Cycling Fitness / Training Advice

Lol. It nearly came back twice.

Then on the last lap it did finally come back. Not that many people were left on my wheel. That was a brutal effort in the last lap.

Spitting distance almost.

I did make that initial selection last lap selection with a big effort up Mill Street climb only to later find out that a teammate brought the bunch back over! Missed your move after that and burnt my final matches twice bridging over to people who blew up/were blowing up as soon as I reached them. Still, it was fun.

Ah got to love teammates who ride teammates down. So common.

First rule of non-professional racing is to beat your club mates.

It must be. Not much loyalty in club racing!

When I started racing there was a junior in my club who was better than me, and a very good climber, so we'd work together to set him up to contest for the win. After almost every race I'd get questions from other competitors as to why I'd helped him, and they would be incredulous when I said it was because he was better than me. In their view, I should have been using him as a foil to get my own results.

This Saturday I went out nearly a stone heavier than I was in 2012 but having ridden alot more this year with way more climbing than I have ever done before and no powermeter any more and I took a fucking minute off that time.

This seems to have required >20% higher power than the 2012 effort. This is mental.

This is called the 'hippy strategy'. :)

Ha! They don't understand the joy in helping someone else win.

Plus, then the other person will help you.

In this circumstance I think he just didn't jump properly then didn't look over his shoulder as he dragged everyone over. The rider we were working for got 2nd from the break so the main aim was achieved, just not the secondary.

Coming from a team sport background I really enjoy working as a team, particularly the tactical aspects involved, it makes racing so much more interesting than just being out for yourself.

Hmmpf!

As if I would ever ride without a powermeter.

More race reports please, they make for good reading!

Started doing more intensity on the turbo in the last few weeks (z4 - 5) as opposed to longer rides outdoors due to a lack of time juggling work and a flat move.

I know there's a lot more to it than your PMC lines, but it's kinda dispiriting seeing CTL steadily going down. Feel like i'm losing form even though i'm just actually working different systems. Anyone else find it hard not to get preoccupied with the fitness / freshness graph?

Yeah I just ignore training peaks sometimes. Easy to get hung up on numbers, that don't always tell the story.

I e mailed Joe Friel about TCL not taking account of intensity. His response was that it's an algorithm that can't possibly take account of all situations and that athletes had to stress the correct physiological system for their intended event regardless of TCL.
I took this to mean that CTL 7was essentialy meaningless. I try to ignore it now.
I'm more interested in work (kj) and intensity now

I think a lot of the Coggan / Training Peaks measures are just designed to make it easier for people to be remote coached (and for coaches to sell remote plans over Training Peaks).
It's fine as a general guide for trends and planning for a taper though.

You say tcl, do you mean ctl?

I does take account of intensity, when viewed with ride time.
I also just have IF for each ride showing on my PMC.

It's about finding a way to make the tools work for you.

One fasted ride a week to lose weight? Worthwhile or not?

I'd probably rather do it on the turbo so I don't get the knock miles from home.

If I do - what sort of percentage of FTP should I be looking to sit at for two-ish hours?

I'll pre-empt the people who know what they're on about: It would depend entirely on what else you'd use that ride for and what the rest of your week looks like. They might need a bit more info to help you out.

Solely for focusing on losing weight. It would be my Sunday ride which is currently earmarked as an easy day.

Rest of the week is VO2 max/threshold intervals with a focus on raising FTP plus a longer endurance ride on Saturday.

Why do people think doing fasted rides will be any help loosing weight! I never get it.

Stop eating dinner and just have a glass of milk instead. And cut out all wheat, grains too really. If you eat any processed sugar then that too.

And feed up for your rides and train hard.
Fasted rides are really for improving fat burning metabolism. They can be used to help loose weight, but there are better ways. Lifting heavy weights is a good one.

I was thinking about this a couple of days ago. I inadvertently did a 100k fasted on Friday morning (couldn't face brekkie for some reason) and without a doubt it just compromises training quality in terms of power production.

Are there any benefits to working when glycogen stores are very low?

Yes.

But they will depend on different people. Have a google for more info. Oh an it depends what you class as 'working'. But there are strong benefits to training low, if you do it right!

Some quarters are advocating it. Like the guys from Trainerroad who I mostly respect.

I've already cut out wheat booze but finding sugar is unavoidable when I'm training.

Definitely going in the right direction but keen to give things a nudge so I can get down to target.

I was awake between 2am and 3am solely because I was hungry :(

Sugar to train is ok. Sugar otherwise isn't. The difference in them should be obvious.

As I said cut daily calories more and cut wheat and grains. And have a small dinner.

I don't think fasted rides are that sustainable. And I don't think they're that great for normal people. There are better and nicer ways to loose weight.

Anyone here do yoga / pilates? Am looking to boost core strength and flexibility.

I used to do leg strength work partly as a means of building my core as a byproduct but am nearly always getting DOMS from it (despite having done it through winter) and its fucking my training so am probably going to bin it.

Anyway - yoga / pilates - worth it? My balance is pretty poor so it should help that too.