The training thread: How was yours? (today/yesterday/etc)

[PawPaw]

Stacking. Two 10min TT, two 1.5km 7% climbs in the 53-19, three sets of 5x30x30, in 70km.

What are 5x30x30s?

+1


Did 144km 2000m yesterday, with much stronger riders than myself. Had to walk a few hundred metres of two of the 25%+ climbs. But the general pace was up. Lots of 45kph on the flats. Feel my confidence on descents is improving, but am cautious not to let confidence grow faster than technical skill. Am getting new wheels in 2 weeks, which should handle better.

Only felt like doing a flattish 60k today, but some of the lads wanted a bit more, so the group split and I went with the 'more' guys. After 30 minutes the pace was up, with lots of rabbits to catch, and my energy improved. Ended up doing 80km 800 metres, consisting of 12%, 17%, and a couple of 15%ers.
Seems I'm the first aid guy a lot these days. On the way back, this middle aged woman comes around the corner on a bike path, and her rear wheel just slips out on the leafy debris. She goes down and clobbers her elbow on the concrete nice and hard. Anyways, Good chance of a stress fracture of the end of the humerus.

434km for the last 7 days. including 2 full on crit race training sessions. So I'm pretty much a spent force.

[ft_critical]

Stacking. Two 10min TT, two 1.5km 7% climbs in the 53-19, three sets of 5x30x30, in 70km.

Big day. What are 5x30x30s? and 7% climbs in the 53-19 no thanks!

Didn't you do two hours of 40sec on 30sec off or something similarly incredible. These, are ice-cream training by comparison, 3 sets of 5reps of 30sec on at max 30sec off. I finish my ride then get on the trainer to do them.

[simurs4]

Did my first proper 50km ride today, stopped once to refill up my bottle and catch my breath but i was happy with my effort averaged about 31km/h which i was wrapped about, had some pretty crazy head winds most of the way i probably could have kept going but since i'm still a newb i didn't want to push myself too much. Im just happy i can gradually improve my distance/maintain higher speed level's after every few rides i do .
need to improve my hill climbing though i get passed by alot of people on inclines but then i can normally close the gap abit when it starts to even out but i shouldn't be expecting too much from myself just yet!
next time ill try for 70km and see how i go.

[vander]

Stacking. Two 10min TT, two 1.5km 7% climbs in the 53-19, three sets of 5x30x30, in 70km.

Big day. What are 5x30x30s? and 7% climbs in the 53-19 no thanks!

Didn't you do two hours of 40sec on 30sec off or something similarly incredible. These, are ice-cream training by comparison, 3 sets of 5reps of 30sec on at max 30sec off. I finish my ride then get on the trainer to do them.

Ahh yea I did 80min of 30sec on 30sec off but the 30 sec isnt max although not far off.

Do 30sec max efforts on trainer not sure how you do that, I feel like I cant do anywhere near a sprint type effort on a trainer they just dont feel safe.

[Ken Ho]

More random non-bike training today.
Mt Warning climb and 1500m in the pool.
Bike day tomorrow.
I'm loving being home in Northern NSW, doing all the home things.

[trailgumby]

70km today in 3:03. Went from home to Akuna Bay and West Head and back.

All the quick guys must have gone out earlier. I was out on my commuter (26er mtb with 700x23c roadie tyres) and only got passed by three riders on roadies and another guy on a TT bike (who was seriously quick up the pinch climb), but managed to catch and pass quite a few others. They'd slip away a little on the downhills but I'd catch and pass them on the climbs. I suppose short gearing and 100rpm cadence is cheating a bit.

Weird.

Impressive views from West Head.

[ft_critical]

Do 30sec max efforts on trainer not sure how you do that, I feel like I cant do anywhere near a sprint type effort on a trainer they just dont feel safe.

I didn't feel safe either. Enter, the gas pipe. TLL pointed out that I might do my dropouts. But it turns out the connections to the frame all sit on rubber bushes. Sprint as hard as you like without tipping.

[/quote]

[toolonglegs]

I can't do indoor sprints... mainly because i like muscling the bike too much and need it to move under me... but 30 secs sit and hammer sure.

I was going to go out and do some 10 minute tt efforts to be ready for my upcoming short tt's. But after the first one I knew I was wasting my time 7,9km 45,5km/h av 00:10:27 (4 little bumps that hurt!)... wasn't making enough power / feeling enough motivation ( tired from yesterdays race ) so I was home after 30 minutes just in time to stay dry and warm as it pelted down.
Cheered myself up buying a Giro TT helmet ad 19mm Tufo TT tub ...I will crack 50kmph on that section one day!.

