Back to my .erg files today. Today's session was a bit different with 1x20@91-105% of FTP followed by 1x20@88-94% of FTP so a threshold/sweet spot session.
Sessions like these are never comfortable but all in all it went very well even though my legs are perpetually fatigued to one degree or another.
It's going to be important to keep up sessions at this kind of intensity between now and the start of my attempt to ride the route of the Tour de France, not to elevate my FTP but to maintain it.
The average power for the 91-105% effort was 296W and I was happy working at this intensity which resulted in an average heart rate for the effort of 158BPM which was fine. The session overall resulted in working in my threshold power zone (L4) for 31 minutes which is a good little block of threshold training.
Steady as she goes. Happy to accept a small drop in my CTL at this stage in return for a welcome TSB boost. I must avoid getting too fatigued at all costs as it could seriously compromise my training between now and my departure date.
Ride Time: 01:10 hh:mm
Work Done: 984kJ
Training Stress Score: 82.7
Intensity Factor: 0.842
Normalised Power: 257W
Variability Index: 1.1
Ride Distance: 25.8 miles
Cumulative Distance: n/a miles
Elevation Gain: n/a feet
Maximum Power: 319W
Average Power: 234W
Average Heart Rate: 146bpm
Average Speed: 22.1mph
Acute Training Load: 92
Chronic Training Load: 87.6
Training Stress Balance: -5.4
To review this session: click here.
Showing posts with label L4 Turbo. Show all posts
Showing posts with label L4 Turbo. Show all posts
Tuesday, 11 May 2010
Monday, 29 March 2010
Monday Training
Exciting day today as I took delivery of a package from ErgVideo containing a bunch of ErgVideos I'd been waiting for to add to the 3 I already had. I'd ordered the Road Race Training Pack as well as several others. In case you were wondering I chose these ErgVideos not because I have any intention of starting road racing at this time of my life but because the contents of the videos are the perfect fit with the way I train and coach.
My plan is as well as my current approach to training and coaching is to also offer ErgVideo based coaching plans and I am now well advanced with my preparations to offer these, they will be a great addition to things.
Well, I couldn't take delivery of these ErgVideos and not start using them straight away could I? :-) Today I opted to ride the 4 Man Team Trial ErgVideo and very challenging it was too. I quickly realised that one of our team had been dropped early on and that another didn't seem to me to be doing as much work as the "virtual me" in the video and another guy who was very strong. The upshot of this was that it felt like a 2 man TTT! To cut a long story short this was a hard session with a lot of supra-threshold surges as you can see from the power data. All in all this wasn't pretty but there is no doubt it was excellent training, as such sessions seem to be!
You can see from the graph (link below) what this session was like but the 65 minute session delivered a TSS of 90 ((IF 0.912), with an average power of 272W with an NP of 278W for the 65 minutes, this was not comfortable, far from it.
These videos have been a great addition to my training arsenal, I have no regrets at all in going down this route though being a VeloTron user it was a struggle to set up at first. I think that generally comes down to the PC setup you happen to be using and mine took more sorting out that others. No matter though, all sorted and stable now, running like a dream.
To review the data: click here.
ATL: 75.5 CTL: 72.2 TSB: -1.5
My plan is as well as my current approach to training and coaching is to also offer ErgVideo based coaching plans and I am now well advanced with my preparations to offer these, they will be a great addition to things.
Well, I couldn't take delivery of these ErgVideos and not start using them straight away could I? :-) Today I opted to ride the 4 Man Team Trial ErgVideo and very challenging it was too. I quickly realised that one of our team had been dropped early on and that another didn't seem to me to be doing as much work as the "virtual me" in the video and another guy who was very strong. The upshot of this was that it felt like a 2 man TTT! To cut a long story short this was a hard session with a lot of supra-threshold surges as you can see from the power data. All in all this wasn't pretty but there is no doubt it was excellent training, as such sessions seem to be!
You can see from the graph (link below) what this session was like but the 65 minute session delivered a TSS of 90 ((IF 0.912), with an average power of 272W with an NP of 278W for the 65 minutes, this was not comfortable, far from it.
These videos have been a great addition to my training arsenal, I have no regrets at all in going down this route though being a VeloTron user it was a struggle to set up at first. I think that generally comes down to the PC setup you happen to be using and mine took more sorting out that others. No matter though, all sorted and stable now, running like a dream.
