Advice on turbo training

[annie]

I realise that not everyone likes to use the turbo for training however it is sometimes all I can do when Mr A is away and JC is in bed, as is the case today and yesterday.

I recently acquired a Real Axiom Elite TT and today used one of the programmes - Mount Ventoux.  Although I used a turbo trainer last year and did reap rewards I never really looked at the statistics and would like to make better use of the figures that I have and to know how well I am doing and where I might improve.

So the statistics for that workout were:

Time: 1hr 15mins
Distance: 13.02miles
Power Ave: 150
Speed Ave: 10.4mph
Elevation: 5134
Perspiration: dripping from the ends of my hair and everywhere else.
How do I feel now: not too exhausted, happy, on a high and really pleased with myself.

Sadly I didn't have the HR thingie switched on but my computer showed it to sit around the 150's, never higher than 159.


Any advice would be most greatly appreciated.

[delthebike]

Do some of the other programs. When you redo the Ventoux program compare the figures and see if you have improved.

Don't take the turbo to the railway station car park!

[mattc]

I realise that not everyone likes to use the turbo for training

I'd like to know what folks ARE using them for.

[annie]

I realise that not everyone likes to use the turbo for training

I'd like to know what folks ARE using them for.

Hee hee.  What I meant to say was that I realise not everyone likes turbo trainers.  I am not making much sense am I?  Need food.

[annie]

Mount Ventoux
Speed Ave: 10.4mph
Perspiration: dripping from the ends of my hair and everywhere else.
How do I feel now: not too exhausted, happy, on a high and really pleased with myself.
Sadly I didn't have the HR thingie switched on but my computer showed it to sit around the 150's, never higher than 159.

My goodness! When I rode up Mt Ventoux (pictures) I was doing around 10 km/hr not 10 mph, also perspiring excessively with the temperature in the mid 30s. I think you have just shown yourself to be exceedingly fit.

Oh, maybe it was kmph, I will go and check   I am not that fit at all, well better then I was 5 months ago but much room for improvement.

Del - what do you mean about the Station car park?   

[RogerT]

The thought of Annie on a Turbo trainer travelling at high speed across Needham Market station car park does not bear contemplating..

Training for a TT by any chance ?

[annie]

The thought of Annie on a Turbo trainer travelling at high speed across Needham Market station car park does not bear contemplating..

Training for a TT by any chance

More tea on keyboard moments for me

Oh had almost forgotten about the TT   don't suppose that workout I just did will help me to go much faster, couldn't have gone much slower.  If I can get round in under 40mins I should be ok, am sure that isn't beyond my capabilities.

[Greenbank]

The only figure that matters in that list, in its own right, is the Power Ave: 150W. As del says, you can redo the program and compare, but the other stuff is just projected/computed guesswork.

5134 ft is 1565m, 13.02 miles is 21km, so an average of 7.45%, that's about right for Ventoux.

But I think the Turbo is being a bit off with its figures, both good and bad:-

Unless you weigh about 2kg then 150W will not power you up a 7.45% incline at 10mph. 6mph maybe, but not 10mph.

But, by the sounds of it, if you're sweating and working hard I would have expected your power reading to be higher than 150W. 150W on the flat with no wind is about 17mph on a road bike. It's the upper end of pootling, not working hard. You'd need to put in about 250W to get 10mph up that kind of slope.

Although, if you didn't have a fan pointing at you then that might explain it. Your body will spend a lot of energy trying to keep you cool if the wind is not there to help the sweat evaporate.

(I'm not saying you didn't put in a load of effort, it's just that believing those figures can lead to a false sense of security or progress. Most club riders would be very happy indeed with a 1h15 ascent of Ventoux, it took me over 2 hours when I did it and I wasn't in bad shape back then.)

[annie]

Thanks Greenbank.  I may not have everything set up correctly in that case.  You are all streets ahead of me so it is likely that the computer is very wrong.  At least I have a starting point.  I will see if I can play around with things a little bit.  No didn't have a fan but will do in future. 

[MSeries]

Mount Ventoux
Speed Ave: 10.4mph
Perspiration: dripping from the ends of my hair and everywhere else.
How do I feel now: not too exhausted, happy, on a high and really pleased with myself.
Sadly I didn't have the HR thingie switched on but my computer showed it to sit around the 150's, never higher than 159.

My goodness! When I rode up Mt Ventoux (pictures) I was doing around 10 km/hr not 10 mph, also perspiring excessively with the temperature in the mid 30s. I think you have just shown yourself to be exceedingly fit.

But in reality Annie went nowhere. She was stationary and her speed was actually exactly 0mph. As we know on the road all sorts of forces act on the bike and rider, air resistance for one.

It was very hot and windy when I climbed Mt Ventoux, I didn't time myself but I did with the sprint at the summit.

