Vo2 Test today. I’m still waiting for the final analysis but looks like I may have added about 20 watts to my FTP doing LV base and power-build since January.
The test wasn’t done on trainerroad but I used a free ride to record the activity.
Test was done on a computrainer. Man, that trainer was incredibly smooth for a wheel-on trainer. Wow… so smooooove.
General Build, low volume. Starting the 5th week with the scheduled ramp test, 19 watt gain . I started and completed mid volume SSB 1 and 2 prior to General build.
Love me some short sprints. The trainer didn’t want to know about the final set so, my power was all over the place 
Phoenix -3 this morning - it’s becoming a bit of a favourite and the day after my Ramp Test was a nice opportunity to try out my new FTP.
My RPE felt slightly higher than I expected. Previously a lot of this ride was under 200w, but now it is over - perhaps a mental thing that impacted my RPE. Its also amazing to think that I’m spinning around in z2 now at a power that was above my FTP a few years ago…
Monitor 6x6 sweet spot outside on a 6.5 minute hill loop, very happy as I broke my scapula and finger two weeks ago. Good to be back on the bike.
Even forgot about the broken shoulder, tried to crack my back and felt it in my shoulder -ouch!
Spanish Needle -1, as per the plan, nailed this morning. 150% probably would’ve been too much, but 140% was doable. Anyone else hear Jonathon for the encouraging workout text, and Chad for the just get on with it? 
Anyway, off plan and into “is zwift making things sloppy” territory for the weekend, with Haute Route and the start of a Spring League…
Bird +1
Stepped up from Bird-1 as usual. Definitely felt tougher than normal. Trying to decide if it’s due to:
My having gotten used to the longer warm-up from Mist etc and just not used to the pain of running straight into VO2 sets anymore.
My body has realised it’s recovery week and decided to just give up early.
I’m somehow still paying for Sunday’s outdoor spin. Front derailleur was playing up so stuck in the big ring for 4.5 hours on a rolling course. 3 days ago now though 
.
Wasn’t helped by a dropout in the second set, resistance just kept going up after my minute was up😭. I’m going to say all three and just enjoy recovery week. Ramp test this day next week😬.
Rest week but decided to give Angora a go… wow, not easy… Maybe it was the pollen in the air or only 6 hours of sleep or it is just a hard workout (my first session with IF @ 0.99). I pretty much wanted to bail after the first interval but bit the bullet and made it through. Ramp next week. Have a good one!
A 113 miles outside in Seiler Z1. Enjoyed that and suitable fatigue in legs. It was a hilly one.
Mt Hale-1. https://www.trainerroad.com/app/career/bobw/rides/103785800-mt-hale-1 Should have been Mt Hale but subbed it for this as the recovery intervals are two minutes longer, same TSS, IF, etc.
First three intervals were fine but after the first two to three minutes of the final interval my average power was slipping away and I couldn’t get it back so with a couple of minutes to go I bailed and rode out the rest of the workout in Z2. Added a few minutes so I could get the TSS up to 100 
It’s been unseasonably warm in the UK for a few days, so as it was a Z2 day I decided to make sure I could still ride an actual bike (first outdoor ride since 19th September)!
It’s definitely more tiring being outside and I’m super conditioned to being ‘in zone’ whereas outdoor terrain, road surface and the Dutch headwinds we get in Norfolk all conspire against you! Bumped into a cycling mate after 15 mins and stopped to chat. Another 15 mins later I had to strip off to get my base layer off. Then I got bored and thought “hmm KOMs - I used to like them” - so I picked up 4 of them including a 15 minute segment 
.
In conclusion I cannot ride outside! Wish me luck with my threshold intervals tomorrow
Say what?! The bikes can actually move?!
I agree. While some people talk about inside being harder because you push the pedals continuously, I’m able to do that outside.
Yesterday did 2 hours zone2 outside:
15mph wind, gusting to 22mph. Harder than it looks to hold zone2 (highlighted) in the conditions.
3+ minutes downtime from stopping for traffic lights and waiting for cars on a couple of left-hand turns.
Clean 
Must try harder! Strava said it was a 20mph wind, and I would look down when going into it and be in high tempo. I guess 5 months off the bike will do that! For the purposes of trying to stay in zone, it’s probably better to change 3s power to 5 or 7 too.
For outside workouts I often use a simple display on my Garmin 530, looks like this:
and primarily glance down at the “grey bars” in order to stay close to the target. That really helps as you change direction from a crosswind to a headwind and can see trends. Turning into a headwind I’ll let power push into low tempo and then slowly ease back into mid-upper zone2.
My arms were bare today. Would have been shorts if I’d set off later in the day. Another UK rider.
Fang Mountain +1. Not the best idea to back-to-back this with Baird yesterday - heavy legs all the way through. Also I didn’t clock that the peaks went up to 110 rather than 105 until I hit the first one. Sneaky.
Anyway, maybe some z2 tomorrow with the podcast on. All I’m hoping for from the ‘big reveal’ is some sort of change to SusPB that makes Raymond +7 magically disappear from my calendar on Friday…
Chuffin’ hell! Just looked at that - 4x8 @ 108% 
I thought that Mt Hale’s 4x9 @ 105% was bad enough.