[toolonglegs]

Doubled up today... Weather is so bad at the moment you need to sneak them in when you can... Means I am getting more training than most as I kinda enjoy the crap stuff.
40ish km's on the tt bike on wet roads... 12 min FTP followed by two 5-6 min vo2 runs... Bloody windy which is probably good for me to get used to the cross winds especially when trucks blast past!. Definitely feeling better everytime I get on that bike.
Tonight 65kms with the club boys... Well there were only 4 of us and I had to chase them hard for the first 5 k's as I was late... Then we went and did laps of Sundays race circuit... Smashed it hard, best way to not swallow crap on wet roads is to sit on the front the whole time ha. Road was in terrible condition with gravel everywhere so it was no big surprise to find it has been cancelled ... Already lined up another one though 70km crit... Dead flat !.

[Ken Ho]

Training today consisted of a super nice surf at Greenmount in warm green glass water, with sunny blue skies overhead, followed by a superb lunch at Kirra.

Jeez, it was hard to take.................

[embee8]

Hi guys, don't know if this is the right place to post but just wanted to discuss my training. Not for any ride specifically, just started road riding 18 months ago and now doing about 180-200km/wk (up from ~100km/wk in Jan). I'm late 40's, reasonably fit. Have nagging knee issues (did both mcl's a few years back) and getting physio for lower back stuff.

My rides are usually over 3 days ... twice to work and back (30km each way) then 60 or more with the Sat morning bunch. Theoretically, a day's break or 2 between rides.

Problem is since I rode the 3 Dams challenge a couple of weeks ago (150km) my legs just can't keep me up with the bunch . It's not as though they are sore while riding (although hammies and glutes are almost always sore after the rides) and I feel I have enough in the tank ... but I just can't keep up

Friday I rode 30km in the morning then 70 in the arvo. Yesterday (with the Sat morning bunch) I got dropped about 40 km into the 65km ride, soon after a little sprint. But by the 50km mark I caught up a couple of others who were dropped and together we joined the bunch 1km from the ride's end (at the cafe of course ).

So, the question: I am doing too much? Not enough recovery?
Cheers...

[toolonglegs]

Did you recover enough after 3 dams?... If you had no trouble sticking with bunch before and now are getting dropped that may be the reason... Best to back of a bit after a really hard ride till you are feeling a bit fresh again.

[toolonglegs]

Taper week
Sunday 65 km crit... Suffered a bit.
Monday 50 minutes on TT bike... Medium pace
Tuesday 76km road race... Good training race... Wasn't too hard.
Now what to do to taper for 3 day race starting Sunday night.
Thinking of recovering with a 60km cruise flat today.
Thursday TT 5 minute efforts practicing starts and pacing ... Maybe 3 of them in a 1 hour ride... On tt bike.
Friday 20 minute tt with in a 1 hour ride on tt bike.
Saturday 60 km flat cruise on road bike.
Sunday morning 30 minute spin.
Sunday night race start.
Hopefully that is tapering ( keep the intensity but decrease duration).
Edit: Or maybe club training thursday night (70km hardish) and friday off to be really fresh... 1 hour tune up Saturday.

[ft_critical]

Taper week
Sunday 65 km crit... Suffered a bit.
Monday 50 minutes on TT bike... Medium pace
Tuesday 76km road race... Good training race... Wasn't too hard.
Now what to do to taper for 3 day race starting Sunday night.
Thinking of recovering with a 60km cruise flat today.
Thursday TT 5 minute efforts practicing starts and pacing ... Maybe 3 of them in a 1 hour ride... On tt bike.
Friday 20 minute tt with in a 1 hour ride on tt bike.
Saturday 60 km flat cruise on road bike.
Sunday morning 30 minute spin.
Sunday night race start.
Hopefully that is tapering ( keep the intensity but decrease duration).
Edit: Or maybe club training thursday night (70km hardish) and friday off to be really fresh... 1 hour tune up Saturday.

Sounds like underprepared for the exam and cramming to me. What happened to one, 1, race intensity ride in the week of your major race. What happened to being gagging to get on the bike. What happened to finishing every ride wishing you could have done more. What happened to rest.

I vote for nothing, Thurs smashage (but work your own plan on the group ride, lots of sprints, lots of work on the front at your pace) then nothing. Short tune up with sprints/intervals and race to win. You are racing to win right? Not racing to sit up just before the line? If the latter then your first plan looks perfect.

[toolonglegs]

Yes racing to win ...well the prologue anyway!. After that a stage with 800m and another with 1200m vertical sort of rule me out (even though I have lost 10kgs this year).
Aim for this race is be in leaders jersey after Prologue... hey you never know!... and then play it by ear, but mainly working for others who can win overall.
I will finish next Tuesday and then have a quieter week before main goal race on Sunday week 11 days time).

On the above program... Tuesday (yesterday) was last race before Sunday night prologue... so only really 4 or 5 hours training before Sunday night (4 days away now).
I always thought the aim of a taper was keep the intensity up but reduce the volume... above is a pretty big volume reduction for me.
Hopefully 4,500 kms since 2nd week of Feb isn't cramming too much .

