Monday: Indoor ride 20min warmup, 30min @ 90% FTP (Estimated Z4), 10min cooldown.
Tuesday:
morning: 75 min indoor trainer Z2 ride
afternoon: Weights (new program introduction)
Wednesday: 60min indoor Z2 ride
Thursday: 60min indoor trainer Z3 ride.
Friday: Weights
Saturday: 95min indoor Z2 ride
Sunday: Off

Total Bikescore: 266
Total Training Time: 5:45h bike + 2h weights

Weekly Notes

We are having a  real cold spell with snow and lots of ice on the roads here in The Netherlands, so I trained excusively on the indoor trainer. No problem, time to catch up with some of my favorite TV series! The weekly team group ride did happen on Saturday, however, I decided to err on the side of caution, rather than to check whether there was or wasn’t ice on the main roads.

I started a new weight training program focusing on building strength just like Cycling Strength Series 2 (I will post details in the coming day or two) and there is some soreness here and there. As the trainer explained to me the weight training goes in cycles – you build strength with lower reps/higher weight and than focus on explosive power – i.e just like Cycling Strength Series 2 and Series 3. Therefore I am now back to the beginning of a training cycle where I will be focusing on strength primarily. This weight training period will conclude just around my first important time trial – Tijdrijders Cup on April 14 in Almere. Furthermore, my shoulder is recovered which is a very positive piece of news.

I have also finalized my 2013 training program and I will have a detailed post on my 2013 goals/plans/aspirations. There are some small things to be worked out as the National Road calendar gets updated, however, overall I am pretty happy the way it is shaping up. I am very excited about the upcoming 2013 season so I hope the sore throat I got yesterday will be just a minor bump in the road.

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

A drop of support means an ocean of gratitude.

If you find motivation and value in the content of TheTallCyclist, consider making a donation.

The post Weekly Summary Jan 14 – Jan 20, 2013: Frozen Roads and a Sore Throat appeared first on The Tall Cyclist.

I am going to honestly admit that I actually LIKE riding on the indoor/turbo trainer. That for sure makes me a minority if not the only cyclist that enjoys it.

I find it the most convenient way to put the hours in, regardless of the weather and time of year. Even when I can ride during the winter when it gets dark around 4pm, it still takes me 15-25min to get ready to go outside (check tyre pressure, put 2-3 layers of clothing, shoe covers, fill my bottles, etc.) On the other hand it only takes me 5-7min to set up my Tacx Satori Trainer. If you don’t have a lot of training time the difference between riding outdoor vs the trainer can be up to 30-60min per week – a full training and this is time spent putting clothes on, NOT riding! I live in an apartment, so I do not have a dedicated “bike cave” and I store my trainer in a closet. Even so it is a quick wheel swap and trainer unfold in front of the TV.

It a perception in your head so getting into a different mindset will make a world of difference. It is your goal and only YOU can work towards achieving it!

The major stayaway point is that riding the trainer is monotonous and boring. I am a movie and TV series fanatic so in a 1-1.5h training I can watch a full movie or a couple of episodes of Friends, Seinfeld, Scrubs, House etc. Music works for some people as well. It a perception in your head so getting into a different mindset will make a world of difference. It is your goal and only YOU can work towards achieving it!

The indoor trainer is an invaluable tool for the following reasons

The Good

NOTE: I have found that I ‘lose’ about 20-30W for the same heart rate/perceived effort indoors, compared to on the road (both with a PowerTap and SRM). This seems to be the case almost always and even coaches do not have a clear explanation of why. 

Since ‘road and weather’ conditions are pretty consistent indoors, you can pace yourself by Heart Rate and Perceived Effort, much better than when fighting the wind and negotiating turns and/or street furniture. Even though the power readings are lower you can estimate your Training Stress by your HR quite reliably. Also you can compare sessions based on power.

TIP: You CAN use power to compare your workouts. Even though you “lose” 30+W, you will be able to see a 10W improvement. I.e if one week you did 200W average on the trainer, the next week 210W for the SAME perceived effort/HR, this is an improvement. I also record the resistance setting together with the gearing (i.e. Res 5; 53/17). If I am able to go a gear higher (53/16) with the same resistance without a drop in my average cadence/HR and perceived effort, I got fitter, etc.

Workouts at your Functional Threshold Power (2x20min @ FTP, 40min @ 90% FTP, etc) are a staple in any cycling program so doing threshold intervals is a breeze when done indoors. You can practice a comfortably relaxed TT position safely and under race power without having to worry about traffic, dogs, pedestrians and traffic lights. This is a HUGE advantage.

When there is the slightest doubt of black ice on the road, I do not even consider going for a ride outside. Falling on black ice is unexpected and fast. A crash can ruin my kit/bike, cause a lot of road rash, result in broken collarbone(s) , leg(s) and a lost season. Train smart, the indoor trainer’s got your back!

Warming up before a time trial (or a race, criterium) is a must, and usually you are not allowed on the course before your start so getting a good warmup on the streets in an unknown city is a challenge and adds unnecessary stress. In addition you risk puncturing your race tyres. Just unfold the trainer (behind your car in the parking lot) and start your warmup.

The Negative

Overall it might be a good idea to forget about the powermeter while indoors. Since your wattage is almost always lower indoors (30+W), it might take adjustment of your training zones until you can pace your intervals. Listen to your body and, monitor your HR. If you try to do the watts from last week’s road interval training it will hurt very quick…Ask me how I know.

The recommended intervals when training indoors are short with very high intensity. For example 5x(40s HARD and 20s easy) repeated 4x with 3min rest in between. It is just a reckless abandon as hard as you can, so no use looking at your powermeter or HR. For the same reason you might get burned out of the same painful workouts – I can’t blame you for that.

Marathon sessions (longer than 1.5h) are not recommended. If you need to do 2-4h rides to get used to 2-4h road races, you will have to compromise. You are still getting fitter and tuning up your engine sufficiently, however, you can’t get the specific requirements of what it takes to ride/race for 4h.

If you need to improve your bike handling, cornering etc, it will have to wait until the ice thaws unfortunately.

You sweat a LOT. Stay hydrated and clean up your bike (wipe it down with a soapy sponge and bucket of water) since salt can corrode aluminum parts and they can fail catastrophically. I have seen handlebars literally eaten away under the bar tape. Change your bartape often and inspect parts for damage. Use a towel on you handlebars and one around your neck. Also some kind of floor mat is also highly advised. You don’t want to be soaking your new carpet with sweat.

Conclusion

Although loathed by many, the humble indoor trainer  is an invaluable tool in the cyclists arsenal. Use it wisely and you will get rewarded during season.

A drop of support means an ocean of gratitude.

If you find motivation and value in the content of TheTallCyclist, consider making a donation.

The post The Indoor Trainer: a Love Story appeared first on The Tall Cyclist.

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.

A drop of support means an ocean of gratitude.

If you find motivation and value in the content of TheTallCyclist, consider making a donation.

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