kindablue

On a side note, i did threshold intervals (3x15') up UTE pass yesterday and found that it's true that it is easier to hold threshold on a climb than on a flat or downhill. Why is this? I figure I should work on threshold out in the wind more often.

plantrob

Both of my 20-min CP tests I made sure to go into a headwind. I find it much easier to hold an effort that way. Of course, the country roads I travel on wind around and roll about, so it's still hard for me to keep it steady - but the headwind definitely helps.

BTW, is that 196 max cadence real? I don't think I've ever exceeded 150...

graphs

My planned 2 hours of z2 last night got derailed by some niggling knee discomfort. So I spent an hour and a half tweaking my left cleat position trying to find a comfortable spot. With a big weekend of training ahead and a big race next weekend I am effed if I don't get this sorted TONIGHT.

shovelhd

This is my favorite workout. An hour of tempo with 10" flat out sprints every 3', dropping right back into tempo. There's another variant where you do 20" flat out sprints every 5'. If your power doesn't start dropping and you want to quit at the 50' point, you're doing them wrong. The key is to stay at tempo immediately after the sprint. That's the hardest part, and what separates it from a true sprint workout.

I do these on the trainer and on the road. It's obviously easier on the trainer. I like to use a flat section of road, but pretty much every road around here is not really flat, so you have to work to maintain tempo. I don't think you did it right. The object of maintaining tempo is to vary speed to stay in the tempo range. You might be climbing a 3% grade at 12mph, and going down the other side at 28mph. That's the way it goes.

jwible

I did a Shovel endorsed pre race ride. One hour easy z1/2 with two nice short efforts thrown in.

1:08, 61TSS, .74IF.

My last burst was at the end of the flat section between two hills. Normally I use the descent to build up some speed there to around 30 and then sprint from the middle to as far as I can hold it up the hill. Today I just went from one telephone pole to the next and shut it off.

New PR 5 seconds and peak power. I guess that's good??? eek.

First time over 1350 this year.

rkwaki

NICE. Training is paying off.

jwible

It is. I also notice that I have a rise at my 35 second mark to around 850 watts. Hmmm. I'm starting to get a little front end heavy on the e-wang. Dick Lane Velodrome isn't very far from here.....

rkwaki

My, oh my, you have a big e-wang........

Bwahahaha

Fat Boy

I do a similar workout on rollers. The 'sprint' is a little muted, because it's on rollers, but it's the same idea. 10" every 2'. The first 15-20 minutes is no big deal. The last 10 suck. Sometimes I struggle just to stay on the rollers.

shovelhd

I know I did it right if in the last ten minutes I'm struggling to maintain tempo.

miwoodar

I rode. It's a nice spring day and I would have been happy to turn my 2 hour spin into a 5 hour spin.

badhat

i cant bring myself to do neuro stuff like that by myself so i just downshift whenever i hit the back of the echelon on the wednesday night hammerfest and spin to the front at an uncomfortably high cadence .

Fat Boy

+1. It seems strange, but the sprint isn't the problem. It's (at least) the first 30 seconds of tempo after each sprint that is really tough. By the time 2' rolls around I can go again.

mollusk

Got dropped last night in the local Thursday hammerfest by making mistakes that I shouldn't have made. When the attack that looked big came I was asleep at the switch. And then ate way too much off of my own plate instead of eating off of everyone else's plate. I do know better, but just wasn't thinking. Doh!

It was one hell of a one minute interval, though. I need to save them for the end of the ride, though.

shovelhd

You're doing it right.

mollusk

What kills me is that a couple of years ago I could have pulled this off without a problem.

This getting old (Racing age = 58) sucks.

climber7

first of all, on your tempo workout, i think you need to stay in the tempo range when you're not sprinting as opposed to keeping the overall AP in that range. i don't think you ever want to be "well below 100." just keep it steady except for the sprints. rolling hills are probably good terrain for that workout, though.

second, on the uphill thing, i think it's partly because there's more force opposing your motion when you're riding uphill (gravity in addition to wind+rolling resistance). that means you decelerate a lot faster when you stop pedaling and even in the dead spots of each pedal stroke, so your momentum doesn't carry you as far and you really have to keep pushing in order to keep moving. another way to think about it is that when you're riding downhill, you sort of have to "chase" the resistance because you're constantly accelerating. i don't know if i explained that very well, and there's probably a more scientific explanation, but that's my perception. i think there's also some data showing that having the bike on an incline puts you in a more efficient position relative to the crank/BB in terms of generating power through a greater portion of the pedal stroke, but i don't know where i saw that.

a lot of people do seem to prefer headwinds for tests/intervals, and i guess it's true that it's easier to maintain power output, but personally, i just get really frustrated in a headwind. i can't get into a rhythm and i feel like i'm working hard and going nowhere. it's much more motivating for me to feel like my effort is actually accomplishing something and making me go fast.

shovelhd

I'm only three years behind ya, brotha.

notwist

Yesterday: 60' z2
Today: 60' w/ 10' subthreshold

Last 2 weeks were a very enjoyable taper. Legs are feeling good.. Tomorrow I get battenkilled

heppm01

1:45 unstructured Z3/Z4

Work sucked all week and blew all my training plans to pieces. This evening I had to just get out and ride. Worked the legs over pretty well which probably wasn't the smartest thing to do before an event tomorrow but it's a low priority training race so no great loss.

bostongarden

A delightful easy 101 minutes with some bursts on climbs here and there. I am officially up a rung; two more to go.

jwible

So I've been told....

yeahhhh.

state crit champs tomorrow.

rkwaki

Good luck, have fun race safe.
Amped up for the mornings ride with two very good friends. Ton of climbing over the three hours or so.

mattm

10 hours this week so far, 5-ish hours tomorrow, 2.5 hour race on sunday.

Stage race next week, upgrade to 2's after that. This is the plan!

kindablue

I don't have a cadence sensor, so my PT estimates cadence. In general it helps, but there are anomalies.