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• #2402
I’ve dropped everything to focus for TCR. I’m working on sustained power.
I suspect that the fairly rapid increase is that I’ve got quite a good lung capacity and I’m getting stronger.
If that makes sense or can be a thing!?It might not be for what you are after. I chose Trainer Road as I thought it best suited my training mentality.
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• #2403
You'll get to diminishing returns sooner than later. From there is a sharp incline with a lot of suffer for little gains
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• #2404
Undoubtedly, hopefully it’s above where Ive set my goal!
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• #2405
I think I've actually not increased my FTP much if not lost some 20min and shorter duration power during the last 4 months because I had to do so much volume to prepare for peaks challenge falls creek. On the flip side I got much better at long rides, fat adapted and can torque my way up steep climbs for much much longer than before, but that's what volume climbing gets you I guess. FTP in the end is how well you perform in the given test format, and that's deffo not a long ass ride or the TCR or whatever.
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• #2406
Yeah saw that ride looked good, what % did the climbs reach?
I’ve not done any high end power work, been solely focusing on sweet spot, tempo and VO2 max on the trainer.
I’ve been doing long rides and am on a series of Audaxes and having goals on those to judge my training.
Also had a long weekend in Girona with some good climbing. Having a young family doesn’t make it easy but hopefully I’m on the right track, it’s a bit of an unknown.
Anyone with any advice or comments welcome... -
• #2407
Back of Falls starts off with a 19% kicker and goes 10% avg for the following 9km. With 200k and 3000m+ vert in the legs, it's pretty relentless.
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• #2408
Do you have strength blocks in your plan, i.e. gym work and high torque/low cadence stuff?
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• #2409
Gym work but nothing leg based.
From what I’ve read high torque is what I want to be avoiding on the ride.
Likely to run 48/32, 11-34 to aid that.As Endurance Zone is a % of FTP on the Coggan scale I was thinking increasing FTP will help to absorb as much as possible aerobically.
My natural climbing style is more high cadence than high torque.
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• #2410
From what I’ve read high torque is what I want to be avoiding on the ride.
On the ride yes, but that doesn't mean it cannot be beneficial in training. So the way this worked in the plan set out for me previously is that I'd have 4 blocks let's say:
1) Base
2) Build
3) Peak (? at least I think that's what it's called ?)
4) TaperEach one of them maybe 3-4 weeks long.
So the strength and high torque work would all happen in the first block primarily, then afterwards you'd reduce the gym work to lighter stuff and start converting the acquired strength into power by introducing high cadence work, Threshold intervals etc etc. Then in the Peak phase you'd do whatever is specific to your event, i.e. sharp intervals and lots of capacity stuff. Then the taper reduces the overall load but keeps or even ups the intensity. By that time your CTL (I track that in Trainingpeaks) has dropped and you end up with Form.That's how it was explained to me anyways. This was all set out for me by my coach at the time. In hindsight I found the low cadence stuff and dead lifts in the gym really useful. It helped me to cope with fatigue during the rides I did later, because I knew what tired and sore felt like.
Hope that makes sense?
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• #2411
Climbing aside had you ridden that sort of distance much?
I think I get what you are saying. I don't think my schedule is dissimilar really. I had the cadence speed and I'm gradually building the strength.
I felt good on the climbs in Girona and the last 200km Audax I did I got round in an average of 27kmph and I wanted to be above 25. Hard to know what other metrics are pertinent -
• #2412
Nope. It was the longest and hardest ride I have ever done at that point. In the ramp up I worked up to a 200k ride with about 3000m vert.
What's relevant for your event is obviously very different to a one day climb fest. If you have massive doubts about whether your training is on point, I would suggest to speak to a coach or a self trained athlete with experience in ultra distance stuff. Then make a plan for that.
Getting coaching really worked for me. It's taken away the guess work and doubt and all I had to do is follow "the plan" ... which I also could make visible to my wife, and she knew what was on the cards when, plus she knew it was not just arbitrary selfishness that made me go slog 6 hours in the hills.
Of course if you feel you're on track then just keep on doing what you're doing.
How long till TCR?
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• #2413
Tacx Vortex on Wiggle for £179 seems to be a massive bargain? Any downsides?
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• #2414
Crap. If I order today it gets delivered in 10 days time as a bulky item whilst I'm in Spain.
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• #2415
I've just gotten a new toy: Tacx Neo 2 ... now need a cassette ... and f.. you Wahoo Kickr Snap
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• #2416
Get it delivered to me, I'll run it around in the car when you're back.
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• #2417
Thats very kind, I've asked customer services if they can delay despatch so I'll see what they say first
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• #2418
If using Trainer Road with a Tacx Vortex smart, ignore the TR recommendation to use small ring/middle of block. FFS
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• #2419
?
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• #2420
The resistance is a combo of fixed magnets and electronic braking so the faster the wheel is going the greater contribution from the fixed magnets. If you use the TR recommendation at about 250 W and a low 20km/h wheel speed the braking can't contribute enough and it just gives up. You can actually overload the electronic braking after 20 mins of it running max resistance and it will just shut down. That was fun.
In the big ring and wheel speed at >30km/h its works perfect even going from 100-400w in the same gear
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• #2421
More spendy smart trainers with more powerful electronic braking can handle really low wheel speed but the Vortex is not that.
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• #2422
Did you break it?
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• #2423
No but I 100% thought I had when the resistance just disappeared in middle of a ramp test.
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• #2424
Can imagine the hilarity when that happened
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• #2425
What's a decent budget wheel on trainer right now? Didn't get on with the Flux. Elite Direto looks good, but has been out for several years.
Trying to fit in the 3 workouts a week is tricky with my other sporting activities.
Currently bang on 4w/kg (65kg, ftp260), aiming to push up to around 4.5w/kg (64kg, ftp 288) in the next year.
I'm more a sprinty type though, 5s is around 20w/kg, 1m at 9.5w/kg, and reckon I can get these up to 22w/kg and 10.5w/kg with more specific training. Don't think trainerroad is the best for this (or a turbo trainer for that matter)