Any 'Trainer Road' users within?

[Brad123]

This is to be expected, the 1st few you are fresh.

Andrew Coggan and Hunter Allen propose a system for determining when to abandon an inteveral session (or how to decide how many reps to do, in a more positive sense) and the baseline they suggest you use is the power in the 3rd interval (which they deem as the repeatable interval). Then they propose you should stop when your power drops by a certain percentage of the power of this repeatable 3rd interval (the percentage varies depending on the duration and intensity of the interval, you would have to look up the table to get the correct values). In the case of a VO2 max interval (duration 3-5 mins) I think they propose a 8-10% drop in power from the 3rd interval is acceptable, any more and you are no longer training at the required intensity and should stop, you have done the optimal number of repeats.

Have been wandering about that, at what point do I just give up. I normal try hang in. I will look up the table
Thanks

 

[Rob3rt]

You should try to hang in for as long as you can (i.e. for the planned number of reps), but if for example you are aiming for 6 reps and do your 1st 3 intervals at 312W, 308W, 300W you take 300W as your repeatable power and keep repping. If your power drops below 90% of that 300W, so <270W, you stop as the intensity is too low to provide the training stimulation you are aiming for. So you might only get 5 reps in before you "fail".

If you complete the 6 reps without any significant power drop and could keep going before breaking the 10% drop off rule, then either A) You should do more reps or B) You are not going hard enough in the 6 reps planned.

 

[Brad123]

Could you send me link to your trainierroad workouts, I'd be interested to see how you're getting on with it. I'm still doing build workouts half on Trainerroad and half on the Wattbike at the gym. The wattages appear similarly calibrated, at least to my legs

Here is the work I did http://www.trainerroad.com/cycling/rides/678450-Crag

 

[Leescfc79]

Just finished the last session of the 4 week traditional base training plan so going to have a couple of days rest and take the 8 minute test again, in a strange way I'm looking forward to the pain.

I'm going to go onto the next level of the base plan after, it look like it gets a bit more interesting from here.

Hopefully I'll see some improvements in my riding but it's keeping me on the turbo for longer than I ever thought possible without being bored and helping keep the weight off so for $10 a month I'm more than happy.

 

[Fasta Asloth]

Here is the work I did http://www.trainerroad.com/cycling/rides/678450-Crag

Always the option of setting up a cyclechat team on trainerroad...?

 

[medavidcook]

what power meter do you use to work with TR?

 

[Rob3rt]

You don't need a power meter, which is why the whole TR website has been so successful!

 

[medavidcook]

cool so i got a grmin edge with the cadence and an elite trainer so that will work fine,

seems to good to be true, or i might just be dumb.

 

[Rob3rt]

You will need and ANT+ stick to plug into your computer to receive the data from the Garmin sensors.

The power reading given on screen is an estimate, based on speed and type of turbo trainer, this may be wildly inaccurate and not repeatable in some cases. The quality of the estimate will vary.

 

[medavidcook]

You will need and ANT+ stick to plug into your computer to receive the data from the Garmin sensors.

The power reading given on screen is an estimate, based on speed and type of turbo trainer, this may be wildly inaccurate and not repeatable in some cases. The quality of the estimate will vary.

ok cheers rob, i will get a stick

 

[Herzog]

The power reading given on screen is an estimate, based on speed and type of turbo trainer, this may be wildly inaccurate and not repeatable in some cases. The quality of the estimate will vary.

My Trainer Road FTP was actually way under what was actually measured using my power meter. The Trainer Road estimates seem to bear little relation to 'real world' cycling ability; a few friends have FTPs approaching top amateur levels despite not being able to hold 32 kph on the flat for 5 minutes. However, as long as your Trainer Road/turbo set up remains the same, it can be a pretty useful tool.

 

[Rob3rt]

My Trainer Road FTP was actually way under what was actually measured using my power meter. The Trainer Road estimates seem to bear little relation to 'real world' cycling ability; a few friends have FTPs approaching top amateur levels despite not being able to hold 32 kph on the flat for 5 minutes. However, as long as your Trainer Road/turbo set up remains the same, it can be a pretty useful tool.

There could be loads of reasons for that and it might not be a trainer road issue neccessarily. I have tested FTP on the turbo and on the road, using the same power meter and the road test results in a much higher 20 minute power and thus a much higher FTP estimate. On the turbo for 20 mins I will do 340 odd watts, in a 20 minute long hill climb I will do 370+W.

 

[Herzog]

There could be loads of reasons for that and it might not be a trainer road issue neccessarily. I have tested FTP on the turbo and on the road, using the same power meter and the road test results in a much higher 20 minute power and thus a much higher FTP estimate. On the turbo for 20 mins I will do 340 odd watts, in a 20 minute long hill climb I will do 370+W.

You're right, I too find road FTP higher than turbo FTP (tests conducted using same equipment, within a few days of each other after a decent rest) - using the road FTP on the turbo makes VO2 max sessions more challenging...

 

[T.M.H.N.E.T]

My Trainer Road FTP was actually way under what was actually measured using my power meter. The Trainer Road estimates seem to bear little relation to 'real world' cycling ability; a few friends have FTPs approaching top amateur levels despite not being able to hold 32 kph on the flat for 5 minutes. However, as long as your Trainer Road/turbo set up remains the same, it can be a pretty useful tool.

For providing structure yes, accuracy no

 

[Brad123]

What I like about TR it gives me some structure to a work out. I don't have a clue about FTP I know after I did the 20 minute test it set my FTP at 228. I now do all my work out at 228 FTP. Make sure my tyre pressure is the same and the pressure from the turbo onto the tyre is the same, and all the work outs that I done have been hard but doable just. After doing a one hours program I know it was a good work out.