Weight program: Explosive Power Week 4 out of 6

Monday: Off
Tuesday: Off (Christmas)
Wednesday:  Weights
Thursday: 78min Z2 ride, 227W Avg, 227W xPower
Friday: 79min Z3 ride, 242W Avg, 242W xPower
Saturday: Weights
Sunday: 2h!!!! Indoor Trainer ride Z2

Total Bikescore: 200
Total Training Time: 4:40 bike +2.5h weights

Weekly Notes

The two free days did wonders towards my recovery and I started the week very fresh. I managed to avoid the typical overeating during the Christmas dinner, so I count that a success. I ate a solid breakfast and I just nibbled on some fruit the rest of the day so I wasnt starving. When dinner came I had quite some space left for all the food.

I have a couple of friends visiting me for the holidays and I am doing a lot of tourist stuff with them (staying on my feet for 2-3 hours every day), so my Friday Z3 ride was a ~4-5W lower than my goal, it felt like general fatigue. Therefore I kept my total training time and intensity lower so I didn’t not overreach, especially given the fact that I am starting to train for the 2013 season “in earnest” in January. Strangely enough for all the years I have been involved in competitive sports, this is the first winter break that I didn’t take off from training, requiring me to take it easy for 10-14 days before I can get back into my regular workout regime in the beginning of January. Needless to say I am excited to see how season would develop.

I also broke my personal record for a ride on the Indoor Trainer, I managed a total of 2h uninterrupted doing Z2 (based on HR and Perceived Effort). Overall it has been a very nice week on the bike and at the gym. I changed my diet slightly (and I do mean slightly) to rely more on fat for energy rather than carbohydrates (taking VERY diluted sugary drinks during my workouts instead of the really sweet ones as one). This is based on a recent post by Joe Friel that got me searching the available literature. I can obviously see results, of course I am training a full hour less than last week, so I will record my experiences in the future.

Additionally I will post a complete recap of my “Off-season” soon.

You can find explanations of the terms here together with explanations of the Training Zones.

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The post Weekly Summary Dec 24 – Dec 31, 2012: Fat Beats Carbohydrates by a Country Mile appeared first on The Tall Cyclist.

The beauty of training with a power meter is that it forces you to keep a detailed training diary. The more data you have, the better. So at the end of season it is good to look back into the mountain of numbers and see what worked and what didn’t.

Below is the Golden Cheetah Performance Manager Chart following my 2012 cycling season. More detailed information on the terms can be found here. In general the chart describes the following: fatigue (pink), freshness (yellow), and overall fitness (blue), in addition the light pink bars represent how hard I worked each day.

The second image is a grayscale version of the first showing the periodization. The bulk of the training was Base training (green), followed by a Build phase (Yellow), finished off with a final Maintenance and Taper (red) for peak condition around the Bulgarian National Time Trial Championships. The last part represents rebuilding my base fitness (green) and taper again (red). For more information on training periodization click here:

If you just consider the Performance Manager it looks like the perfectly scheduled season. Fitness went high while at the end I traded some fitness in order to get high freshness. However, there is more than meets the eye. Below you can see the relationship between my season fitness (blue) together with what Golden Cheetah calls Aerobic Power (5,10,20,30,60min peak power).  Addtionally you can see that my Functional Threshold Power changed from 325W to 350W mid season and all the training zones shifted accordingly. You can see that the overall trend for the Aerobic Power peaks is going down weeks before I was supposed to be peaking while fitness remains high…***

Hmmm…Why is that?? During the Build period intensity went high as expected, combined with a race or more every week required me to take more rest days, therefore the time spent riding was lower as shown in this next graph. What happens when you take days off and train less? That’s correct, you lose some of your condition. This is sometimes wrongly attributed as “peaking too early.” As described in my engine analogy here, you simply lose volume so as that happens you have to work harder to obtain the same power, until you need to work way past the redline.

On the positive side you can see that the last part of the season although I had lower fitness, my Aerobic Power was close to the levels at the end of the previous period. Base training paid off.

Next season, my racing calendar would look similar, so couple of things I would pay attention to:

1. Maintain my Aerobic Fitness once intensity becomes high; 1x2h at low intensity weekly should be sufficient, maybe even replace a higher intensity training.

