Since I regard this as the "performance branch" of the 50+, I'm posting here even though I don't race. (I do plan on riding up some mountains in Italy next July though.)

After a good season outdoors, my chums and I have started back training indoors in the Velo Garage and I'm using my power meter again. The social aspects of these sessions are in a thread over in the normal 50+, but I thought I'd share the more performance oriented stuff over here.

My first ride with the powermeter last Thursday night kind of surprised me. Riding intervals of 15, 10 and 5 minutes at 70% effort (3 minutes recovery between), I blew away last year's power records by about 40 watts evenly between the 5 minute and 30 minute periods. These aren't great numbers for you racers, but shoot, I feel pretty good about it. Normalized power was 180w.


New 2013 Billydonn: stronger engine and improved aerodynamics.

Weight is no longer 218 as shown in the graphic... it's in the 206-8 range.

Anyone else who wants to post some indoor pictures, numbers ... I'd be interested. And I will update my numbers here from time to time too.

I'm still the newbiest newbie here, but that's a great improvement - and that training setup seems like a great way to while away some cold winter days.

Nice, b. Way to go after it.

We discovered https://thesufferfest.com last week. Our LBS's resident wrench and repeat Kona Ironman triathlete hosts a weekly spin class at the LBS. Last year and this year (since the Thurs. after Thanksgiving) we did CTS videos. Last week we entered Sufferlandria. OMG. The music, the video, the workout = a new version of hurt. And c_gallagh paid for all of them (nice discount there) so we can do them whenever. As the next couple of days register "rain" we'll try them...if I don't report back it's because I died trying to improve my fitness.

RR, I love the title of the video series!

I'm doing "Ex's X's" right now. The X-Factor, X-Out, whatever you want to call them. So far ALL of the sessions have been on my Look mounted on the Blackburn, starting at 0530, in my 50 degree garage (surrounded by "stuff" - not nearly so nice as your room, Billy), and the suffering/sweating/panting has been sustained and painful. But it is OH SO GOOD for me! I'll try to get a photo.

Great improvement BD! I followed your thread last year. Your group has a nice setup now that the loft has two refrigerators. One for sports drinks and one for brews?... both for brews?

Ill try to post a screen shot of tonight's indoor trainer class PT files if I can remember how it's done.

I will also post a picture of my own chamber of pain and suffering.

Nice results. Nice cave. All the essentials (coffee).

Thanks AJ. The PM sure comes in handy if you actually want to measure improvement (or lack thereof). Of course it is easier to improve something that is so low to begin with, eh? Second frig in the loft is a freezer filled with meat of various sorts, including venison, mostly from a ranch in Montana. Occasionally some nice jerky is brought out. Post your pics/PM info when time allows. I look forward to it. And Sara and others too.

No pain cave is too humble, I say.

Did someone mention "cave"???

Seca 550? My first m/c was a 650 Seca. Loved it.

Not your typical chick garage Sara...

Yeup. It's not mine, it belongs to a girlfriend (seriously). It's an '81, I think.

Nope. There are lots of "guy influences" (and left over crap) in there! I have to admit, a lot of the "stuff" IS mine, though. I leave the girly stuff in the house!

Sa-weet!

I look forward to seeing this in person. It's so rich with stuff and stories!

Oh, me too! There are stories galore!

As promised BD here is a snapshot of last nights trainer class.



I’ll attempt to describe the different drills/intervals we did last night. The first 6 minutes was me just soft pedaling to adapt to the trainer.
Our first drill was a single leg float in the 39/17, where we have both legs clipped in but concentrate on using only one side at a time for 1’ @ 80-90 rpm then pedal with both legs @ 100+ rpm for 30 seconds x 2 rotations.

At 20’ we started the isolated leg drills in the 39/19 and increase cadence by 5 rpm every 15”, beginning at 60 and topping out at 85 rpm, then use both legs for 30” at 100+ rpm x 2 complete rotations.

At 32’ we did a steady state HC drill in the 39/23 that took the A group from 110 rpm/ 1’, 115 rpm/ 1 minute, 120rpm/ 1’, 125 rpm/ 7’, then back down to 120 rpm/1’, 115 rpm/1’

At 47’ we did a HC pyramid in the 39/25 beginning @ 115 rpm and every minute going up 5 rpm until we reached 135 rpm for 1’ then worked back down dropping 5 rpm every minute.

