Base training

[DuncanM]

I rode Tuesday, but cut it with 1 interval left because I was running late.
Today was Geiger, and it felt quite hard. Right hamstring tightened up after a few minutes of the last interval. I rode through it, and then my right calf tightened, followed by my right quad and adductor. I could maintain power by using my left a bit more and giving my right some lower power breaks. Too much time slightly below power means I spent lots of time in the Tempo range, but Sweet Spot is quite a narrow band, so I guess that's not terrible. At least I got 2 TR rides in this week - I need to re-establish my consistency.
Tuesday: https://www.trainerroad.com/career/duncanm23/rides/40679697-tunnabora
Today: https://www.trainerroad.com/career/duncanm23/rides/40827270-geiger

I think I'm getting these effects on my right leg as a consequence of injuring my right foot this summer. I doubt I can train and also do corrective work, I'm hoping that as I train it will gradually drag up to the same as the other leg. I'll probably go back to my physio in a week or two, but the foot is almost completely better - these lingering effects are annoying me now.

[DuncanM]

Stretched before I went to bed last night.  Woke up in the middle of the night with my back spasming. I think I need to do some core work (and sit better at work).
Will see if I can fit lifting weights twice a week into my routine - it'll help with maintaining functional power and bone density and with any luck help with top end cycling power too.

[simonp]

https://breakingmuscle.com/fitness/heal-your-lower-back-pain-with-these-5-yoga-poses

[DuncanM]

I got up and did 1,3, and 4b last night when I woke up in pain!
Improved today - I think the chair at my desk is causing some of the issues - the arms stop it going under the desk properly so I can't use the backrest and reach my keyboard/see my screens properly. I shall bring my allen keys in on Monday and remove them.

[chrisbainbridge]

I have just found the Max overload for cyclists book https://www.amazon.co.uk/Bicycling-Maximum-Overload-Cyclists-Magazine/dp/1623367743/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr= and have done 5 sessions.  I like the emphasis on deadlifts rather than squats and the whole body nature of the workout.

Hopefully it will help along with TR to build some strength and stamina.

[DuncanM]

I will check out that book...

Saturday I felt better, so I did Warlow as scheduled.  It went pretty well and my back was fine - I found the valleys hard in the last interval but I could hold the overs. Hopefully that means I'm on track - I've only got a couple of weeks of SSB1 to go and then I'll do a ramp test for SSB2 and see if I've made progress.
https://www.trainerroad.com/career/duncanm23/rides/40991046-warlow

[Samuel D]

This almost sounds too good to be true:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=veAQ73OJdwY

What does the assembled panel reckon?

[jiberjaber]

Interesting concept. 

[DuncanM]

Sounds like the whole "long slow" approach to base. I guess how much of a benefit it is depends on what your training is for.

[Chris S]

It's Maffetone training. I've tried it - it's really boring. Also - the Maffetone upper limit of 180-age (122 for me) is way too low - I can't even sit on a bike without my HR getting close to 100, even though my resting HR is in the 50s.

Looks like this guy uses 60% of max, which is 114 for me; again - I can't ride a bike at that, and you can forget running; as soon as I have two feet off the pavement at the same time, my HR is 140+.

[DuncanM]

So much for being back on track. I really sucked today - couldn't get the legs/lungs going at all, then my back tightened up and I quit and went and did some stretching instead.
https://www.trainerroad.com/career/duncanm23/rides/41219091-carillon

[simonp]

So all I’ve managed cycling wise last week is a 20 mile stready ride.

Re the YouTube link above, it’s followed by another on intervals from the same guy. I think what he is describing is polarised training. So you’d do anything but sweet spot.

Not enough hours in the day for me to buy into that approach, sadly.

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLnAKD1Q8PRQ-lo2fMXbYdLyaJUHznbfvG

[DuncanM]

I'm lucky if I can get 4 hours training in a week, so that's not for me either. Slept horribly, so didn't get up for my workout this morning. Hopefully sleep better tonight and do the workout tomorrow instead. Sleep doesn't matter if I ride later in the day, but I can't sleep badly and then get up and be good on the bike.

[DuncanM]

Slept better, so back on it today.  Was OK - I need to focus better and keep it in the sweet spot zone more - too much of the ride was in tempo.
https://www.trainerroad.com/career/duncanm23/rides/41399717-tallac

[simonp]

So I had a day today where I wasn't doing rowing training. So I did Antelope, which I found very tough. I dropped to 95% and then 90% to get through it.