[embee8]

Did you recover enough after 3 dams?... If you had no trouble sticking with bunch before and now are getting dropped that may be the reason... Best to back of a bit after a really hard ride till you are feeling a bit fresh again.

Yeah, agree with that. Funny how the mind thinks everything's a-ok but then the body yells out "whoa...".

[toolonglegs]

Training ... yeah I wanna do some!. Flying today even though I am been careful with a niggling injury... then bang. Broken spoke on reasonably new Kysrium Race rear wheel ( 6 months old )... hobble home with wheel hitting brakes both sides wide open with cable undone ...suppose it is better than it going tomorrow, but need to find a spare rear wheel now to leave in the follow car...everyone else in my team uses Campag!.

[singlespeedscott]

..everyone else in my team uses Campag!.

a bit different to here in oz.

[toolonglegs]

Someone has lent me a campag wheel with dura-ace freewheel ... they must know my record!. But it is only to sit in the van.
Anyway training has had to be a bit compromised...after Tuesday's race I felt really good on Wednesday. Just did 30km's calm on the TT bike.But after that my psoas has been playing up. Thursday I was going going stir crazy so did 40k's at steady pace...was surprised to put 15 seconds into an old KOM on a short steep climb with out trying too hard... can't wait to find out what I can do at 85 instead of 95 kgs . Friday was another 30km's steady pace keeping the legs spinning... felt good till spoke snapped. Saturday another 30km's steady with a few short sharps.
May do a spin tomorrow morning before heading off to Dijon. Raised the TT bars 10mm so hopefully no issue...need a big warm up for a 7 minute effort .

[mikesbytes]

When do you hit 85 kg?

[toolonglegs]

Sometime in July I hope... will be on TDF duty from 26th June for 1 month... they put on such a big spread every night that it makes it difficult, but I will try!.

Grrr... I am 5th of the rank tomorrow night out of 120 ... I can see that big warm up time I wanted been totally eaten into by team presentations finish 15 minutes before!.

[ft_critical]

Good luck for tomorrow TLL.

[toolonglegs]

Cheers FT ... Looks like it will be very wet tomorrow night, fine if it is the same for everyone... Monday and Tuesday look wet as well .
Got my wife's hair dryer packed... got to dry the shoes some how .

Isn't your big event this weekend?.

[Peacewise]

18 km loop for a warm up. Riding partner isn't confident in his handling skills and riding in traffic, unfortunately that meant I spent quite a bit of time looking backwards for him and sitting up.
He's a smoker (like Say What?) so we head home for his smoke quickie and chuck on the lights at 4ish pm, then head out again.

Do the Mount Barker to Wistow run, then back past the golf course which has some nasty bumpy turns in a fast section, again mate slowed down VERY much... off to Mt Barker summit, Nairne, Littlehamptom, back to home in Barker again, about 25km. Swapped out the Newspaper under the shirt!

Haven't had enough so wanted to time a gentle ride out to Macclesfield as I hadn't ridden it before, 15 km out, 15 km back, finished riding about 7.45pm, very cold - glad I remember Dad's advice to me when I was 12 yrs, "put a newspaper under your shirt son, as a windbreak". Yep that works as was a laugh to see the black ink plastered all over my chest after the 4 hours riding.

Just getting the volume into the legs, pretty happy with 75km in the Adelaide Hills on my new Pinarello. Did a few handling drills, circle work, sharp turns, standing small on descents, knees bent, working on getting ultra familiar with the bike, quite comfortable riding no hands now - consider that essential for feeling the bike.

I still need to work on my gear changes running the 11speed athena, 53,42 and 12-29, that trim is stuffing me around on occasions, looks like can change to the big ring without gears being noisy around about the 4th easiest sprocket, but can't work out why sometimes that change produces a huge amount of noise. I think if I do the trim before the change to the big ring that aligns the front derailer for the hardest gears, whilst a change to the big ring without the preceding trim gives me big ring with lower gears - which will only get noisy in the easiest and 2nd easiest sprockets.

This bike is the most amazing I've ever ridden.

[Ken Ho]

120km from Longreach, past Ilfarcombe to a random turnaround a the top of. Rise in the middle of nowhere
If I ever do the Port IM, I shall not despair on the wind-swept plains, I'll feel right at home.
The road was rough as guts and there was a ton of roadkill. I put my head down fit a bit a one stage, and nearly hit a dead roo.
How embarrassment would that have been. Crashed and broken from that.
Anyway, I can tell I've been neglecting the bike lately, co it was brutal. Head-wind on the way out, that swung to be a headwind home. Doncha hate that .
Saw a couple of whirly whirlys made of tumble-weeds. The grass is so high, ye cannae see the fences and the tumbleweeds have gathered on the fences, looking lik huge furry grubs.