding the bars, I’m affectively forcing my torso straight – away from its “natural” albeit defective direction. So, when I ride my L/H shoulder is “pushing” the bars in an attempt to wrestle my torso around to the right to compensate, hence stressing all the muscles in my upper back.

So I had some soft tissue work, and some acupuncture last night, apparently 6-10 weeks of work should fix the Rhomboid, but in the Physio’s medical jargon everything to the left of my spine is “…a bit of a mess…”

He says I may need continual physio to address issues as I ride, but won’t be able to tell until the current issue is fixed to see how I cope afterward.

As an aside it never ceases to amaze me how these people know a lot about your life just from the prognosis; You sleep on your R/H side don’t you? (Yes). You sit on the L/H side of the sofa right? (Yes) You most often drive with only your right hand on the wheel right? (Yes). And some others!

I’m going to start a plan as of next week. Injury means I’m only doing one more cross race this year, and to be honest as long as I finish (need the result for a league placing), I’m not fussed with how well I do to the extent of focussing on anaerobic stuff. I think my whiplash will have more of an affect than my fitness, plus the crash has knockd my competitive drive slightly. So its time to start prepping for the xc season. I’m going to be doing the sweet spot base.

Question: I dont now have time for both sweetspot bases and builds. Not sure when the first Welsh series race is, last year was beggining of march. So I have ~12 weeks. Any thoughts on whether to just do the two bases, to do one base and one build, both builds?

I’m inclined to do the latter, I’m coming off some fairly intense cx focused racing and training followed by a couple of weeks of injury induced low activity. If I’m going to do one base and one build, start with the first or second base block?

Maybe check with trainerroad – there’s a “Chat now” feature on the site when they are in the office and the response is pretty quick, also Trevor Duise posts on here so he might come up with something as well. I suppose it depends on where you feel your fitness is at the moment and whether you’d get most benefit out of more base work or would be better off aiming at more specific stuff. If I were in your position I’d do the second base block and a build.

If I were in your position I’d do the second base block and a build

That was my initial thought too. plus two weeks off over xmas so should be able to get a fair amount of outside riding done 🙂

So which build plan shall I move on to? As the specialty afterward would be XCO, I’d normally default to short power build.

But to address a weakness and to favor the TT’s I’ll be doing (which are secondary to XC) I’m thinking sustained power build.

Thoughts?

Which has more volume? At this time of year I’d go sustained power assuming it focuses on more duration and longer intervals, for XC or TT.

You’ll be measuring something different, so lacking consistency. Interesting exercise to do both though and see if you get different numbers. I suspect I’d get a higher number from the 20 test than the 8 right now, probably the other way around in summer.

Cheers for the replies. I thought this would be the answer since the training is working with numerous variables.

Another question then. Do people choose their style of FTP test based on personal preference e.g. some might find the 8 minute test ‘nicer’ to do, or, for specific considered training needs?

Cheers….

Fek me! Charybdis 30 – had to dial down the intensity by 8% halfway through the first interval as there was no way I could hold that power for the duration. Definitely two easy days before the next 8 minute test.

@sunnydaze I’ve only done the 8 minute test so far as it’s been the one indicated in the plans that I’ve been following, the notes do say you can swap it for the 20 minute test if you wish. So it seems that even TR don’t favour one over the other.

It appears I’ve got a bit out of synch in my blocks. This week 5 hours of Z2 (70% FTP) on Monday and Tuesday meant I could barely hold Z2 at the end and needed 2 days off. A further 4hrs Z2 yesterday and today and I could barely do the family walk this afternoon.

Turns out I never really rested last week (440 TSS) so I’ve done 5 weeks at average 475 TSS. I presume that might give me enough accumulated fatigue to really need to rest next week?

TSS really is a bit stingy when it comes to Z2 efforts.

Crikey – my weekly TSS tends to be just below 300 but I usually do rides outside at the weekend rather than sit on the turbo so the long steady Z2/3 rides that have quite high TSS scores get missed.

