aaronmcd

1:54 with 3x~16ish at threshold on the cycle track (embarrassingly slow), finishing with a sprint. Got 166 TSS out of it. Still felt pretty good despite the -54 TSB.
Thinking maybe finish out the week as deep as I can and take it easy next week, then look for a few extra watts.

TheKillerPenguin

CTL is like 35 lol

First sort of workout in i think 3 or 4 weeks. Sprints - max power is almost exactly the same at 1195, but 10 second is UP to about 1100, from previous PB of 1065.

Will ramp up training at a pace that makes sense.

TMonk

Did a group ride today in Zwift - which was pretty fun. I'd like to try a race sometime soon!

The group ride was interesting, and kind of like a race in a way. A front group established pretty quickly and it took until they were 30s up the road before I realized they weren't coming back. I averaged like 3.3 w/kg in group 2 lol, doing a lot of pulling. You have to pay a lot of attention in zwift to not let gaps open up and things slip away, in a different sort of way than in real life.

furiousferret

Zwift Race (B's). Got in the first selection group early, and we whittled it down from 15 to 4. One guy got away holding 5 w/kg for the last 10 minutes. We all came in together at the line and I got 3rd....but all the B's got DQ'ed cus it said we were racing C's.

I had more watts in me but not enough to break out =\ I might jump into the A's cus the B's aren't pushing me enough. I think I can push 10-15 watts more; if I'm in a faster group. My results will be worse but its just Zwift.

Hermes

Tuesday - Pacific Beach to Swamis ride. Warmup, accelerations, 1’, 2x3’ and over under on Torrey Pines climb. My 3 minute efforts are more like pursuit efforts 140% and hence I am gassed after the effort. It takes about 20 minutes to recover. At the track, we sit down and recover. On the road, I dial back the power to z2 for awhile.

TMonk

3' at 140% . I mean it's doable on paper, certainly in a race-level effort, but in training! Good grief! I usually hit these at like ~125%, but in those workouts I'm typically looking to spend ~15' in zone.

Hermes

TMonk My FTP is crap right now so 140% of crap is crap. One or two pursuit style efforts is a lot.

procrit

Went out for some FTP work today without any breakfast or coffee, and it was awful. One interval in and I was mentally done. Wattage was slightly off as well, I just didn't have "it" today. Just one more ride scheduled before I take a rest week.

TMonk

^
same here

I tried my first workout on Zwift today, 4x5'x5' alternating 97% and 90% at FTP - the 60 min SST one, whatever it was called. I pulled the plug at the start of the last set. My HR was reasonably below LTHR, slowly climbed to ~5 bpm below by the end. ERG mode on. Not sure what the deal was, but it was difficult to keep going compared to outdoors. Somehow I have an easier time keeping similar power just free riding up the epic KOM.

Maybe try without ERG mode on? I think when I do this stuff outdoor (Fiesta) my power probably fluctuates more, and when the cadence bogs down in ERG it really sucks. Also - I def need more/better cooling. I think my HR was likely inflated due to overheating. I have a big lasko floor fan pointed up (with remote control), but I feel like I need a separate small, powerful one at head level pointed at my head, and maybe even one from the side.

Long term I'd like to be able to rely on indoor training for sub-threshold type work because it's safe and efficient. I will continue to explore my options. I don't have a secondary way to measure power to test the trainer as my only meter is in my training wheel (powertap) - but maybe I'll borrow one from a friend at some point.

TMonk

When I hear stories of gsteinb and the like doing 3x20' at 100% indoors - how do I reach this level of indoor masochism? I'm sure years of practice doesn't hurt... The thought of doing that (or even 1x20 at 100% indoors) is truly sickening. gsteinb do you have any pro tips for staying motivated indoors, outside of just sticking to it? Have you always primarily trained indoors as a racer? If not, do you recall what it was like getting started, or have any pro tips? Same goes for the rest of you who are used to this stuff.

I will continue to rely on outdoors for long rides and group/race stuff, but I would like to ride at least 50% (or more) indoors in the long term. I could also try a different interface - maybe trainerroad?

procrit

Its easier in general for me to do intervals, indoors or out, when I have an actual race to prep for. All about the mental state.

TMonk

Yeah - that def helps. Even outdoors, it's been hard to find the motivation for the weekday training sessions before work lately. CTL a bit down as well at like ~75, usually 90 ish around now with lots of racing. The long rides on the weekend have been something to look forward to though - I've been enjoying those. Thinking about going for ~125 mi. on Memorial Day.

topflightpro

I do almost all my training indoors. I have gone back and forth between trainer, rollers and now a smart trainer. On the weekends, I do ride outside, unless my plan calls for something that would be better accomplished inside.

