Base training

[rob]

Last 2 weekends have been 200k Sat and tempo on the turbo on Sunday.   This weekend the other way round.  2.5hrs on the turbo is so much nicer without a 200k in your legs.

Forecast for tomorrow looks good.  3 more weeks in this block and then a weeks holiday.

[Phil W]

Session in the Chilterns today collecting hills with chevrons on them. Managed to collect 10 chevrons so good session. Must return when the bluebells are out.

[Frank9755]

Surrey Hills today with a few clubmates. 
Most enjoyable ride I've done for a while.  Legs felt good so I was pleased I skipped Friday's turbo session! 
800 TSS this week - tomorrow is recovery week

[Chris S]

Today's workout (https://www.strava.com/activities/2236999592) seems to have hit the spot. Two and a half hours on the trainer, 222 TSS and I feel like I've ridden a 200.

[simonp]

I rode my first PBP qualifier yesterday, finally.

Only a total of about 106km outdoors so far this year - but managed ok. I didn't eat a huge amount and that told on the unexpectedly steep (20% sign) at 150km or so. Fortunately from there to the finish is basically downhill the whole way, which made the average speed a bit more respectable.

I'm not especially looking forwards to the hilly 300k in two weeks now - I think that's going to be a long day, but that does give 4 weeks to the Brevet Cymru which has about the same amount of climbing.

[LMT]

Today's workout (https://www.strava.com/activities/2236999592) seems to have hit the spot. Two and a half hours on the trainer, 222 TSS and I feel like I've ridden a 200.

I think your numbers might be out slightly. The above says you almost went full gas for two and a half hours, or it would be if the TSS was 250.

[DuncanM]

I figured I'd do an FTP test today in aero. Bad idea. I never hit my targets in late afternoon anyway, and this was an extra bad idea. Called it after 5 minutes of the 20 minute portion (and it wasn't much fun as I spent the first minute playing around with the resistance trying to get the power right). Suggested FTP was 228, which is 16W down on my last test.
https://www.trainerroad.com/career/duncanm23/rides/53001551-20-minute-ftp-test
So after that I did a half hour version of Carson. All the work periods were in aero position, so that was something.
https://www.trainerroad.com/career/duncanm23/rides/53003475-carson-5

I've worked out how to put my phone in the right position so I have to ride turtle to see the numbers. That is going to be useful, but I need some bluetooth headphones because the cables won't reach from there.

[rob]

Last 2 weekends have been 200k Sat and tempo on the turbo on Sunday.   This weekend the other way round.  2.5hrs on the turbo is so much nicer without a 200k in your legs.

Forecast for tomorrow looks good.  3 more weeks in this block and then a weeks holiday.

200 was great.  8h5m.  Mostly on my own but buddied up with 3 others for the last 30k and did bit-and-bit.  Pretty tired now.   Gentle commute tomorrow.

[Frank9755]

200 was great.  8h5m.  Mostly on my own but buddied up with 3 others for the last 30k and did bit-and-bit.  Pretty tired now.   Gentle commute tomorrow.

Man of Kent?  I rode it last year but didn't get my entry in in time this year. 
It's definitely fixed-friendly as, when I did it a few years ago, my rear cable snapped after the first control and I had to clamp it in one gear, and it was hardly any inconvenience to do it singlespeed.

[rob]

200 was great.  8h5m.  Mostly on my own but buddied up with 3 others for the last 30k and did bit-and-bit.  Pretty tired now.   Gentle commute tomorrow.

Man of Kent?  I rode it last year but didn't get my entry in in time this year. 
It's definitely fixed-friendly as, when I did it a few years ago, my rear cable snapped after the first control and I had to clamp it in one gear, and it was hardly any inconvenience to do it singlespeed.

Yeah.   I walked the first steep hill.   Bit much on 79".   The rest is very benign for Kent - it could be a much lumpier ride.

[rob]

Another failed session tonight.   First time for a few weeks.

I think I’m around my limit in terms of fatigue.

A few days of commuting and then back to old roads for another 200k at the weekend.

[DuncanM]

I had Tuesday off as I was busy with other stuff (and doing quite a lot of walking - 15,000 steps on Wednesday, which is a record for me!).  Back on it today with 45 minutes of Carson - 26 minutes of Sweet Spot, all of which was in the aero bars. I should probably re-do Build in the aero bars and see if I can pick my FTP up again - I'm relatively comfortable on the sweet spot intervals but my FTP is down on earlier in the year.
https://www.trainerroad.com/career/duncanm23/rides/53260882-carson-4
The big flat bit is where I had a connection failure - adding bluetooth headphones to a trainer, PM and HR band all also on bluetooth was probably too much! I might try getting my laptop on the trainer stand and using an ANT+ dongle.

[L CC]

I managed to destroy my rear mech - first the hanger, then ham-fisted attempts to repair, so it's been in the shop. Back on the trainer last night Zwift gave me a TSS of 113 for an hour long ride. "wow" , thinks I, "a few days rest and I AM A CYCLING GOD- it really didn't seem that tough"

Then I remembered I told Zwift my FTP was 180 so I could do 2 workouts in a day to catch up with the Mixtape Challenge.

