Cycling Workouts: Discussion/Encouragement/Sharing/Banter

[Norry1]

Took my workout on the roads tonight a 30/30s session it had been gloriously sunny and hot all day but after changing I went back to the living room to grab my sunnies at which point I decided it was wiser to grab the clear reactolights. I thought Id turned away from the clouds and had managed to stay dry but just as I was in the cool down it started to spit. So after the cool down I decided to do more 30/30s to stay dry'ish and warm. I thought I had done that until I took the shoes off and the socks said otherwise. Apart from that I think the workout went well I deliberately spun a bit above the target to account for that indoor out door thing and get my HR/ breathing to touch the VO2max zone. I probably should have done it on the TT bike but I did it on the road bike as I feel more confident with that giving it a 30s blast then 30s freewheel down hill

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It was just one of my regular training routes. Down Bullock Road to Hammerton, across to Alconbury Weston and then back up the Old A1 to Peterborough. I had stayed dry until the old A1

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Actually I like Garmin’s power map better View attachment 695941

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Oh and as I often do I stopped at Orton Mere when finished for a few photos.

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How come you always look so cheerful?

 

[HLaB]

How come you always look so cheerful?

Finished Endorphins 😄

 

[HLaB]

Savage heat into a quite strong headwind from the south with tired legs in the morning. Guess what, the it was hotter at night and the wind had changed to a north westerly headwind, the net result the legs are more tired 🙄

 

[UphillSlowly]

Is there a significant difference between TSS (used by Wahoo and Training Peaks) and Training Load? The numbers are different for the same activity but suspect the formulas have the same "ingredients"

 

[HLaB]

I was supposed to go up to Barholm/ Greatford for a TT but when I went out to the car it wouldn't start 👎 Its been very reliable for 10+ years until 2 weeks ago, I thought it was the battery as it started sprightly when jumped so I got a new one and it started sprightly again. Rather than leaving it a week though I should have tried a few days before I actually needed it :roll_eyes: But hey ho, I decided to go out on a more reliable form of transport instead and did Taylor -1

Oodles of power when I could confidently deliver it but not enough courage in the TT position hence the poor CdA of 0.298. Plenty of motorheads out tonight which explains some of it but not it all.

I think I met the targets but given it was outdoors I should have smashed beyond them and pushed into the VO2max zone I didn't really feel that and my HR says the same. You can also tell I didn't give enough by the fact I added more 30/30s to get home before dark.

The night's are fair drawing in (only 8:30pm) 😲

Oh well at least I can still smile about things:

 

[Norry1]

I was supposed to go up to Barholm/ Greatford for a TT but when I went out to the car it wouldn't start 👎 Its been very reliable for 10+ years until 2 weeks ago, I thought it was the battery as it started sprightly when jumped so I got a new one and it started sprightly again. Rather than leaving it a week though I should have tried a few days before I actually needed it :roll_eyes: But hey ho, I decided to go out on a more reliable form of transport instead and did Taylor -1

Oodles of power when I could confidently deliver it but not enough courage in the TT position hence the poor CdA of 0.298. Plenty of motorheads out tonight which explains some of it but not it all.

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I think I met the targets but given it was outdoors I should have smashed beyond them and pushed into the VO2max zone I didn't really feel that and my HR says the same. You can also tell I didn't give enough by the fact I added more 30/30s to get home before dark.

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The night's are fair drawing in (only 8:30pm) 😲

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Oh well at least I can still smile about things:

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There's that smile again

 

[Norry1]

The last couple of weeks has looked like: Easy Monday and Tuesday; Race Wednesday; Recovery rides Thursday and Saturday; Longer Endurance ride Saturday and tough Threshold ride Sunday (3 x 15 mins at Threshold).

In the race last night - my NP was 276W for the 1hr 24 mins of the race - i.e. an Intensity factor of 1. Think that may be my highest NP ever for that duration.

 

[HLaB]

The last couple of weeks has looked like: Easy Monday and Tuesday; Race Wednesday; Recovery rides Thursday and Saturday; Longer Endurance ride Saturday and tough Threshold ride Sunday (3 x 15 mins at Threshold).