At 60’ we did a devious drill called the flip/flop. It uses an OG with high force right to HC with little resistance. The A group would start out in the 53/12 at 60 rpm for 30”, to 65 rpm for 15”, to 70 rpm for 15” then right to the 39/25 @ 135 rpm for 1’, then repeat the drill 3 more times for 4 rotations. (this drill is a killer)

At 75’ we did an overgear in the 53/12. We were supposed to do the first 5 minutes at a constant 60 rpm then the A group did a cadence build to 65 rpm for 15” to 70 rpm for 15” then back to the 60 rpm. I started to blow up during the drill and had to drop to the small chain ring for a little bit to recover. Around 80’ I began to get a cramp in my left calve and stopped the drill for a minute or so then rejoined the suffering.

At 88’ we started a drill called a tempo/lactate ladder. In it we put the bike in the 53/23 and ride the first 55” at 100 rpm and then 5” at 120 rpm. Every minute 5” are taken from the 100 rpm side and added to the 120 rpm side until we reach 10” @ 100 and 50” at 120 rpm. Eventually we go all the way to 0” at 100 and 60” at 120 rpm then even work back up. I failed the drill yesterday, due to cramping in both calves even though I usually nail it and even will go faster than 120 rpm at the end. I drank both Gatorade bottles before the drill and even got two more after the drill and chugged one. Looking at the recoveries between tasks I don’t see much recovery time there.

The last drill was a sprint drill where we were to choose a gear that we could push @ 120 rpm for 30”. I was helping my wife with her gear choice and didn’t hear that the recovery was 3/1 meaning a new interval every 1:30’. I rode the first one in the 53/15 and nailed it then went to recovery mode and before I knew it we were on for another interval! Yikes!!! I pulled a gear for the 2nd interval then pulled another gear for intervals #3-6. I started cramping on #6 and took #7 off for recovery. On the last interval I decided to leave nothing on the table and put the bike back into the 53/15.

We do some of the same drills every session and others are rotated into the sessions additionally, the time, rpm and intensity of the drills increases as the 3 month program progresses.

Beat me to it. The 550 was a nice little bike. I raced one in a 6 hour and got in a Yamaha ad back in the day.

Some Motard before there was Motard shots of Ex.

My pain cave is my living room.

A little knee dragging, I see! I tried that on Hamilton - it didn't work.

I did have an SR500 for a while (I inherited it). THAT was a FUN bike! Those Motards around now look like unabashed fun, but not for me. I know I'm crazy, but some odd reason I've always wanted a CBX. Yes. Me. A very petite woman on a CBX.

Sorry, Billy - not meant to hijack - back to your topic....

AJ, your graph is really nice. It shows a very consistent, very smooth rider. Nice, nice work!

By comparison, here's one of mine, recently done (on the Look as you see it in the above photo). You can see the warmup, then a series of short intervals to a target value, followed by longer intervals to a higher target value. I have trouble with smoothness, maintaining a solid sustained effort. The power doesn't vary much, but you can see that I overshoot on the start and then you can see me tire. I need to work more on hitting a level and staying there, no matter what I feel. It's getting there.

Sara, this is a steady Z2 rollers ride. Not sure why cadence was turned off. It appears that I needed to clean out the pipes at the end.

You had a nice kick at the end, there, AJ!

You're doing quite well, Sara. Consistency comes with time.

Last night's session was three 10-minute intervals @ 70% after a somewhat extended warmup routine.

Power numbers again confirmed near competence, or at least a very big change since last year: 170, 176 and 183 watts average without too much trouble for the three intervals. Inspired by AJ's flat line riding, I worked on trying to stay steady around 170 watts to start. (Power Agent is cutting off the last few minutes of the ride for some reason... anyone with insight into that, please post! I don't get it.)

We really need to get a fan or two for the garage... it is warmer than it was last year. I really like my new KK Rock n Roll trainer a lot!


And finally: last night's fashions, by Campagnolo and Hincapie. Accessorized by Swiftwick and Sidi.

Sunday morning we go again but may not have the espresso machine available. More pics and clever social banter are in the main 50+ thread.

I can only identify three objects in there! My theory of the "female tidiness gene" is forever blown up.

Ha!

This is my garage. My bedroom and kitchen is where my tidiness gene kicks in!