Cycling Fitness / Training Advice

BLOWJOB!

Wait, what?

My man boobs prefer to be known as Bill and Ben.

Yeah, I previously used indoor ftp test values for indoor training only and I have a good grasp on outdoor FTP from years of outdoor training/racing. So it wasn't hard to tweak either as needed. Testing indoors this year only has seen massive peak in lockdown and then steady decline before 12hr then the last one was back up again.

Missus did one yesterday and she's down 15W but I put that down to current life stress more than fitness.

I'm only a couple of days into the Trainerroad sweet spot base plan, but I presume the first few sessions should feel quite easy? Has anyone that's done this plan found your actual TSS way off to what they suggest? For example, the first two workouts suggested a TSS of 67 and 96 and I ended up with 128 and 206. Riding too hard? FTP set too low or is this all quite normal?

128 and 206 - how long were the rides?

Join the LFGSS TrainerRoad team and I can have a look at your sessions.

1:10 & 2:15. Obviously 45 mins longer than the suggested for the 2nd one so guess that might explain that one.

cool, have just joined.

So, the 70’ ride would be at an IF of 1.05 and the 135’ would be 0.96

Both very high and certain wouldn’t feel easy.

Basically, 60’ spent at threshold would give you 100 TSS at an IF of 1.0.

I’d suggest your FTP is set quite a lot lower than it really is.

Ah ok that's interesting. I did an FTP test for the first time last week and was a bit messy tbh. Feel like I should probably wait to do this properly when I get a smart trainer as seems quite difficult to plan the sessions with appropriate routes.

Did you not do these TrainerRoad sessions on a Turbo?

No, all outside...

Fair enough.

It can be tricky to find a good outdoor route to do an FTP test, as you’ve realised.

You could find a decent hill and use the 2x 8’ test though. Not sure where you’re based, but if in SE London, then something like Toys Hill from North to South or Bower Lane. Something steady with little traffic.

Yeah ended up using Regents Park inner ring which wasn’t ideal.

I’m East but yeah will see if I can find something else suitable.

you could use the road circuit at the velopark? I think it's open again.

First ramp test in awhile, ready-I guess for some specific hill climb stuff.
Up from 288<292 a very small gain.
Legs surprisingly felt heavy from my hour climbing on Thursday.
Also wondering if I’ve started to get a block with ramp tests once I’ve got past the point of a gain.

I'm a lazy fuck, who needs incentives to get properly into a training program.
I'd quite like to take next year semi-seriously.
I'd quite like someone to help with nutrition as well as targeted training for cycling, not losing body-fat or gaining muscle or other pointless (in the context of goals) targets.

Essentially- who does good coaching, and do any of them help with nutrition.
(I just want someone to tell me what to do, and when to do it, and then berate me when I don't do those things).

What's your budget?

You also need to find someone you align with. And I'd recommend thay have actually qualifications and perhaps even a Dr. before their name.

What's your budget?
Realistic given what I’m asking for.
Do you have suggestions, though I’m nowhere near your level.

In honesty I think you need to find the commitment inside yourself first. Just hiring a coach wont work. You could just get your partner or friend to monitor you. Find a goal to aim for and set milestone mid term goals also.

That said, I do understand. I dont really have any recommendations. I used to have Ric Stern coach me, but while it worked, i didnt like the style of riding. These days i coach myself and i have Jon Barker do what you're looking for, he is my oversight, and sounding board. I need the opposite though, someone telling me to ride less. https://www.palmares.co.uk/about

Unless you're paying 150 quid a month you'll likely have a cookie cut plan that's no better than something you can find online. Just dont go to one of the big coaching business, as there you are just a number.

You wont get nutrition too unless you spend more money. Buy a good nutrition book. Louise burke - clinical sports nutrition.

You could.look though here: https://www.trainingpeaks.com/training-plans/cycling/road-cycling

If you dont do much now, anything will raise the bar.

I think my initial comment isn't quite what I want to convey.

Every week, pretty much without fail, I will do 3 FTP focused sessions on the bike (i.e. ride at close to FTP as possible), with a long ride on the weekend which is usually for fun.
2 tempo runs (which are around 4min/km for at least 10k)
1-2 gym sessions.
And the occasional swim.

I don't think I need any more commitment. I just need better guidance. For which I cannot do myself. The same goes for Nutrition. I eat sensibly, but I know that I could do better.

Accountability is useful. And I feel I've hit a plateau, where I will ride/run pretty comfortably, but doubt I could move to the next rung without some input.

ah ok. I completely miss understood, forgive me. You do a lot, perhaps too much hard (?). Far from lazy.

Tbh if you want to go up, from where you are, you'll need decent coaching. Or give up 1 of your hard workouts and put in more hours at a steady pace. You're doing to much middle to hard work. Workout what you want to improve, or what you want to be good for, and train for that. You do too much of a mix and it will be holding you back. Or just be happy with being fit an health and enjoying what you do. It's a fine line to becoming too much.

In honesty, the top nutrition people will say, if you're eating sensibly and a normal person, that's enough. It isn't going to make the difference.

My main point: workout what your goal is, or what you want to improve, then work your training to that specific thing. And perhaps then find the right coach for that.

My main point: workout what your goal is, or what you want to improve, then work your training to that specific thing. And perhaps then find the right coach for that.

Very fair, and indicative of more than just my riding/ training.

Every week, pretty much without fail, I will do 3 FTP focused sessions on the bike (i.e. ride at close to FTP as possible),

How much time are you accruing per session? I'm doing, twice a week, 4x10min at a bit over threshold and it floors me.
Maybe increase intensity to over ftp and dial back time. Ie. Make it count. Hard hard, easy easy.

3 threshold sessions a week on top of 5 other fitness sessions including a long ride is either super impressive suffering or maybe your zones aren't quite right.

That said, if it's just maintaining what you have, don't stop. If you want to get faster then as @skinny says you likely need to spend some time riding harder and the rest riding easy.

https://willgirling.com/pro-coaching/ no personal recommendation but remember he used to do nutrition for One Pro