[annie]

Mount Ventoux
Speed Ave: 10.4mph
Perspiration: dripping from the ends of my hair and everywhere else.
How do I feel now: not too exhausted, happy, on a high and really pleased with myself.
Sadly I didn't have the HR thingie switched on but my computer showed it to sit around the 150's, never higher than 159.

My goodness! When I rode up Mt Ventoux (pictures) I was doing around 10 km/hr not 10 mph, also perspiring excessively with the temperature in the mid 30s. I think you have just shown yourself to be exceedingly fit.

But in reality Annie went nowhere. She was stationary and her speed was actually exactly 0mph. As we know on the road all sorts of forces act on the bike and rider, air resistance for one.

It was very hot and windy when I climbed Mt Ventoux, I didn't time myself but I did with the sprint at the summit.

   I try to make the best use of the time I have with what I have.  If I can't leave the house it leaves me little choice.  What counts is that I tried and did my best.

Funny how I started feeling really good and now feel completely useless.

Thank you

[Air Dancer]

I usually go backwards on mine 

[rae]

150W?  Whether it is good or bad depends on how much you weigh.   When I was at my best last year, I could do 350W for an hour - but I weighed 14.5 stone.  On the i-magic, which was pretty well set up, I could climb Ventoux in about 1hr 15.  The turbo climb of Peyresourde was very similar to the real thing, so I believe that the turbo was giving a realistic experience. 

If you were say, half my weight, then if you could develop 175W, then you'd be climbing as fast as me.  So 150W is not a bad figure for an hour.  If this is the first time you've measured it, then you'll get to 200+ pretty easily.  My first run up Ventoux on the turbo was at about 250W average and in nearly killed me.   After 3 months, 250 was cruising with little perceived effort.  200W and 7 or 8 stone would climb pretty fast. 

Yes, get a fan.  A big fan.  Actually get two - one pointing at your face and the other at your legs. 

[annie]

150W?  Whether it is good or bad depends on how much you weigh.   When I was at my best last year, I could do 350W for an hour - but I weighed 14.5 stone.  On the i-magic, which was pretty well set up, I could climb Ventoux in about 1hr 15.  The turbo climb of Peyresourde was very similar to the real thing, so I believe that the turbo was giving a realistic experience. 

If you were say, half my weight, then if you could develop 175W, then you'd be climbing as fast as me.  So 150W is not a bad figure for an hour.  If this is the first time you've measured it, then you'll get to 200+ pretty easily.  My first run up Ventoux on the turbo was at about 250W average and in nearly killed me.   After 3 months, 250 was cruising with little perceived effort.  200W and 7 or 8 stone would climb pretty fast. 

Yes, get a fan.  A big fan.  Actually get two - one pointing at your face and the other at your legs. 

Thanks Rae, I now don't feel quite so bad.  I weigh 8 stone, this is normally pretty stable, might vary by about a 1lb or 2 depending on what I do in the gym.

[Jedrik]

I picked these numbers from a german page:

untrained men an women, riding ocassionally: below 2 Watt / kg body weight
Well trainend cycle tourist (fem) 2 - 3 W/ kg cycle tourist (male)
amateur racer (fem)                   3 - 4 W / kg amateur racer (male)
professional racer                        above 5 W / kg
Pantani                                       6,2 W/kg

So there, with about 3 W / kg you are well on your way to amateur racer.
And: there is really no point comparing yourself to men:
- women carry about 10% more body fat. In regard to cycling up hills, that is 10% dead weight. And obviously they have to do the same work with less muscle mass.
- women got rather lower testosteron levels. There is not quite as much fight in them, they can't cross pain levels as easily as men can.
If you do as well as a man does, your are, in a way, actually better trained than he is.
 

[annie]

I picked these numbers from a german page:

untrained men an women, riding ocassionally: below 2 Watt / kg body weight
Well trainend cycle tourist (fem) 2 - 3 W/ kg cycle tourist (male)
amateur racer (fem)                   3 - 4 W / kg amateur racer (male)
professional racer                        above 5 W / kg
Pantani                                       6,2 W/kg

So there, with about 3 W / kg you are well on your way to amateur racer.
And: there is really no point comparing yourself to men:
- women carry about 10% more body fat. In regard to cycling up hills, that is 10% dead weight. And obviously they have to do the same work with less muscle mass.
- women got rather lower testosteron levels. There is not quite as much fight in them, they can't cross pain levels as easily as men can.
If you do as well as a man does, your are, in a way, actually better trained than he is.
 

Thank you   I really don't feel so bad now. 

Today the hills were so much easier, I actually enjoyed them   Not sure if I am mad or not but I did.  I at least now know that I am not doing too badly and am going in the right direction.  Onwards and upwards.