For me, I focus on just doing my intervals. Just riding inside doesn't work. I cannot maintain effort. But if I have a target wattage, cadence, gearing, or time, I focus on that.

I also watch TV. I don't Zwift. Some people give me crap for the amount of TV I watch, but honestly, 90 percent of it happens when I'm on the bike. I just run through TV shows or movies. I generally like stuff with action or intense drama. It helps keep me entertained and engaged in the show, and not my discomfort. Comedies and live sports are miserable to watch on the bike.

The one issue I have with riding indoors only is I have developed some bad habits, most notably, I look down when I go hard. This is because I end up watching my computer so much on the trainer, my head naturally drops when it's time to do an effort. It's something I've been working on a lot lately.

gsteinb

That's mirrors my experience. I ride outside so rarely we can call it 'never.' Only for races, or when I'm somewhere where I can train on a mountain. I watch tons of TV shows that I download to my computer and I listen with ear buds which helps modulate the volume. I do lots of structure, and like the ride feel of the emotion rollers. I've been doing this so long that the difference between my inside and outside numbers is very small. I've mulled zwift, but I find that the small inner voice cries out in stress over the learning curve or riding technique, tech, etc. What I do works for me, and my potential tech issues are really only related to my SRM or powercontroller crapping out.

hubcyclist

Chiming is as a mostly indoor person. I used to kind of feel silly working out indoors when the weather is so nice, but I was never very good at executing structured workouts outside, so when I got the Hammer and really devoted myself to trainerroad, I got an immense amount of satisfaction of completing workouts indoors. Unless I have some sort of 4-5hr ride planned, I actually don't have a ton of motivation to go outside when I can do something way more structured inside and listen to whatever on the headphones, watch soccer (when it was on lol).

These days, since I take the lead in the morning with homeschooling, I try to get my stuff done by 9am, before all this, I'd get in a late morning ride (I work from home full time), but I've gotten pretty good at shaking off the cobwebs after my coffee and knock out the workouts before getting on with the rest of life (I did 3x20 @ 90% twice this week just after my first latte).

I still love just riding, but I also love the process of training, even if I'm not training for anything in particular other than self improvement.

furiousferret

I've said this earlier, but I'm not 'optimal' fully indoors but close. I can do most things, granted 8% worse but power wise its the same on the road. There are little nuances in training you get outside, especially riding with others, and my tolerance for pain goes up outside. Of course that small difference I get is really big in a race. I'm still scheduled to do BWR in November, and there's no way I can just go from trainer to that. At some point I'm going to have to start riding in the dirt, as those skills are atrocious.

topflightpro I watch a ton of TV on Trainerroad as well. I'm actually amazed how many series I've been through. Has to be roughly 30-40 since last fall.

TMonk

Hmm, maybe some TR + TV could be good for actual workouts. Zwift seems fun and I'll stay subscribed for the social aspect or JRA - I can still get a "kick" (pun intended) out of going for the odd KOM or free riding, but I might want to try a different app/interface for actual training

Thanks for the pro tips all! Still learning here. So @furiousferret do you literally go for the same targets scaled down a bit? Like say, 2x20 at 90% instead of closer to 100 outside up a climb? (or fiesta for me).

gsteinb

I chase my outdoor numbers on the trainer. My variance is usually about 3% from what I can do outside. Plus you have the never coast aspect of it too.

furiousferret

Outdoors I do 'geo' intervals. We really don't have any flat routes outside of the bike trail over a 10 minute interval, most of my outdoor intervals from point a to b. I've been doing those same routes for years now so I know what it translates to indoors, but I really don't compare the two. If I'm training for something and need structure, I do that indoors now.

TR is better for structured training than Zwift, but Zwift racing is funner.

UmneyDurak

Had couple of sets of 3m 90-93% FTP with 15s 400-510w accelerations, repeated for 15m. Started to fail on sprints half way through first set. For second set just gave up all together in second and reduced power by 10%. Was doing it in erg mode. Mentally I was just done. It's been a very stressful week, and stress level is still quite high. Also haven't been sleeping well for last two days.

furiousferret

Just did the iconic ATX Driveway Race....on Zwift. It was pancake flat and fast. Stayed in the front group, tried to get away but no dice. Ended up in the back of the 1st pack. Oh, and I went about 10 watts over FTP for close to 40 minutes so I'm going to have to up that. I really don't want harder intervals though

aaronmcd

10 watts over your 8% worse indoor power?

big john

Stress makes for sleep troubles, so does overtraining.

UmneyDurak

Oh yeah it's definitely stress.

big john

Being a poor stress manager myself, I feel for you.