Heart rate monitor had a minor problem, going to 200bpm mid way through the workout. The good news is my new powrlink zero pedals registered one watt difference with my flux s which means an aligned summer between inside and outside workouts.
I’ll have to wait another week to get a deeper insight into my power output at a given heart rate compared to this time last year .
Interesting to see how my threshold workout goes Thursday …
It was a little warmer this morning but not as hot as during the week before last. It crossed my mind to do Tray Mountain -1 again, but as a 3×17’, by starting its 15’ intervals two minutes early & sticking them out until the beeps say I can stop. But I didn’t want to miss the start, so did the 3×20’ “zero” version. Soaked myself before I headed off as well as in between intervals, & took three ice blocks (one for each jersey pocket). Did the warmup ramp early, confirmed I was probably up to it, & just managed it with no interval-ending surges this time.
I definitely prefer VO2Max workouts as opose to under/overs. Last weeks workout adapted down in line with my then VO2 max PL of 1.5 which had fallen after the flu and a recovery week. After that first workout after the break it adapted up to a stretch (Sleeping Beauty +2). I was fairly confident that AI knew my actual level and after doing the workout I’m pretty sure 
Steamboat +1 today
Signed up for RAGBRAI LII (52) next July, my first one. Searched the forum for training suggestions then used Custom Plan Builder with six individual day B events (Sun-Fri) preceding the final A event (Saturday) to get it all planned out.
For now I can only do Tuesday and Saturday’s so deleted the Thursday rides after it was scheduled, seems to be ok. I’ve been underwhelming the algo lately so hope this gets me back on track and maybe a bump in FTP.
Once the route is announced and RideWithGPS publishes one, I’ll try that on the trainer plus some outdoor hills once spring returns.
Had a cracking 55km blast (as part of an 80km ride) with an elite level enduro rider today. He’s 19 (so I’m old enough to be his dad) and fairly new to gravel. I lost a couple of KOMs (just), just pipped him on another, won a couple of hill sprints, lost another and added 32w to my best 8 minute power (now 484w).
All in all, an absolutely brilliant ride. Frightening to think where my riding partner might get to in a few years though given that he’s already at 5w/kg FTP.
Recently WKO5 had been really negative with its estimates.My plan had me doing 2x15min @100%. I decided to swap it over to the classic 2x20 with 5 minutes rest but decided to forego the rest. I was doing the workout up th3 Alpe du Zwift and decided to try and might as well go for sub 50 minutes. I failed that goal by 27 seconds…
Quite satisfied tonight with this under/ over workout as they are not my thing. I could have done without the upper strap breaking on my right shoe as I went to up the cadence for the last block. But touch wood the Sidi Wire has just jumped out of its bracket and neither are actually broken.
I think you can be quite confident of that FTP, nice one 
I still want to see WKO5 give me that number but after that effort it only increased my FTP to 276W but 286W is a good number to train to
It’s been a real tough year… really since March, it’s been a steady decline in cycling performance (my FTP has dropped over 50W) Between starting new medications, toddlers still refusing to sleep, and other life events, finding any time to ride at all, even indoors, is a chore.
That’s why I’ve decided I’m going to ride 3 days per week, even if it’s only 30 minutes per day and just an endurance session.
Boarstone x 1.5
Felt pretty good so I repeated the last hour of Boarstone. Climbed the virtual Pla d’Adet at 125% elevation twice. Got the KOM, but only because no one else was dumb enough to do it at 125%.
Ochoco x 1.2
Repeated the last two 15-minutes sections to get another 3-hour ride. Followed a Grand Day Out in Training Peaks Virtual, then climbed most of the way to the top of the big climb on the eastern island.
A VO2 max session tonight (Grassy Ridge +1). In an odd sort of way I like these short VO2max intervals although my cadence during the last set wasn’t the best and I didn’t quite get the HR up, which is probably the sign of a long day 
I’ve been pondering the results of the study referred to on the latest AACC podcast which in a nutshell suggested that Z2 riding + strength training can still yield improvements in shorter duration power outputs for well-trained cyclists in their offseason. The ambient heat has presented me with extra physiological & psychological difficulties doing interval work, I’ve done strength training before but I’ve been a bit slack with it in the last month, & I quite enjoy Z2, enough that I have no qualms with letting some twenty-something hipster ride away from me on a basket bike. So I thought I could be a good candidate for finding out: do the results of this study carry to this particular middle-aged amateur? At the moment it feels a much more achievable prescription than three interval workouts per week.
Today is an almost textbook SEQ summer’s day: 30°C & muggy. But overcast. So today was a self-prescribed 1½ hours at 70% (or as it turns out, at my 3½h power PR), plus commutes. I took it to the track to avoid all the puddles on the cycleway after the recent rain, even though I might’ve had more scenic options.
Got some very “nice” Power-HR decoupling, finishing the work period 11 bpm higher than a few minutes after the start. 
Excluding commutes:
Pretty happy with that power profile. Threw power off a cliff once I pushed the lap button. I was close to my limit. Marked it hard. Plan for the four-hour rides therefore is to hit lower in Z2.
My least favourite type of work out tonight, an under/over session (Avalanche Spire -1). For some reason I opted to do it with ERG on which on the Suito stands for a Energy Reducing Grind 
I managed it but given the grind I marked it as ‘All Out’ which gave me the PL increase but triggered a struggle survey.
3 degrees C hotter in the ‘Pain Room’ tonight and it sure felt it.
I had gym fan, a blower and a pedestal fan and could have done with more. The ajar front door only let warm air and rain blow in 
Oh man, here’s an example of how everything is relative. That’s the coldest that my house ever gets all year round, and only because my wife is traveling for work. I would kill to be able to ride in that temp!
Your AC bill would be through the roof, though!
He didn’t say how that temperature would be achieved. Do I recall some pining to move to Colorado?