To review the data: click here.
ATL: 75.5 CTL: 72.2 TSB: -1.5
Wednesday, 3 March 2010
Wednesday Training
This was an interesting session, another ErgVideo ride using the motorpacing video which is a hard session. I'd planned the session to deliver a TSS of around 80 which is exactly what it did. The variations in effort during these session make it pretty challenging and the two hard efforts at around 600W make for a particularly uncomfortable time. On top of these as you can see from the file there are a couple of long efforts at well above my threshold so all in all a tough time for me.
However, some of the data coming out of this does serve one purpose and I thought I would post the results here. There is nothing new in this information but I thought I would share it as it is such a good illustration of the point.
The point is the value of using a power measuring device (either turbo or bike mounted) to gauge training efforts. I've produce bar charts of the heart rate and power distributions of today's session with the distributions shown in my heart rate and power training zones. If we look firstly at the heart rate distribution you can see that I spent the majority of this ride in my tempo and threshold heart rate zones so on the face of it, based on heart rate alone, this was not too bad a session at all. Essentially there was nothing in either zones 5 or 6.
However, looking at the distribution of the actual power data from the workout we see something quite different:
We now see that very significant periods of time, in power output terms, were spent in my VO2 Max (L5) and anaerobic capacity (L6) training zones and this changes the real character of the workout completely. One workout, two different impressions of the physiological systems that will have been challenged by the workout and perhaps quite different recovery might be expected if one knows that significant work has been performed in zones 5 and 6, which was not apparent from the HR data alone.
To review the session data: click here.
However, some of the data coming out of this does serve one purpose and I thought I would post the results here. There is nothing new in this information but I thought I would share it as it is such a good illustration of the point.
The point is the value of using a power measuring device (either turbo or bike mounted) to gauge training efforts. I've produce bar charts of the heart rate and power distributions of today's session with the distributions shown in my heart rate and power training zones. If we look firstly at the heart rate distribution you can see that I spent the majority of this ride in my tempo and threshold heart rate zones so on the face of it, based on heart rate alone, this was not too bad a session at all. Essentially there was nothing in either zones 5 or 6.
However, looking at the distribution of the actual power data from the workout we see something quite different:
We now see that very significant periods of time, in power output terms, were spent in my VO2 Max (L5) and anaerobic capacity (L6) training zones and this changes the real character of the workout completely. One workout, two different impressions of the physiological systems that will have been challenged by the workout and perhaps quite different recovery might be expected if one knows that significant work has been performed in zones 5 and 6, which was not apparent from the HR data alone.
To review the session data: click here.
Friday, 11 September 2009
Friday Training
Hi
VeloTron
Just allowing my TSB to rise ready for the weekend and am still nicely on target to hit my required +14-15 on Saturday morning. This has been a nice period of riding, a good ride last weekend and then a restful week before what I hope will be a good weekend to round off the year.
All I did today was about 35 minutes on the turbo which included a ten minute effort @ 305W just to keep my muscle enzyme activity working nicely before the weekend's exertions, without doing too much work.
Enjoyed a good full English brunch today which is the highlight of my preparations, it would be an easy thing to do regularly but my hill climbing would quickly suffer as a result!
So, off to the West coast on stage 1 tomorrow, here's hoping for a good one!
ATL: 69.4 CTL: 83.8 TSB: +11.
[Uploaded 11/09/2009 22:05:01]
VeloTron
Just allowing my TSB to rise ready for the weekend and am still nicely on target to hit my required +14-15 on Saturday morning. This has been a nice period of riding, a good ride last weekend and then a restful week before what I hope will be a good weekend to round off the year.
All I did today was about 35 minutes on the turbo which included a ten minute effort @ 305W just to keep my muscle enzyme activity working nicely before the weekend's exertions, without doing too much work.
Enjoyed a good full English brunch today which is the highlight of my preparations, it would be an easy thing to do regularly but my hill climbing would quickly suffer as a result!
So, off to the West coast on stage 1 tomorrow, here's hoping for a good one!
ATL: 69.4 CTL: 83.8 TSB: +11.
