TrainerRoad – STW approved sessions

I couldn’t do more than 90 mins and most of mine are 60 minute ones accordingly. I’ve been surprised at how tolerable it is in terms of boredom though, especially with the sessions that have a a number of shorter intervals. The FTP style ones can become a bit dull with the longer durations specified.

Did Huffaker yesterday and the third interval of the first set had me clinging on for dear life, eyes shut, breathing like a asthmatic donkey. Got through it though and stayed on target for the remainder of the session. 🙂

I shorten a lot of my 90 minute sessions to 60, they tend to fall on a Saturday when I’m following a plan and it’s a convenient enough excuse to leave something in the legs for the Sunday club run.

Struggled with Leconte on Saturday, 2 x 10 with a minute recovery in between and repeated 3 times total. Got halfway through the second lot but couldn’t get motivated to see it out.

Maybe just one of those days or more likely a week off is needed, I’ll get through week 5 of the plan (this week) then take the recovery week outdoors for a change of scenery.

rsvktm – Member

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.

Cheers, i think a big thing is the lack of real riding – two weeks off at Christmas though so will be riding a lot 🙂

Although frustrating, I’m not massively fussed – its a long way till XC season after all so if I’m going to have a motivation slump this is a good time!

Morning all, sorry a bit late to the party. I have been using Turbotraining.co.uk for a good while now and someone has given me a referral for trainer road. Just wonder thoughts on if this is better in any way ? and maybe just a bit of feedback.. Ta.

@lump The referral was from me (same username here and on Bearbones 😀 ) I’ve not used turbotraining so can’t offer a comparison. The usual starting point is to do one of the FTP tests so you have a value within TR to work against.

ugh, fell apart miserably during interval 4 of Kaiser last night, had to knock it down 10% for interval 5 but managed to get it together agian for the final interval.

20 min FTP test in just over an hours time, wish me luck…

ugh, fell apart miserably during interval 4 of Kaiser last night, had to knock it down 10% for interval 5 but managed to get it together agian for the final interval.

Not done Kaiser in a while but that 4th interval did seem to be the tough one. Would often have a wobble then get it together again for the last two.

20 min FTP test in just over an hours time, wish me luck…

Go smash it 🙂

Go smash it Kryton! I’ve got mine later today, not sure whether I should go out with a target in mind or just close my eyes, turn up the music and bury myself.

Pretty chuffed today. Set a new PR FTP about 5 weeks ago with the 20 minute test.

On Zwift this morning I matched the 20 minute power output with a HR 10 beats lower and without spanking myself.

New FTP test time soon!

I’ve got mine later today, not sure whether I should go out with a target in mind or just close my eyes, turn up the music and bury myse

Ha Ha! The latter for me. I’ve slept & eaten well, no booze for 48hrs, and have my aggressive determined TT style head on, to the point I’ve got the session open & minimised on my LT while I’m working, and I keep looking at it and chuckling in a “your mine grrr” kind of way…

Actually just checked again – Last FTP 20 min test ave heart rate was 185. This morning, same 20 min power output and ave heart rate was 169!

Nothing like evidencing progression! I’ve got 2 weeks abroad with no bike from Thursday though, hope I don’t loose too much…

Ok , nearly recovered from my man flu . Plan to start again on Thursday , so 9 days off . Should I go back in the program or just carry on ? Was only on last session of week three , base training low
volume .

I’d probably do something like Black or Birch for a first ride back after flu see how you get on.

No pressure Kryton57, but the forum needs to know 😛

FTP is so painful it removes my desire to race for a week or more. We want the result in W/kg!

Does anyone have any tips for finding particular workouts on trainerroad? Am looking for a ‘Russian Steps’ session to do but can’t find anything with that name in the workout library.

Nothing under that name but both Sufferfest Downward Spiral and Do As You’re Told have that style of attack/rest

Have a look at something like Striped (there are a few versions.) I just searched for short duration anaerobic sessions. Or you could just use the workout creator to roll your own.

Is “Russian steps” the name of a workout or is it a style of interval? You can search for name or part of a name as well as filter on duration etc using the check-boxes on the left of the list.

Searching for “steps” brings up a list of workouts but “Russian” doesn’t. I suspect if you are using a term used in another training software program it won’t be recognised by TR unless it is a commonly accepted term like VO2Max.

