Base training

[Phil W]

I did about four weeks of short turbo sessions to get me used to it again before a FTP test and starting base. Those four weeks certainly helped get me mentally and physically ready for the discipline again.

[Phil W]

Enjoyed this podcast with Seiler.

https://www.hmmrmedia.com/2018/02/gaincast-episode-104-polarized-training-with-stephen-seiler/

[Bobby]

Block of 3 days done, and feeling sore...

had to drop it to 92% to do the final 12min interval of ‘Donner’.  So today is a rest day, do people recommend that as total rest, or something else to ease my aches?

[Phil W]

Block of 3 days done, and feeling sore...

had to drop it to 92% to do the final 12min interval of ‘Donner’.  So today is a rest day, do people recommend that as total rest, or something else to ease my aches?

Rest days I generally go for an easy walk round the local park. A short walk so something around 5km in length.

[L CC]

January
FTP up 13W (184->197)
Weight down (-6.8kg)
39hr 48m
1019"km" [it's a fairly meaningless number]

February
FTP up 11W (197>208)
Weight down (-2.9kg)
42hr
1061"km" [a few were even outside actual real kilometres]
Given the stress of leaving one job and starting another, and there's only 28 days in Feb, I'm pretty happy with that.

[Frank9755]

Well done!

[Chris S]

Well done!

It's just as well, because - although I started the year OK, my progression since has been total shite. No improvements in FTP, and generally quite disappointing experiences on the turbo. I just had to abandon a 2x20 session two minutes in because I just couldn't be arsed; I just don't hate myself enough to go through pain - and as audax/PBP/endurance is nothing if not self-harm by another name, I'm not feeling at all optimistic at the moment.

Don't tell fboab though...

[simonp]

Mmmmm, pain. 

Tomorrow I have two rowing water sessions of around an hour each. Or maybe one water and one gym. I’ll refuse to do the gym and try to grab a single. Then TrainerRoad has me doing Palisade later.

This could be interesting.

[rob]

Well done!

It's just as well, because - although I started the year OK, my progression since has been total shite. No improvements in FTP, and generally quite disappointing experiences on the turbo. I just had to abandon a 2x20 session two minutes in because I just couldn't be arsed; I just don't hate myself enough to go through pain - and as audax/PBP/endurance is nothing if not self-harm by another name, I'm not feeling at all optimistic at the moment.

Don't tell fboab though...

I think when you are hammering yourself on your turbo it is very hard to envisage the enjoyable Summer rides.   My turbo hours have dropped significantly in the last few weeks - going from 12hrs down to about 4hrs over 6 weeks.   The decent weather and some long road rides have really helped.   Commuting mostly in daylight is also of assistance.

I have an easy weekend and then 5 200s in a row through to Easter.   

[Phil W]

Good gains

[Chris S]

I'd kind of got used to my body responding positively to the annual turn-around at New Year. Not happening this year. I mostly feel like shit on a bike, and not terribly well the rest of the time.

Appointment with the Doc booked.

[Chris S]

Things were less shit on the trainer this morning. I pigged out on beer & carbs made some dietary adjustments yesterday and felt much more "up for it" on the bike, so that's encouraging.

[simonp]

Things were less shit on the trainer this morning. I pigged out on beer & carbs made some dietary adjustments yesterday and felt much more "up for it" on the bike, so that's encouraging.

DNF on my 2h sweet-spot workout today.

I'm pretty sure it's because I've not eaten enough.

Friday: bacon and egg roll for Breakfast, lunch was a salad, dinner was spinach and parmesan soup. No training but I did do a 1000 kcal workout on Thursday.

Saturday: up at 6.30am, no time for breakfast, rowing training for about 90 minutes on the water (two times 45m). Just a couple of coffees, and water. Then sitting through an hour presentation, before finally getting something (jacket potato with prawn mayo and a salad) to eat. Home, went for a lie down, slept for 5 hours. Late dinner of beetroot soup, with yoghurt.

Today: lie in, then oats, yoghurt and an apple, and a few coffees. Did my workout with beta fuel. Really tough from about 1h in, stopped at 1h45 so missed 9m of sweet-spot. It could be worse, I did about 90% of the work.