[Uploaded 11/09/2009 22:05:01]
Thursday, 3 September 2009
Thursday Training
VeloTron
Continuing the preparation for Sunday's Cumberland Challenge today by doing a shorter L4 session this time but at 305W. The session went really well and I am starting to feel the benefit of the reduced training load but not feeling at all stale.
Pleasantly surprised to find that after 15 minutes at 305W I was experiencing no muscle burning and I could very easily have continued at this load. I reckon the burning sensation comes on far earlier when the muscles are in a low carbohydrate state or are already significantly fatigued from previous training.
The reduced calorie state I have been training in for almost 3 months now has been brought to an end with an isocalorific day which has been nice. It's surprising what a difference an extra 500 calories per day make to things after 3 months, particularly when they are consumed as additional carbohydrates as I'm still keeping my fat intake low but healthy.
Tomorrow will see a continuation of my increased carbohydrate regime and on top of that I have a day of complete rest scheduled, apart from the normal activities of daily living, I don't intend to spend it in bed!
TSB has now turned +ve - bye bye tiredness.
ATL: 79.3 CTL: 86.6 TSB: +3.6
[Uploaded 03/09/2009 20:56:34]
Continuing the preparation for Sunday's Cumberland Challenge today by doing a shorter L4 session this time but at 305W. The session went really well and I am starting to feel the benefit of the reduced training load but not feeling at all stale.
Pleasantly surprised to find that after 15 minutes at 305W I was experiencing no muscle burning and I could very easily have continued at this load. I reckon the burning sensation comes on far earlier when the muscles are in a low carbohydrate state or are already significantly fatigued from previous training.
The reduced calorie state I have been training in for almost 3 months now has been brought to an end with an isocalorific day which has been nice. It's surprising what a difference an extra 500 calories per day make to things after 3 months, particularly when they are consumed as additional carbohydrates as I'm still keeping my fat intake low but healthy.
Tomorrow will see a continuation of my increased carbohydrate regime and on top of that I have a day of complete rest scheduled, apart from the normal activities of daily living, I don't intend to spend it in bed!
TSB has now turned +ve - bye bye tiredness.
ATL: 79.3 CTL: 86.6 TSB: +3.6
[Uploaded 03/09/2009 20:56:34]
Tuesday, 1 September 2009
Tuesday Training
Hi
VeloTron
Still maintaining some reasonably high intensity training this evening with some threshold efforts at 300W. The session went pretty well but I was feeling the effects of my reduced calorie diet which won't be a problem in a day or two.
I'm planning to incease my calorie intake in the next couple of days which I am hoping will improve my performance in time for Sunday's event, if this proves to be wrong the day could well be a struggle!
On track for my planned TSB so hoping for the best.
ATL: 89.0 CTL: 89.0 TSB: -2.4
[Uploaded 01/09/2009 21:41:37]
VeloTron
Still maintaining some reasonably high intensity training this evening with some threshold efforts at 300W. The session went pretty well but I was feeling the effects of my reduced calorie diet which won't be a problem in a day or two.
I'm planning to incease my calorie intake in the next couple of days which I am hoping will improve my performance in time for Sunday's event, if this proves to be wrong the day could well be a struggle!
On track for my planned TSB so hoping for the best.
ATL: 89.0 CTL: 89.0 TSB: -2.4
[Uploaded 01/09/2009 21:41:37]
Thursday, 27 August 2009
Thursday Training
Hi
VeloTron
The plan today was to raise the intensity again in comparison with Tuesday's SST work and get back up into L4 though deliberately a bit below the supra-threshold efforts I was doing not long ago.
Settled today for 40 minutes of L4 work @ 300W which was just about right. My current theory (one of the many!) is that there are benefits to be gained by training quite hard in a calorie deficient state. I reckon that one then gains a real benefit when the fuel gets thrown onto the fire when really required, rather than it being there all the time.
I'm finding in this way that my current primary objective, to shed some weight ready for next year, is being achieved. In addition to this with the limited testing I've done I've found that when I really fill up the fuel tanks I feel as if I'm raring to go.
Only time will tell how this will pan out. So far I'm encouraged and even if the sudden fuel overload approach doesn't really work out I'll have shed the weight in time for my main objectives in 2010.