In the race last night - my NP was 276W for the 1hr 24 mins of the race - i.e. an Intensity factor of 1. Think that may be my highest NP ever for that duration.

Nice one 💪

I've really got to confidence to stay aero on TTs. Looking at the club ones, I have got out NP of upto 300w for 26minute 12sec (CdA = 0.367) just 7 weeks after my bowel cancer op and all my subsequent TTs during chemo were in that 265-300w NP zone when I was staying very upright to avoid an injury The fastest I've been (the next season) was just over a minute and half faster for 250w NP when I was less worried about falling off (CdA 0.248).

Recently though (4 years post op) the highest my NP has been is 253w (2 weeks ago) for a CdA of 0.261

 

[HLaB]

I probably should have went out last night and done some more TT practice but I had to drop my car off at the garage this morning, which meant I was working from home, which meant that I had time to do a local chain gang . I'd been asked to it before but logistically its never fitted and the weather was ideal last night for a first attempt and I think it was a good workout. I got circa 2 and a 1/4 laps done before I got dropped at the bends at the start of a long down hill. I got back in thanks to a really strong rider who was able to sit comfortably a few wheels back and give me something to target. I made the mistake of going through with the intention of pulling off immediately to drop back behind the long line. Lol I didn't realise the long line had become a shorter line and from soft pedalling I just couldn't get the cranks going fast enough to jump on. Round the corner and the corresponding up the hill I briefly closed it but by then the gap was too big and I ended up finishing just over 2.5 minutes behind the main pack. What I never found out till after I had towed the rest of the line back on and they were wanting me to tow them to the finish but when I had chased on the uphill I had dropped them and their group finished a couple of minutes behind me.

I think this is the point I got dropped up on the 3rd lap descent and chasing back etc was just too much.

The whole thing including the ride there and back looked like:

Despite getting dropped I think the structured training has got me into the right shape.

PS it was a lot lighter when I finished than the night before (Wednesday) despite me being 15mutes later and wearing shades.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Did 30 mins of threshold outside today. Much easier in these cooler temps.

 

[Norry1]

I probably should have went out last night and done some more TT practice but I had to drop my car off at the garage this morning, which meant I was working from home, which meant that I had time to do a local chain gang . I'd been asked to it before but logistically its never fitted and the weather was ideal last night for a first attempt and I think it was a good workout. I got circa 2 and a 1/4 laps done before I got dropped at the bends at the start of a long down hill. I got back in thanks to a really strong rider who was able to sit comfortably a few wheels back and give me something to target. I made the mistake of going through with the intention of pulling off immediately to drop back behind the long line. Lol I didn't realise the long line had become a shorter line and from soft pedalling I just couldn't get the cranks going fast enough to jump on. Round the corner and the corresponding up the hill I briefly closed it but by then the gap was too big and I ended up finishing just over 2.5 minutes behind the main pack. What I never found out till after I had towed the rest of the line back on and they were wanting me to tow them to the finish but when I had chased on the uphill I had dropped them and their group finished a couple of minutes behind me.

I think this is the point I got dropped up on the 3rd lap descent and chasing back etc was just too much.

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The whole thing including the ride there and back looked like:

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Despite getting dropped I think the structured training has got me into the right shape.

PS it was a lot lighter when I finished than the night before (Wednesday) despite me being 15mutes later and wearing shades.

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Chaingangs are great workouts usually and hone your group riding skills.

Our club do a "Bash" chaingang where the idea is to rip the legs off the other riders - ie drop them.

I do the fast group but have yet to finish the whole run with the leaders - great race training for me though.

 

[Norry1]

Did 30 mins of threshold outside today. Much easier in these cooler temps.

3 hours endurance for me yesterday - nabbed quite a few Veloviwer Tiles (there is another thread about them) and saw quite a few roads I'd not been on before - including the centre of Coventry and the A45 coming out

1hr recovery today and then the 3 x 15 min Threshold horror on Sunday.

