Structured Training in 2017

[Tin Pot]

Bumpety bump - how are we doing?

I've melted down my turbo so I'm scuppered on TrainerRoad for a while, but doing outdoor rides to replace.
4 runs, 4 rides and one swim last week.

 

[zigzag]

the structure went off the rails when i started to do longer and more intense rides outside - i would not recover enough for the hard intervals. so now only do them when i feel fresh and rested.

 

[Chappy]

Indoor training has now gone out the window due to being able to commute and ride outside full time. The only time I will use the trainer now until winter is if there is no chance for an outside ride.

 

[Norry1]

I've been doing TrainerRoad on and off for about a year now with some reasonable results. I seem to be in a bit of a plateau now - probably because like others I'm now doing decent length weekend outside rides rather than sticking to the plan.
Done Sweet Spot Base 1 and 2 a couple of times
Now doing a bit of VO2 max work as I think that needs pushing up to allow my FTP to rise

 

[HLaB]

As I was saying before and like Norry1 says I'm doing a lot more outdoors stuff and following the OBree way (to train for TT's do TTs). I skipped last nights outdoor session though as I had a specific twinge in my knee. Its disappeared rapidly before after a ride and I've thought nothing of it but it hang round albeit mildly on my rest day. I'm guessing it was the cleats I need for my power meter/ track bikes (Keos) that didn't have the spacers under them that my spd-sl's have. I've added them and things seem 90% good again. Bizarrely I'm looking forward to indoor training when it gets darker again now I've a real power meter.

Edit My knee was about 95% good by the time of my next TT and I set a 41s course PB, 25.11 View: https://ridewithgps.com/trips/14506974

 

[Tin Pot]

Finished build phase and started Speciality with an FTP test.

9 weeks ago tested: 228.
8 weeks ago tested in aero position on new bike: 228.
8 weeks later: 228.

I am extremely disappointed.

 

[huwsparky]

Finished build phase and started Speciality with an FTP test.

9 weeks ago tested: 228.
8 weeks ago tested in aero position on new bike: 228.
8 weeks later: 228.

I am extremely disappointed.

Do you feel that your a better cyclist? Truth is, your basing everything on a 20min test every two months. Don't worry about it. I've had the same thing happen in the past. If your burying yourself harder than ever in training it's a pretty sure bet your gonna improve.

Ironically, from a personal point of view, I did two events last year which I repeated again this year and pb'd both. 1 by over 30mins over a 112 miles and I know for an absolute fact my 20min best is at least 15-20w down from last year.

FTP is obviously important, but for endurance events it's just as important to be able to maintain a higher percentage of your FTP for a given period of time.

Do you have any banker 3-4 hour routes that you could do to compare from last year? No race is ever won on a turbo trainer after all.

 

[HLaB]

Finished build phase and started Speciality with an FTP test.

9 weeks ago tested: 228.
8 weeks ago tested in aero position on new bike: 228.
8 weeks later: 228.

I am extremely disappointed.

An indoor FTP test? A FTP test just now in the heat compared to one 9 weeks ago when it was cooler probably isn't a great comparison. My FTP was down on my last test and I was a little concerned/disappointed at first but I'm more concerned with my TT times which are definitely improving and at the moment I'm pb'ing by around a minute. If your cycling is improving don't get hung up about it

 

[Tin Pot]

Do you feel that your a better cyclist?

The point of structured training is to have measurable performance, train according to your metrics so that you can optimise performance gains.

An indoor FTP test? A FTP test just now in the heat compared to one 9 weeks ago when it was cooler probably isn't a great comparison.

Possibly, but given I'm at the bottom end of the performance scale, structured training should give people like me the biggest gains - 10, 20, 50% gains are not uncommon for some like me at only around 2.7W/kg. Those gains are most noticeable during the build phase - the one I just finished, and I got nada.

I took some advice from TrainerRoad and retested today but the result was 230.

It's not looking good come my review of TR for triathlon training...nor for Ironman UK, I could be suffering a lot for the same result as last year.

 

[HLaB]

The point of structured training is to have measurable performance, train according to your metrics so that you can optimise performance gains.




Possibly, but given I'm at the bottom end of the performance scale, structured training should give people like me the biggest gains - 10, 20, 50% gains are not uncommon for some like me at only around 2.7W/kg. Those gains are most noticeable during the build phase - the one I just finished, and I got nada.

I took some advice from TrainerRoad and retested today but the result was 230.

It's not looking good come my review of TR for triathlon training...nor for Ironman UK, I could be suffering a lot for the same result as last year.

You'll be grand (a free wheel,rather than a fixed turbo and air cooling is supposed to be worth 30w). I never had access to a PM when I was younger but I wouldn't be surprised if my FTP was higher then based on a short interval but now I pace better over a longer distance and even if its lower its a more sustainable FTP now;I'm sure yours is too