Cycling Fitness / Training Advice

It was late May, 1974...

To be honest, I rarely do nowadays. My FTP stays close to 300-320 and I can tell where I should set it based on HR and feel on longer threshold efforts. I’ll test if I’ve been off the bike for a bit, or at the end of a decent block of training.

On a 'good' turbo session I can be relatively comfortable at 95% MHR for 30 mins, with enough in the tank to go full-on at the death. On other occasions my legs feel completely fucked and it's a struggle to maintain 90% MHR.

Am assuming the leg issue is lactate related, but any obvious reasons for the inconsistency?

Avg 316 TSS a week for Jan although I've spent the month ramping up so the last 7 days has been 410 TSS. This is a mix of swimming, cycling and running. All goes out of the window in Feb as I've got a ski trip and half term to disrupt the routine.

Will be aiming for a CTL of at least 80, ideally 100, so still a fair way to go (I got to 77 back in June 2016 before a chest infection got the better of me).

Long term project is to drag FTP up from 220W to 280W-ish if I can, whilst getting weight down towards 70kg. I'm not sure the two will meet but I'll enjoy trying...

Turns out I had my Rotor PM controlling the Kickr during my last ramp test - according to my nerdy calcs it's actually a ~4% increase FTP. Hoorah.

Huh? You had PowerMatch disabled for one test and then enabled for the next?

Kind of. All my past ramp tests have been with the kickr only. I was reading about powermatch and found out you can tell the kickr to ignore its own sensor and use an ANT+ PM for control in Erg mode. I changed the setting (using my Rotor PM as a ref) then forgot. I’ve been doing workouts with powermatch on, and getting some big spikes and trouble with it settling into intervals - probably due to interfering feedback loops.

Turned powermatch off for the ramp test but the Rotor PM was still controlling the kickr. There Rotors read lower than the Kickr so my result was the same as my last test, actually I put out ~4% more power.

Since then I’ve told the kickr to take its own sensor as reference and kept powermatch on. Jobs a goodun.

In case anyone is interested in cycling for research that can help you with your training and nutrition Sound Bank University is running a research that is especially suited for endurance.

Here's the write up, and I attach some documents with more details and emails to contact them about it.

Want to help us test nutrition products for endurance?
At the Sport and Exercise Science Research Centre, we are conducting a study to test 3 different nutrition products and their effects on cycling performance and digestive comfort.
We need experienced cyclists to help us.
The study will involve performing 3 trials, in which you will consume different nutrition products before and during a 2-hour cycling test.
We’ll also test your VO2max and Anaerobic Threshold and Gut microbiota prior to commencing the experimental trials. Following completion of the experiments we will provide testing feedback and training advice
Each trial will last ~4 hours and will be performed ~7 days apart.
INTERESTED IN FINDING OUT MORE?
Please contact:
Dr. Lisa Zaidell
Zaidell2@lsbu.ac.uk
020 7815 7914

Sounds interesting, is it open to men and women?

Ramp tonight, FTP +20W, I'll take that.

Boom! I was happy with 5 🙃

Yeah, it was pretty decent bump. That's +30W since Jan.

Problem I see is - training on turbo makes me faster on turbo - will this actually translate to races, especially races that are 12hrs long and in 6 months time?

Also, I seem to hit these numbers when everyone around me is sick and I'm burning both ends at work and so I will definitely catch a cold or something and struggle to hit sessions.

Do we not get to be envious at the magic number?

No

yada yada have to kill you yada

Yeah, I’m a huge believer in interval training but I’m not sure how well it translates to ultra endurance stuff. It’s all building an engine I guess. I’m lucky my events are all between 2 and 15 mins.

That'd be nice :)

I wonder what would happen if I purely focused on 10mi TTs?

I wonder what would happen if I purely focused on 10mi TTs?

You'd burn fewer calories and get fatter

hth

get fatter

Not possible unless Einstein's little known theory of Quantum Fatness is proven correct.

What Howard said. You'd grow TTs.

my events are all between 2 and 15 mins.

That'd be nice :)

@hippy riding a season of hill climbs... now that is something I’d sponsor!

I’d super domestique for you.

Why are people so secretive about it...!?

Where's @andyp to remind everyone of my 5 year run as Club Hill Climb Champ?

I am secretive about everything. Information is power. In this case quite literally.

The further away we get from it, the longer the reign.