8 hour XC marathon race. Won the overall solo division! It’s been about 20 years since I’ve won a race.
Had a big thunderstorm roll through very early on. It didn’t last all that long, but completely thrashed the course. Crashed a bit, almost crashed but stayed up a TON. Rear tire was fine when it was dry, and while it was raining. Once the rain finished, the mud turned to grease, and my rear tire had no traction whasoever. It kept slipping out and I’d spin around despite a lot of effort not to.
I made an effort to pace myself so I didn’t go too hard too early. Despite that my pacing was basically go too hard at the start, settle in, run out of gas half through the night, and finish the last 4 hours in survival mode. I started walking hills somewhere around hour 5 I think. Course was basically flat, very twisty, with some short but steep climbs I’d hit pretty hard each lap.
I don’t have power for the ride, but here’s the HR data. For reference, I max at 201.
Wynne +1 today.
Those efforts at 180% FTP seems almost impossible to me in ERG mode, even starting with a cadence of 130-140 I just slow down to a crawl around 20 seconds in. Not sure if it’s my max power that is to low or ERG mode. I don’t have nearly the same struggles at 150% FTP.
Boarstone tonight for me. Enjoyed it although I find the long 12-15 minutes sections mentally tough. They just seem to go in and on forever. Got through it though
Townsend, 1st time ride on a WattBike. The gym I go to have had a bunch of them delivered and they will now be my go to ride rather than the IC7 spin bike. They are much more like riding a proper bike unlike the fixed gear ‘spin bikes’
Last endurance ride before my ramp test - interspersed with a few max power efforts because I was a little bored.
Ramp today, 4 weeks into Short Power Build and another bump to 263 FTP.
Even though I don’t actually own a road bike and I am only using TR as a way of getting fit, I am pretty pleased with the results. In the 16 weeks I’ve been training I’ve seen consistent improvements. Up from 228 - 263.
Was a bit worried going into the workout as I’m very little sleep… And probably should have rescheduled. I figured I’d start it and see how I felt before deciding to reschedule.
Hit all intervals without issue. Feeling good… But very sleepy.
Turned Galena +2 into Galena -2. Did 2x20min, had neither time nor mental toughness to do the 3rd one. Those 2x20min were solid, however. That’s 2 ditch-outs in 2 - not a stellar track record in finishing General Build. Plus I’m streching each week of the program over 10 days or so with outside rides “getting in the way”.
Had Tunnabora on the schedule today, still felt good afterwords so I threw in Crane. I’ve been very focused on tempo and sweet spot type efforts the last year or so, and I really need to do more sprint-oriented stuff so I can contest the town line sprints again.
What a bloody god awful workout for all the wrong reasons
105 rpm in a certain gearing is what I hit for these VO2 efforts and first set was complete with that slight tightness creeping in both calves (calfs?) this time. Speed sensor was dropping in and out then after 3 intervals in second set after which I had to push a harder gear I couldn’t take it and had to tinker with my seating position, twice more over the workout. Massively interrupted and near the end two more chain slips and having to stop after each interval just to stretch. Really stumped at this point, sitting my heel into the pedal stroke only made it feel worse, I’m drinking a gallon of water each day prior to riding and taking magnesium (wearing two pairs of socks as well to fill up whatever gap was in my shoe). I don’t want to think it’s over exertion causing these cramps because I felt golden doing these, they were hurting but I’m certain I would’ve completed this workout uninterrupted
DIsaster day revisted! Monadnock +4 attempted today… legs didn’t want to know, head neither, hard getting HR up… 33 degrees in garage, fan was just blowing hot air on me… still tired from weekend Audax… who knows, holiday just around corner too…so a couple of leisure rides planned before then and I’ll retest ftp on return for new plan
Everyone cramps for different reasons - just drinking tons of water might not be a great solution for you. Drinking a lot of water doesn’t necessarily hydrate you in the ways you need to avoid cramps. For some people it might help, but without a corresponding kick in sodium you aren’t going to retain that water and make a meaningful change.
Essentially - you’re trying something that isn’t working. Trying it over and over again isn’t going to make it suddenly work. Try something new
I never had these issues before … read that some people get them from the cold or at the end of the day. I have moved interstate where it’s wayyy colder and I do my training after work now so … those are more than likely the culprits using process of elimination
Williamson +4. Tricksy adding the 30 min endurance after 1:00 of pain. That 0.87 IF makes you think… eh, this won’t be so bad. Then after the third round of increasing intensity/decreasing duration VO2-Anaerobic intervals, when your legs are lying on the ground and you’re left with bloody stumps attached to your hips, all you have left to do is curse Chad for hiding an hour at 0.94IF inside a 90 minute workout. So I did.
Ramp Test that I did yesterday outside on mtb… Could be better result finally, but I had to stop for a little respire. After did that, I tried to do target power, but finally my test was inconsistent and the last minute of consistant ramp was taken for calculation of FTP of 307. Evening before we were at “little” celebration and were drink some glasses of wine…
Based on several spiroergometrics tests in past, my LT is 320W… but not FTP.
Does anybody have any sugestion which number to use?
Thanks a lot!
Like most TR users at the moment, I performed this workout in what was essentially an oven. The garage felt like a furnace by the end of the second set.
Luckily I’d planned ahead and took two bottles with me, both of which had been in the fridge overnight. They made all the difference.
All in all, a great session and I had to push myself which always feels good
Attempted a ramp test after a two-week vacation (of essentially no physical activity, at all), had technical difficulties at about the 15-minute mark and bailed. Then almost collapsed in the shower. Maybe I’ll do a “hey remember what work feels like?” week and try again.