2. Specificity; my priority goal was a TT, so I should train towards than one event, including practice time trials instead of focusing on fitness alone.

***Right at this time I switched from a Powertap to an SRM power meter. I found it strange that numbers were becoming lower (the SRM should be ~5% higher because it has no chain friction losses as compared to a hub power meter). I naively attributed the downward pattern to possible calibration issues.

Conclusions

• Base training is immensily important
• If you want to improve you need to learn from experience and yes, from mistakes.
• It is a constant feedback between you, the power meter and the data. Data should be viewed as a whole.
• Trends sometimes start unnoticed and cannot be fully evaluated until the dataset is complete (at the end of season for example). Therefore past experience and knowledge already out there is important. If you start noticing decline in power numbers over time, go back and reevaluate what is your training lacking? Are you overtraining? Are you recovering enough? Are you sick?
• Trends can and do explain your performance. Numbers don’t lie!

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• Join a cycling team/club
• Draft up and follow a training program
• Learn what it takes to be self coached and self sufficient as an athlete.
• Start the National Time Trial Championships
• Enjoy it!

Joining a Club/Team

The Dutch Cycling Union (KNWU) has a very comprehensive site with guidelines for beginners, including a database of all cycling clubs/teams in the country. With a couple of mouse clicks I was able to find a local cycling club, based within a 10min bike ride from my apartment.

I got in touch via e-mail with the club secretary and in no time I was a member of WTC de Amstel. The first training of the racing team was scheduled for the same week so I showed up ready to go. Honestly that was probably the hardest 2 hours of my entire season. I got dropped like a stone in about 20kms. Needless to say I was hooked. I was back next week and didn’t miss a single group ride ever since. As the season rolled on it only got better. It is a very friendly group of people, that answered all my questions and introduced me to the world of bicycle racing. Being a foreigner who spoke the local language, albeit with an accent, was always a good conversation starter.

Training Schedule

Before cycling I spent a good 6 seasons of rowing, last 3 at a very competitive national level so I was aware that success and having a structured training plan go hand in hand. I did some research on the internet and familiarized myself with basic training principles and got a template cycling program as a starting point. Most importantly I did not view the training plan as set in stone. I knew following it blindly would only get my halfway so wanted to see what works for me and what didn’t. I am happy to say I got a good grip of what kind of abuse my body can take and what I can improve on for next season. For the power number oriented crowd, my detailed training analysis is coming in a future post. Sooo I had joined a team and had a plan? Now what?

Being Self-coached

I have to set a standard. If I ask you to do something and I don’t do it myself, your respect for me drops immediately. If am telling you to be here at 7am and I don’t get here till 7:45, then immediately your respect for me takes a tumble. By being here every session the standard rises. I am able to watch everybody, to adjust the program, to help the program, it’s an important part of the process…to the point I don’t wan to miss a session because of those factors.

-Mike Spracklen (Multiple gold medal winning rowing coach)

The athlete coach relationship can be a love and hate demeanor. Having a bad coach is worse than no coach. I have always had a coach. The hardest part of being self coached is that you need to take care of EVERYTHING by yourself. Creating a training plan and staying on track and motivated is a significant part. On the other hand you need to be in charge of your racing calendar. You need to sign up for races on time; if it is an out of town competition, arrange hotels, transportation etc. I didn’t own a car at the beginning of season, so I had to borrow one from friends or rent which involved extra driving or somebody cancelling on me in the last possible moment. Making sure your equipment is ready, every little thing is your own responsibility and more or less it costs extra stress. However, this is the most rewarding. The only person you have to answer to is yourself. You are in charge and although it requires some additional energy, it is very empowering and gives you an extra confidence boost on race day. Think of it as the opposite of the high ranking CEO that cannot order an espresso without his/her personal assistant.

Start the National Time Trial Championships

Having something to look forward to is one of the proven methods to keep your motivation during long months of training. Although my schedule wasn’t completely set in stone I had one vision – 29 June 2012: the date of the Bulgarian National Time Trial Championships. It took me some phone calls, forms, and 3 straight days of driving by myself after a 6 year hiatus since i got my driver’s license. Daunting task, but i did it! I also placed in the top half of the field!