 

[<Tommy>]

Change of strategy for me this week

I decided to add a few extra miles and a bit of elevation.

32 hours to do 460 miles and 40,000 ft of climbing to be (relatively) precise!

Coming off such a long injury lay-off my biggest concern was my knee giving up halfway through the tour. So there’s relief in knowing the choice I made to sacrifice fitness and stop cycling for a couple of months, didn’t go the wrong way and effect my conditioning so badly that I wasn’t capable of completing the challenge.

In fact I’m the end even though I was getting some pain through my knee, the biggest issue turned out to be lack of sleep. I calculated at one point that between Saturday evening and the next Wednesday morning, I’d had a total of 13 hours sleep. Over the Monday and Tuesday for example I’d had around one and half hours sleep each night. And then had to ride centuries whilst doing a load of climbing on top. I don’t know how I did that to be honest. A lot of coffee, which then effected following sleeps played a part. A lot of glucose too maybe. But I don’t know how I didn’t just hit the wall. I’m surprised my body tolerated it.

But now I’m home it’s time to make a new plan and set new targets. Firstly I need to get the MRI scan I avoided pre trip. To find out exactly where my knee is at it terms of the injury.

I hope it will be good news so then I can really focus some more time in high intensity work to recover the higher end of my power.

A random photo of the crew we rode with, a mixture of brits and Canadians, looking suitably wrecked on the final evening!

 

[mjd1988]

Change of strategy for me this week

I decided to add a few extra miles and a bit of elevation.

32 hours to do 460 miles and 40,000 ft of climbing to be (relatively) precise!

Coming off such a long injury lay-off my biggest concern was my knee giving up halfway through the tour. So there’s relief in knowing the choice I made to sacrifice fitness and stop cycling for a couple of months, didn’t go the wrong way and effect my conditioning so badly that I wasn’t capable of completing the challenge.

In fact I’m the end even though I was getting some pain through my knee, the biggest issue turned out to be lack of sleep. I calculated at one point that between Saturday evening and the next Wednesday morning, I’d had a total of 13 hours sleep. Over the Monday and Tuesday for example I’d had around one and half hours sleep each night. And then had to ride centuries whilst doing a load of climbing on top. I don’t know how I did that to be honest. A lot of coffee, which then effected following sleeps played a part. A lot of glucose too maybe. But I don’t know how I didn’t just hit the wall. I’m surprised my body tolerated it.

But now I’m home it’s time to make a new plan and set new targets. Firstly I need to get the MRI scan I avoided pre trip. To find out exactly where my knee is at it terms of the injury.

I hope it will be good news so then I can really focus some more time in high intensity work to recover the higher end of my power.

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A random photo of the crew we rode with, a mixture of brits and Canadians, looking suitably wrecked on the final evening!

Well done Tommy looks like an amazing trip, very jealous (except for the sleep deprivation) Hope the news on the knee is good, didn't realise you had been out for a while

 

[<Tommy>]

Well done Tommy looks like an amazing trip, very jealous (except for the sleep deprivation) Hope the news on the knee is good, didn't realise you had been out for a while

Thanks Michael

Yeah I got diagnosed via MRI with a torn maniscus in my left knee, around 3 months ago. Maybe a little longer actually. But luckily even though it badly disrupted the training it didn't really impede the holiday other than a little pain. And maybe I didn’t push as hard as I’d like on the climbs. But the other way of looking at that is that maybe being forced not to ride on the limit helped my navigate the week without blowing up.

I tried to compensate for the lack of cycling with swimming, which honestly I personally find a little boring after about a length and a half but needs must I guess. And I also did a bit of bag work in a boxing gym a friend just recently opened not far from my house. And I think doing both of those things relatively consistently definitely helped the cardio as well as strengthening my back and shoulders etc and keeping a half decent condition generally.

I’m feeling a little battered today though if I’m honest. Maybe it’s a big of a delayed reaction but my head and body are a bit mashed. Hopefully a Sunday roast and a couple of ciders takes care of that!