90 minutes of Perkins today, completely disgusting weather outside and feeling a little run down after an unusually stressful week. NP of 184 and aTSS of 73, so,hopefully I’ll be up to running 20 odd K of trails tomorrow.

At this time of year I’d go sustained power assuming it focuses on more duration and longer intervals, for XC or TT.

Yea I think you are right – I think then XCO to take me to my first race in March, then in between races short power build March to May, and XCM to deliver me to the Bonty May to July.

Done nearly 4 weeks of sweetspot mid volume, tried to do one of the sessions today on the road coming back from a longer than usual commute. Just couldn’t do it, traffic, bends junctions etc. I also don’t like looking at a screen too much on the road either.
What today did show me though was how much improvement I’ve made in ability to hold a power for longer and having a much better feel for how far to push. Most probably a mental thing, or certainly an element of it.
However was even more surprised when towards the end of an hour ride thought I have a very quick sprint over a railway bridge and hit my highest peak power ever and it didn’t kill the legs 🙂

A pretty straightforward custom 5×5 here. All seems to be going worryingly well, good numbers etc. Mostly worrying as it’s only December and still a long way from any proper racing. No colds, no injuries other than the usual niggles, none of the usual winter weight gain, even the kids are sleeping well. Something’s got to go wrong soon 😕

Just couldn’t do it, traffic, bends junctions etc. I also don’t like looking

I tend to use the local 10 and 25 courses for that sort of thing. Might be worth checking out.

3hrs of road in the dark and drizzle or something equivalent on the turbo (maybe Kennedy Peak+1.) Neither is an perticularly inviting prospect for tonight 😕

Often wonder how much more you’d get out of a winter’s training living somewhere with a half decent climate.

I’m really struggling with motivation at the moment, partially the weather and being busy conspiring to keep me away from outdoors cycling, partially a crash knocking my confidence and reduced the training urge, partially just being full on hectic in work (theoretically working now) and partially going from racing every weekend to not having raced since 1st Nov and only having one race left. Whatever the reason I’m not even motivated enough to finish work outs. I’ll do an hour of something this evening. Almost got everything sorted to build up mtb again so that should give me some inspiration.

Recommendations for a moderate to hard but interesting hour or so? Think I will either do Gould or one of the reduced amplitude Billats

Ferrals, not good te lack of motivation, it happens for all sorts of reasons. Been racing on and off for a long time, had some big accidents leading to time off the bike, too much work and general life getting in the way but have always come back to the reason why I ride. I enjoy it.
The competative urge ebbs and flows as does the drive to train, don’t be hard on yourself. When the mtb is built up just go for a ride and don’t record it, just ride.
mrblobby, I’ll have a look re local TTs but in winter the main use for the road bikes is comutting. May do a few TTs next year though so could be a sneaky heads up.

Did Brasstown this morning as the last of the sweet spot 1 rest week. I was utterly bored to tears! I’ve absolutely no idea how people can do the traditional base on a turbo if it’s just session after session of that.

Managaed to do my TR session tonight and couldn’t believe how easy it felt. I even got off the bike at one point to check that the tyre was inflated properly and the roller was up against the tyre correctly.
When the session finished and I was looking at it on the TR website, it turns out that I’ve managed to change the turbo model that I’m using so the power figures were no doubt way out 😳

Almost a good excuse to start looking at a power meter for the bike 😀

I was utterly bored to tears! I’ve absolutely no idea how people can do the traditional base on a turbo if it’s just session after session of that.

Went for a modified Kennedy Peak tonight, two and a half hours of z2/z3 blocks. Netflix keeps me just about sane 😉

I’ve not done more than 90 minutes yet, I’m not sure that I want to. 90 is OK as long as there are interesting intervals, but at the moment I’m doing all my longer stuff outside. Going to be harder when the weather gets properly bad though.

Just renewed my subscription for the winter, gonna do some random ones to get back used to the turbo before doing the 8/20 test.