The soups will have had very few calories. Only two meals yesterday as well. Must. Eat. More.

[DuncanM]

I got back on the trainer on Sunday after a week and a half off (lurgy, and then work trip). I eased into it with Mount Goode +3, which is a 1.5 hour 4x15 at threshold or thereabouts. 
My hamstring and lower back tightened up during the intervals, so I  tried dropping the intensity to 95% - that didn't do much so I had a few stops where I got off and stretched. I completed 3 of the 4 intervals and an extended cooldown, so while it's not the desired training effort, it's a good start. However, I really need to sort out my right lower back/ left hamstring.  It's not a problem when doing under 150W, but after a few minutes > 220 then I start to feel it. I had a fit a couple of weeks ago (but the turbo there had little resistance so it was low power), which brought me forward and actually opened up my hip angle slightly, but the saddle is in a very different place to my road bike (in reference to the BB). I knew I should have been doing core and flexibility - now I really need to crack on with it!

https://www.trainerroad.com/career/duncanm23/rides/51668301-mount-goode-3

PS you can see the evolution of the position here:
https://fixedtting.home.blog/2019/02/28/position-adjustment-videos/

I don't think it's extreme, I just think I need to make my back and hamstrings better...

[DuncanM]

I was supposed to ride today, but my back was sore when I woke up, so I did some stretching and exercises instead.
I have the Core Advantage book, so I'm going to try out the beginners plan from that, and see if I can just do Sweet Spot workouts. Hopefully that will mean I can keep my fitness up, and sort out the back issues - I've got a month or 2 before I want to be really shifting on my TTs, so I figure I'm better backing it off now and fixing my back than trying to bash through it. Not happy, but think that's probably sensible.

[Phil W]

Vo2 Max intervals have got easy.  They wiped me out four weeks ago. Recovery and retest next week. Then it will get harder again. Good to know it's not plateauing yet.

[rob]

New sessions this week as part of the next build.   Very short max efforts from a standing start with a minute recovery.   Going from 0 to 170rpm in 5seconds using a middle resistance setting.

Felt fine during the warm down but an hour later I feel a bit peculiar.   I’m sure my coach knows what he’s doing.

[Frank9755]

I've just had almost a week off as we have been to the mother-in-law's in Germany.  First ride back today. 

Was good timing as I picked op some knee damage last week.  I've recently switched saddles (to an ISM) which required a bit of positional adjustment.  TRainerroad got me to do some high-cadence VO2 max intervals last Tuesday and I had pain at the top of my knee afterwards, which I associate with saddle too low or too far forward.  I'll book a bike fit to tweak the saddle position and, in the meantime, stick to sweet spot stuff. 

[simonp]

Tuesdays suck. 

Good luck with the knee.

[Frank9755]

Thanks - knee was fine with 2 hour sweet spot session today (Juneau -1). 
Arse not quite so happy: longest turbo on new ISM saddle - although it was ok for 3 hours on the road last week.  But much less of a concern.

[zigzag]

over-unders* feel fairly comfortable, so will be adding few watts to my ftp manually as i cba to do the ramp test (will do one in three weeks).

*avalanche spire - added 5% to the final interval and still managed ok

[Phil W]

Knocked out threshold intervals tonight.  My recovery week starts Sunday but have family gathering Sat, so might knock out a last set of Intervals on Friday before entering recovery.

[DuncanM]

I was planning to do a big stretch and then a short workout this morning. Did a short stretch instead - I spent too much time in the car yesterday and really felt it when I woke up. I've got an appointment with a local back guru tomorrow, so hopefully he can release a bit of the tightness and suggest how I can improve it myself - it's really frustrating to have been quite consistent (excluding illness) since September, and then to have my weekly TSS plummet in mid Feb.

[Phil W]

This morning, did a series of over and under lactate threshold intervals.  Felt good at the end so rolled it straight into a low dose aerobic capacity workout.  Now heading into a recovery week, to shed some fatigue, with my PBP 200 qualifier at the end of it.

[Phil W]

FTP next week and so far I have been doing the 20 minute test.  I have been reading about the ramp test. Does anybody have experience of doing the ramp test instead and any thoughts between the two?