An example of my understanding of Russian Steps:

15sec on 45sec off
30sec on 30sec off
45sec on 15sec off
60sec on 60sec off
45sec on 15sec off
30sec on 30sec off
15sec on 45sec off
30sec on 30sec off
45sec on 15sec off
60sec on 60sec off

Yes, that’s pretty much Striped, though recoveries a bit longer.

I’d just knock up my own.

Thanks guys. Think I’ll do one of the sufferfest ones again as I certainly CBA making it on the builder thing.

Plus I like pretending to be John Degenkolb.

To be Degenkolb you need to be able the shout really loudly despite absolutely nailing it in a sprint train!

Meh.

+ 2% FTP at least its up I guess, but less than I’d hoped for. Felt quite sick at the end and it was a good steady effort, except for the last couple of minutes where I held the bile back as I virtually chased MrBlobby with an effort to make sure I came over the line first next Sunday 😉

Good work 🙂

I’m beginning to wonder if I’m going to make it this weekend, Mrs B unwell. Might have to wait till Jan now.

Top effort sir! 8)

Mrs B unwell.

Open a can of soup, and strategically place a box of tissues before you leave…?

2% more power is a lot. Has the weight also increased by a similar % ?

Well I’m 4lbs over racing weight 12st 1 now, raced last year at 11st 10 so I’ll improve my watts/kg after Christmas.

I also have a nagging sore throat/blocked ears and a spasming shoulder muscle which is receiving physio, I might be even better when that lot clears up 😀

adsh you can see my test on the STW TR Team thingy – you’ll note I’m not an overly powerful rider anyway, but of course its what you do with it that counts.

Indeed – I should have put a smiley on the weight sentence, was only joshing.

Still think 2% is a lot. It took 3 months of intervals for me to gain 2% last summer. There was some testing anomaly (first test very good, second rather bad but I doubt it was out by more than 1%.

Are powermeters that accurate? my Kinetic inride claims +-2% which is +-5 watts on my current FTP.

Still think 2% is a lot.

Well I have a confession. I was in July 10% higher than now, but struggling to complete intervals after I self-nudged up the FTP to stretch myself, so suspect I was overdoing it. I was completing the workout with desperate pauses which weren’t measured becuase I have TR on “activation” by cadence/power so it pauses while I stopped pedalling – so I cheated myself to a higher FTP. I am actually now 5% over my last “complete” 8 min test which was in March.

Having said that I was on my annual break in August, then ill with a virus / chest infection for the whole of October and 1st week November and not riding in that time. So to be stronger than March now – when I started 2015 races – with 3 tests/2 plans to go with which to grow my FTP things are looking ok for next March turning up stronger.

If only I’d thrown away my ego and followed TR I wouldn’t have spent 4 months not completing plans because they were beyond my FTP.

So I guess in reality have now done 6 weeks properly I’m coming “back” to form.

The fact that it’s not down I’d say is good considering where you are at and that it’s only December.

Was wondering what we should run at the club tonight, so settled on Russian Steps, thanks for the inspiration stevious 😆 not sure the rest of the club enjoyed it mind

So I missed my Sunday TR session as I went riding instead. I’m doing the SS low volume along with some outside rides. I’m wondering tonight if I should do the planned Tuesday ride (1 hour) or make time and do the Sunday session (1.5hour). If I keep with the program it’ll take me a little longer but I’ll have done all of the sessions or I could just skip the session.

Currently following the schedule strictly I finish end of May but my big race (BCBR) isn’t until July 6th so there’s 5 weeks of slop in the planning. I was actually thinking at one point of doing two build phases but motivation was lacking.

Any thoughts which is the better option. I’m leaning towards doing the 1.5 hours and taking more time on the base section so build and specialty end up more lined up with my main race objective.

In the grand scheme of things it doesn’t really matter. You missed a session indoors and rode outside.

You still rode, you still raised your heart rate, it’s all good training.

Consistency is the key to getting and keeping fit, not one individual session.

Keep on with the plan as it is, today’s session is there for a reason as is the next session.

In the grand scheme of things it doesn’t really matter.

This. You’re really just looking for a week by week gradual increase in duration and/or TSS. Just stick with the plan.

Was meant to be doing a FTP test and starting base training plan but sore throat and knackered so just did 30 min recovery, will do the test tomorrow or Thursday when I feel better. Couldn’t see the point when I was run down as my result would be wrong

Glad you ‘Enjoyed’ the russian steps, Chef.

Got my new rollers today so spent 45 mins with a heart rate too high for my power output for 45 minutes instead. Still slightly terrified.