Once or twice a year I do a shutdown at a power station 200 klms from where I live. The days are twelve hours with 30 minutes travel each way. It is either 5 days with a drive home Sat morning or 6 days and a drive home Saturday afternoon and drive back Monday morning. I’m away for five weeks total.
This will be my second shutdown this year and I have just about got my ftp where it was before the last shutdown. Spraining my ankle one week in didn’t help
Help me figure out how to I can maintain my ftp at my age (61) with only a stationary bike at the local gym? I’m also worried about doing too much and burning myself out as there is quite a bit of extra walking involved.
I was think two days a week on the bike at the gym and a ride on Sunday might be manageable?
When i last worked away I used to sellotape my phone to the screen of a gym bike and do a Sufferfest workout, using RPE.
Due to the lack of hurricane strength fans i’d have at home I’d end up looking like someone had thrown a bucket of water over me and i’d get strange looks from the other gym goers. But it was a solid workout.
5-6 days, twice a year, while working 12 hour days sounds like the perfect time for rest weeks. At the most I would align them with my no intensity recovery weeks and do maybe 2-3 Z2 rides for 60-90 mins.
Do you have your bike on a trainer at home? Are you staying in a hotel? If so, for 5 weeks I’d 100% being my bike and kickr and set them up in my room.
That’s probably fine. Three days in the gym might be better if the sessions are short. (I know that after 20 minutes on a gym bike, I’m ready to hop off.)
I like to do hybrid workouts in a gym. Jump on a bike or ellipical for ten minutes. Go do some squats or some other machine. Jump back on bike for 10 minutes. Do another set of squats. Etc. Breaking it up makes it mentally easier.