Workouts you nearly fail are the most important

Do take note if the advice above that shortening the workout might be better than reducing intensity. But then you need to repeat and repeat until you make the full duration so you need to decide whether keeping the intensity and working up in duration is achievable.

I have been thinking about this post which raises an important point of having an accurate FTP estimate to get the intended benefit from U/O workouts.

I took note earlier of my Strava feed where I am following some of the TR tean such as Nate and Jonathan. I noticed Nate, for example, currently has an FTP somewhere between 320 and 340 and averages 240W on recent rides. I have my FTP at 290 but average also around 220-240W on recent rides (the type of ride is similar). I then noticed that Nate’s workout follow the prescribed target power with surgical accurancy while my yellow line looks like a ECG at a cardio visit. More importantly, I treat my target power as the floor so my actual power oscillations are above target power. I think this has to do with smart vs dumb trainers or this ERG thing I don’t know much about. I would be quite impressed with anyone’s ability to control cadence tobthis level of precision without the aid of some smart gadget. But I digress. My point is that clearly my FTP setting doesn’t reflect my effective FTP which must have some impact on the actual benefit of U/O workouts. Any thoughts on this or recommendations? Thanks!

@LarrytheStanimal

Different trainers report power differently to the TR app. For example, Wahoo Kickrs are notorious for reporting ridiculously smooth power.

It looks like @Nate_Pearson has been using the Cycleops Hammer recently.

I use the Tacx Neo 1 and it’s also EKG-ish.

I don’t think any meaningful insight can be taken from someone else’s outdoor ride. I understand Nate does a lot of group rides and his outdoor power is dictated by group pace and his efficiency, the latter of which has clearly improved recently with his success in races this past year.

on a smaller note as well, it’s the last rep, the one that you really think you can’t complete, that provides the most adaptation! the hard workouts SUCK, but make us faster. Worth it!

Brendan

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H+ is a bitch too.

What do you mean by this?

I’m interested in learning about the science behind this - can anyone explain it (in simpleton speak please :grin: ) ?

Thanks

As you dig deep doing your intervals, H+ ions accumulate and destroy proteins, muscle tissue and those needed for the immune system. This is what’s called non functional overreaching, I suppose. This also happens during a hard race, and why you normally need a recovery drink afterwards. Etc etc

it’s like the last rep in weight lifting, really hard, but max benefit. Cycling is all about breaking everything down, and then resting, and the body supercompensates and you come back stronger. That’s why you can read about progressive overloads in training.

So that said, when you’re on the last rep and mentally you want to quit, your body can physically do it, and while i need someone else to chime in to tell you specific physiological science, it’s this last rep, when you’re tired, but force your body to complete it, that when you rest, you adapt and come back stronger from it.

if we got better from just the first 1,2,3 intervals, this sport would be so easy!

brendan

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Wasn’t it Muhammid Ali who said something like “I don’t start counting reps until they start hurting as they are the only ones that count” (don’t tell me if I’m wrong, I like to believe it’s true :wink:)

As well as the physical benefit I also believe there is a huge mental benefit of suffering during training. I liken it to a bank; If you make enough suffering deposits during training then when you want to make a withdrawl during racing / group rides it’s easier if you have a big suffering balance.

Again, don’t shatter my illusions if I’m wrong, it’s what keeps me going (Spencer +2 tomorrow morning :grimacing:)

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100% agree about the mental side! Cry in the dojo, laugh on the battlefield. Athletes that think they’ll magically turn on efforts that they’ve NEVER done before on race day are usually disappointed.

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