Have fun with it!

Honestly with few minor hiccups, related to my job I have forgotten the thrill of actually learning something new. Whether it was an official race or just a local criterium at the start I was excited to do something new and come out a better bicycle racer at the finish. Oh yes and I got dropped a LOT.

A lot of my friends who are distanced from sports continuously ask me: “So do you win anything?” Without having to think about I answer: “No. I have fun with it.” At this moment I got a lot to learn. I would get better. Whether I win or not, I have promised to myself I would not get hung up on small things like podium finishes or pure numbers.

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The Race

The course was a ¬9.5km segment that had to be traveled 4 times – so there were 3 turnarounds. The tarmac was smooth and in perfect condition. The total elevation profile looked like a very wide ‘W’ for an elevation change of 50m (155ft).

It was not just hot, it was boiling hot. The outside temperature sensor of my car was recording 36 C after the race when the sun was past its highest point. While I was putting on my cycling shoes I couldn’t keep my bare feet on the asphalt for more than 5-10seconds at a time.

I did my best to stay out of the sun and drink lots of fluids during my warmup. I soaked my skinsuit with water in an attempt to prevent overheating. I took a full 750ml bottle with a very diluted sugary drink on the bike (more concentrated solution would have made absorbtion slower). I was number 6 from the end to start. The top 5 finishers from last year were going to be ‘chasing’ me down the course. I lined up at the start just as my minute man was about to set off on his race.

I pushed off at my planned pace of 330W right from the line. It was hot and my skinsuit dried off seemingly in a matter of minutes. Something was not feeling right. In about 7km out of the 9,5km of the first leg I started getting the telltale signs that I am going well above my limits – my diaphraghm was starting to cramp and I was switching back and forth the same two rear cogs in attempt to find the right gear without any success. If I was to finish I had to ease up. So I slowly pulled back on the gas. The first turnaround came quick and after two big gulps of water I was back in my aero tuck pushing 285-290W average. That felt like the maximum power I could sustain without blowing up. I was back in the race!

After the second turnaround at the beginning of the course I briefly switched my Garmin 500 to show speed (My race screen shows only Distance, Cadence, 3s, 30s, Lap and Total Average power). I was currently going at 45-46km/h. At this point I knew the race was not going to be the abysmal failure I suspected. That gave me the needed confidence to focus only on maximizing my effort on the course. As I mentioned earlier the elevation profile was NOT flat, rather a wide ‘W’. Enough to throw off your pacing, not enough to require different power output on the uphill/downhill sections. I decided that constant power would yield the best time.

Pushing 290W was all I could make my body do, I tried to accelerate on a couple of occassions, I was not able to. I had to drink a couple of times in the remaining kilometers. The course was buffeted by crosswinds at some parts. I almost lost control while drinking in the aero position once due to some wind gusts. In the last 7km or so I got passed by three riders. They just stood at 20-70m in front of me and didn’t accelerate. I crossed the line with nothing left. As soon as I rolled to a stop the temperature felt even hotter. All I could do is sit on the ground and drink water, LOTS of water. The original Garmin file can be found here. I will post the GoldenCheetah graph once I am back at my computer.

Lessons learned.

I expected the weather to be challenging. It was game changing. According to my Garmin Edge 500, it was a blistering 38 C at the start of my TT. I was sufficiently hydrated at the start so I did not suffer from dehydration. In numbers the heat cost me 40W. I know I can sustain 330-335W on my TT bike and 350W on a regular road bike. After reviewing my data I had managed to sustain a HR of 190-195bpm (my other races it was hovering in the 185-190bpm for a good part of the race) right from the start. I was working as hard as possible, the heat was sapping away my power. For next year I need to find a way to get more adjusted to the heat. I drank 3.5L of fluids after the race.

Also before the championship TT I had a month completely free of racing. I think that cost me some top end. I was never big on tapers, however, I decided I should try 2 weeks as suggested in most training programs. I had 4 days of driving to do in the week of the race so I should not have taken the previous week so easily (4h total training time). Maybe my body was too relaxed going into such a tough race. I should not ignore pure race efforts in the buildup.