TSS was actually 85. Doh.

[zigzag]

did a ramp test today, but was not willing to push myself to the max (stopped at 183bpm instead of 188). still, happy with the result and re-adjusted ftp to 320w. final four weeks of the build phase ahead followed by a ten day cycling tour of sardinia and sicily.

[simonp]

100km today and TrainerRoad says it's a PB for 4h power.

Reckon this is because most of the time by the time I have done 100km I have stopped at a control but this was without a break. Still, 191W np for over 4 hours is not too bad, and got quite a few Strava PRs.

[DuncanM]

191np for 4 hours is good going. 
I wanted to do a test 10, but the clocks messed me up and I didn't have time, so I hammered out to the course, and then turned around and blasted back. 54x16 feels like a really big gear when you are starting from standstill (and a bit when you are climbing), but when you are rolling or blasting downhill it's fantastic. I need to get my bike computer to auto pause - when I analyse the ride on TR it says I have 6 minutes of coasting, which is a bit odd given it's fixed! 7 PRs and 8 2nds shows that this bike helps me go fast.
https://www.strava.com/activities/2254048436

I finished the build phase at the end of Feb, but it was a bit of a mess have 1 and my back was dodgy, so I've been doing sweet spot to sort things out. Instead of going to Speciality, I'm going back to sustained power build and trying to boot my FTP back up again. I will try to switch 1 ride a week for a TT if I can time things right, but I reckon a full throttle 10 can replace a 1 hour under/over workout anyway (maybe not if it takes under 20 minutes, but mine are closer to 30 than 20).

[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.

March
FTP static
Weight static
50hr
1209"km" including 2 x 200km
New job is a bit demoralising and my diet has gone to shit. 5 weeks till the Imperator, need to get my act together.

[Zed43]

5 weeks till the Imperator, need to get my act together.

Ain't that the truth  I can barely find the time to do the three rides a week of the low volume SS base 2 plan at the moment... Yesterday's Bluebell was killer after Sunday's Clark; I dozed off on the couch after diner and this morning's yoga practice was a quest for finding a pose that didn't feel stiff, sore or achy (only Bālāsana qualified...)

[DuncanM]

Ramp test this morning. It was really cold!
Went well though - I've put my road bike back on the trainer so I can ride the TT bike outside (racing starts this month). The legs felt good, though spinning wasn't as smooth and my cadence was down a bit - I still managed to go past 20 minutes so my FTP has gone back up to 243. Lungs feel  a bit sore now though - lots of cold dry air gone through them I guess. If I can juggle the Build plan with TTing and avoid getting ill then hopefully I can get that up for the summer.
https://www.trainerroad.com/career/duncanm23/rides/53546343-ramp-test

[rob]

I have a bit of flexibility in the next few weeks.  Partly because my coach is going on holiday, partly because I have a holiday but also as I’ve been teetering on the edge of fatigue for the last couple of weeks.

I have been doing much less turbo work - 2 sessions a week of roughly an hour - but a lot more road work for the last few weeks.   Rattling round the Lincoln 200 last weekend with Bob Johnson telling me I was giving him a hard time was satisfying and tells me I’m where I need to be.

[simonp]

Poor ramp test last night - FTP down 23W. Not sure if fatigue or if disruption to training from various sources over the last few weeks. I have taken thew new FTP score for TR for now, will see if workouts become too easy.

[Frank9755]

Mine edged up again on Monday.  Still a bit below where it used to be.  Would probably have been a bit higher but parents arrived for a visit just as I was doing it - they were earlier than expected - and I could probably have kept going for a little longer if I didn't have an audience.

[DuncanM]

Over-unders at the new FTP today. Pretty solid - had to skip a bit because I didn't realise it was a 75 minute workout and I didn't have time for the extra 15 minutes.  Managed to skip about 6 minutes of rest and 4 minutes of work, so I think that's reasonable. Feeling much happier about things than I was a couple of weeks ago. I wanted to get out and ride the TT bike this weekend, but it looks like I'll be out and about with the family, so might just have to do a TR workout instead.
https://www.trainerroad.com/career/duncanm23/rides/53658700-carpathian-peak

[Phil W]

VO2 Max intervals this afternoon.  I was not looking forward to this session, mostly as I struggled on it last week and really had to hang in there.  Today I nailed them despite forgetting to put my water bottles within reach.  Another week of this build period and then rest, retest then Easter Arrow.

[DuncanM]

The day after doing Carpathian Peak, and didn't have time to do full Mt Goode (today or tomorrow), so did this 45 minute beastie instead. Felt difficult, and I had a little backpedal in the middle of the 3rd interval, but that was more of a mental thing than a physical thing - I think my legs could have coped (just about). 3x8 at 105% of FTP is especially hard when you've just bumped it up!
https://www.trainerroad.com/career/duncanm23/rides/53710519-dicks-3