Given I did a sculling session and then circuit training yesterday I probably did ok all things considered.

[DuncanM]

Sculling and then circuits the day before a TR ride? That would kill me (and Antelope is hard).

Last full bore workout of SSB1 today:
https://www.trainerroad.com/career/duncanm23/rides/41521465-palisade
It's not an easy workout, and I found it really tough (had a day on my feet yesterday). Should probably have eaten immediately before as well. Still, next week is a rest week and I'm away on the weekend, so I'll do an easy ride Tuesday and a Ramp Test on Thursday, before kicking off SSB2 next Thursday. Hopefully the ramp test will show that I've made progress. Comparing this SSB1 to my first one last year, I have definitely found it harder to hit my power numbers (then again, my FTP is 70W higher now). I can live with struggling if I'm improving.

[rob]

Training is supposed to resume 5th Nov.

Managed to royally f*ck my body up last week.   Hopefully it can all be sorted out before then.  Will be a longer road back than I planned.

[DuncanM]

That doesn't sound good.
What did you do? If you can find some way of doing moderate exercise (eg pool) then you may not lose as much of what you have now as you would think?

[rob]

That doesn't sound good.
What did you do? If you can find some way of doing moderate exercise (eg pool) then you may not lose as much of what you have now as you would think?

I went out for a gentle spin in the park lunchtime last Thursday and was brought down by an errant dog off its lead.   I'm very bruised all down one side with the hip taking the brunt.   I also cracked my helmet on the way down.   My biggest problem is with my right hand.   It was checked over in A&E and I was told it wasn't broken but it feels very bruised and I struggle to brake and have to watch out for bumps in the road.

I'm still commuting, but I had a big weekend planned with 200 mile days for Sat & Sun as a test for the Race Around the Netherlands next year.   The forecast actually looks OK so I'm pretty annoyed.   I was on schedule for 20,000 road k's this year, but I figure I'll now miss this.

I haven't ridden the turbo since I last raced in July but it's all set up again with my new position.   I suspect I'll put a couple of sessions in next week if I can't keep the road miles up.   I'm also entered for Wilkyboy's 200 the following Saturday but I'll have to monitor things.

I expect I won't time trial until June next year so it's probably not a big loss overall but I really struggle to do nothing.   At least the garage is really neat now.

[DuncanM]

Ouch. Sounds like it was expensive as well as time consuming, painful, and putting a dent in your riding plans.
Gotta ask (contractual obligation)- was the bike OK? 

[rob]

Ouch. Sounds like it was expensive as well as time consuming, painful, and putting a dent in your riding plans.
Gotta ask (contractual obligation)- was the bike OK? 

Front wheel slightly out of true.   Scraped bar tape, scrape on the side of the (new) B17.   Only finished putting this bike together the week before.

[Chris S]

I'm going to give Zwift another go. Trainer Roads is all well and good, but staring at numbers for an hour is really dull.

It'll soon be time to stir in some C2 time too. At the moment, I suspect my one-pack is too big for me to row effectively. I done got fat.

[simonp]

We were down at the rowing club doing 3x10m:3r intervals last night. Supposed to be UT1 intensity (I think this could be considered roughly tempo or sweet-spot in cycling terms).

Heart rate for the same work is coming down nicely. One guy clearly struggles to limit his pace to keep to the heart rate zone; he hit 185bpm last night. That way lies burn-out.

I'd have rather we did 4x10m but was told no by our coach. Do another workout some other time if you want more volume.

I was supposed to gym this lunchtime but left my kit behind. So I'm going to have some time alone with TrainerRoad this evening. Plan says Eclipse but my legs probably will disagree given this has been a heavy week.

[DrMekon]

I'm going to give Zwift another go. Trainer Roads is all well and good, but staring at numbers for an hour is really dull.

It'll soon be time to stir in some C2 time too. At the moment, I suspect my one-pack is too big for me to row effectively. I done got fat.

I think you can integrate the two, and certainly, once you've done a workout you can save it. I'm surprised that there's not a download site containing every TR workout imported in to zwift. I've kept all my workouts from when I subscribed to Todays Plan.

Sent from my Lenovo P2a42 using Tapatalk

[sojournermike]

It's just a little thing, but I've just found out that Trainerroad can now pull in data from Garmin Connect, so all my rides appear in it's analysis. Still have some without power data mind, but I can live with that.