There is no doubt that really high intensity training cannot really be adequately performed in a calorie/CHO deficient state and nor should it be but at present I seem to be walking the energy in -> energy out tightrope reasonably well.
ATL: 84.2 CTL: 87.5 TSB: +4.5
[Uploaded 27/08/2009 22:49:46]
VeloTron
The plan today was to raise the intensity again in comparison with Tuesday's SST work and get back up into L4 though deliberately a bit below the supra-threshold efforts I was doing not long ago.
Settled today for 40 minutes of L4 work @ 300W which was just about right. My current theory (one of the many!) is that there are benefits to be gained by training quite hard in a calorie deficient state. I reckon that one then gains a real benefit when the fuel gets thrown onto the fire when really required, rather than it being there all the time.
I'm finding in this way that my current primary objective, to shed some weight ready for next year, is being achieved. In addition to this with the limited testing I've done I've found that when I really fill up the fuel tanks I feel as if I'm raring to go.
Only time will tell how this will pan out. So far I'm encouraged and even if the sudden fuel overload approach doesn't really work out I'll have shed the weight in time for my main objectives in 2010.
There is no doubt that really high intensity training cannot really be adequately performed in a calorie/CHO deficient state and nor should it be but at present I seem to be walking the energy in -> energy out tightrope reasonably well.
ATL: 84.2 CTL: 87.5 TSB: +4.5
[Uploaded 27/08/2009 22:49:46]
Tuesday, 3 February 2009
Tuesday Training
Hi
VeloTron
2x20 L4 session @ 305W which is, for me anyway, not very comfortable but got through it Ok and it certainly didn't feel as uncomfortable as the last one of these so that was a small step in the righrt direction, even if a temporary one!
I think if there is one thing I have learned in the last couple of years it's that real lasting adaptations to a training load are very very slow in coming, Short term gains can definitely be made for example when you introduce L5 work but the long term gains that really make a difference are a long time coming. I currently reckon that if a cyclist is already pretty well trained and has been cycling for a few years he or she is probably going to be doing pretty well to make a 20W gain over a 12 month period of good quality training, 20W @ threshold that is.
My gut feeling is that over the last few months I may have increased my FTP by about 5W from 305W to about 310W and I'm going to test this shortly. If this were the case I would need, for the 20 minute TT in the Allen & Coggan test, to average just over 326W which I suspect I may be able to manage.
What I'd do is start the TT at 326W in manual ergo mode and then see if I could hold that for 10 minutes. If I could I would then increase the load to a level I started to struggle at and then select a load I thought I could hang on to the end at, this should give me my best average for the 20 minutes and avoid me blowing up too soon. If I can't hold the 326W for the 10 minutes I know I've overestimated things but I held 320W for 20 minutes at my last test in November and I think I've made small gains since then.
I think I'll schedule the test for a week today, nice to have something to look forward to! ;-)
[Uploaded 03/02/2009 16:23:20]
VeloTron
2x20 L4 session @ 305W which is, for me anyway, not very comfortable but got through it Ok and it certainly didn't feel as uncomfortable as the last one of these so that was a small step in the righrt direction, even if a temporary one!
I think if there is one thing I have learned in the last couple of years it's that real lasting adaptations to a training load are very very slow in coming, Short term gains can definitely be made for example when you introduce L5 work but the long term gains that really make a difference are a long time coming. I currently reckon that if a cyclist is already pretty well trained and has been cycling for a few years he or she is probably going to be doing pretty well to make a 20W gain over a 12 month period of good quality training, 20W @ threshold that is.
My gut feeling is that over the last few months I may have increased my FTP by about 5W from 305W to about 310W and I'm going to test this shortly. If this were the case I would need, for the 20 minute TT in the Allen & Coggan test, to average just over 326W which I suspect I may be able to manage.
What I'd do is start the TT at 326W in manual ergo mode and then see if I could hold that for 10 minutes. If I could I would then increase the load to a level I started to struggle at and then select a load I thought I could hang on to the end at, this should give me my best average for the 20 minutes and avoid me blowing up too soon. If I can't hold the 326W for the 10 minutes I know I've overestimated things but I held 320W for 20 minutes at my last test in November and I think I've made small gains since then.
I think I'll schedule the test for a week today, nice to have something to look forward to! ;-)
[Uploaded 03/02/2009 16:23:20]
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