I only had 10 days to get adjusted to riding a full TT bike, which I am sure also had a price. The day after the race in addition to the usual fatigue, I was sore in places where I have no complaints when racing my road bike

In addition as a first time starter, very strangely to me, I got put towards the end of the start list with all the favorites (they all broke 50min and finished top 5). They could use me as a ‘carrot on a stick’ while I had no idea if I was gaining ground on my minuteman. Not as important, however, it is a bit demotivating being passed on the final stretch.

Going into the championships I was hoping for a time of 57minutes on an average day and 55min if I do the perfect race. I did 54.16 in a suboptimal race with mediocre (for my level of fitness) power numbers. My second half was 15seconds faster than my first so I managed to salvage my efforts and do negative splitting in a race that was initially heading for disaster. I placed behind cyclists that are going to represent Bulgaria at the 2012 Olympics in a month so I couldn’t be happier!

For next year’s championships my FTP should improve in numbers so I can only be excited of what time I could clock sustaining 350-380W!!!

I will take some days off on the beach to recover and travel back to The Netherlands before I start training for the Dutch Amateur TT Championships in September. I will post a detailed review of my TT equipment very soon.

Also this blog broke 200 views for June so I would like to send a big thank you to all my readers and supporters!

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Fitness and Equipment

I completed a solid 8 weeks of base training starting January and I have done a number of Time Trials going through the 5 week Build phase, leaving me with a 4-5 weeks to work on any weaknesess/bike fit/etc and taper. My race power numbers were all around my FTP – 350-355W. I did experiment with pacing and did blow up in one race, so I am aware of my limits. I made some significant position changes for my last race which I think cost me about 10-15W. It is a lower and narrower position so it is a good trade-off. Sustaining 330-335W for the 40K is a very reasonable goal.

I also bought a second hand SRM crank power meter so I can use a rear disc rather than my 32 spoke Powertap wheel. I got a HED3 and a HED Stinger Disc used so I have one of the fastest wheel combinations available. I changed the original lighter tyres with ones with some puncture protection as an extra safety measure. I have a narrow range 11-23 cassette installed and ready to go.

Furthermore after months of waiting and promises I finally have a real TT bike: a Cervelo P3, rather than an converted road bike with clip-on aerobars. One small addition, the frame developed some cracks around the seatpost opening. The shop called Cervelo and this seems to be a problem they have seen before, also online forums have some P3 owners with similar issues. Most likely it is just cosmetic paint cracking, however, I will have to keep an eye on it, especially be aware of the seatpost slipping down. This is a literally ‘make it or break it’ situation. I did get the green light from Cervelo to go and ride, what would happen in terms of warranty remains to be seen. Nonetheless, the bike is FAST, there is no doubt about it and quite comfortable. The small cracks aside, it lives up to the hype surrounding the Cervelo P series of bicycles. Ideally I would have liked to have longer time to get used to it, however, 10 or so days should be enough to let my body adapt.

I also found aerodynamic shoe covers and although my team skinsuit did not arrive in time (sponsor issues), I have a an unmarked black one which I will be using for the race.

Overall unlike my previous races I have world class equipment so I will not be at a disadvantage before even getting off the starting line.

Other

I am completely unfamiliar with the course. From previous years it was an out and back race on the highway outside the town of Sliven. I do not think it will be very technical or involving significant elevation changes. If marked properly I should be able to focus entirely on pedaling hard, rather than missing a turn. Another more significant aspect is the weather. I am expecting temperatures in the 30-35C degrees range. Here in The Netherlands, jokes aside, the mercury rarely creeps above 20C, on a good day. Wind conditions should not be worse that what I have been getting here. I am going couple of days in advance to recon the roads and to get used to the heat. Hydration will be key. Also it is a 2300km drive from The Netherlands to Bulgaria. I am planning of taking my time and doing it in 3 days, stopping by my parents house in Sofia for a day, before heading for Sliven. I will do some short (30-45min) workouts in hotel rooms/parking lots on the Tacx to keep my body into ‘race’ awareness.

This would be my first experience of a high-caliber race, I hope not the last one. There probably will be some Continental PROs mixed with fast club racers. Any unforeseen circumstances aside I am excited and looking forward to setting some personal best numbers. I will post an event recap after the race.

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