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

[Deanj]

Talking yourself into how good a RST training plan would be for you perhaps

Are you earning commission yet?

[toolonglegs]

Today I suffered...lots of not very good training has knocked me a bit.I have been doing loads of unstructered rides with a mate who has been visiting for the last month...lots and lots of climbing which was good for the etape but in todays race I felt like rubbish...lack of top end training maybe the cause?...but anyway I finished about 12/60 on a very hot hilly course with 38.5av...and I had to dig extremely deep to do that...300mg of caffiene may of help me thru the rough stuff ...so as my mate left for Paris today I am now back on coaches program! .
PS dont get me wrong...Alpe D'huez,Galibier,Col de Portes,Grand Colombier,Mont du Chat,Col de Sarenne,Duez Alpe,Col de fay..have been a lot of fun...but I will never ever be a climber! .

[Alex Simmons/RST]

Talking yourself into how good a RST training plan would be for you perhaps

Are you earning commission yet?

While I don't think it really needs saying, I will state for the record that:

i. I (or RST) didn't initiate or suggest someone else initiate this thread.

ii. No one on here (apart from me obviously) has a financial interest in RST, receives any kind of payment in cash or in kind from RST. Any comments are unsolicited although I don't dissuade people from commenting if they report back to me on progress.

I take the thread as a fun way to discuss what training we, as a group of fellow cycling enthusiasts, are doing in general (i.e not specific to RST clients). I like to put out what I'm doing too - it's a cool way of keeping up motivation / accountability and gain encouragement from your fellow riders who are also training hard. And I'm usually happy to provide comments on what people are doing or answer questions they have about their training (as and when I have the time to do so).

I say these things because I have respect for the forum, its owners and those that use it and I run my business in an ethical manner.

Obviously it's a promotion tool for me and I gain some business from it. But I trust that most recognise I do contribute to the forum as well and that as a professional cycling coach I have something useful to add for people who frequent this particular online community.

[Hebden]

Personally I think your contributions to BNA are very generous Alex and I for one appreciate them greatly.

Thanks.

[goneriding]

+1 from me.

As I get more serious about my riding I've become more aware of the need to structure my riding (especially around rest!) even though I don't race (officially that is). Often the insights Alex provides help understand what's going on with the body.

[brendancg]

Alex I look forward to your input and I value your advice. As soon as I receive clearance from the Minister for War, Finance and Social Engagements approves expenditure I will see about your training plans. Please continue to provide your valuable fee free input to all and sundry and disregard the comments of the few.

[toolonglegs]

and disregard the comments of the few.

I don't think Dean's comment was in anyway disrespectful...he was just teasing Ant.Ant who is obviously very happy with his RST program and is quite happy to tell people so.
If there have been any other comments then I haven't seen them.

[twizzle]

2 x 20 tonight, one at ~315W, the second at ~335W but with the first five minutes at ~360W. And 30 sec sprints at the end of each session at around 600W.

Towards the end of the second session, I dropped the cadence and then had to keep on backing off as the speed/power kept on creeping up.

Recovery day tomorrow & Friday, crit on Saturday. Fingers crossed... I'm a lot stronger and fitter than the last time I raced a crit in March.

[Alex Simmons/RST]

and disregard the comments of the few.

I don't think Dean's comment was in anyway disrespectful...he was just teasing Ant.Ant who is obviously very happy with his RST program and is quite happy to tell people so.
If there have been any other comments then I haven't seen them.

Correct - I didn't take offence. But thought that is was worthwhile making the statement and disclosure in any case, just to remove any doubt.

Having said that I don't sell power meters (I don't), I am however looking into a new venture to hire them out, so stay tuned on that one....

[Alex Simmons/RST]

Meanwhile, back to training. Into park today for some short TTIs:
5 x 5-min efforts (AT) ~ 275W. Nice ride around lunchtime, sunny, had to ditch the arm warmers!

An 18 day 18 point boost to CTL from 35 to 53 TSS/day or a ramp rate of 7 TSS/day/week.

Will continue with CTL build for a while but I expect the ramp rate will taper a bit. 7-8/week is at the upper end of the range for a sustainable workload increase.

[toolonglegs]

Just LR's for me...and not very long.Took me till Thursday to feel normal after my Sunday race!...man I had to dig deep there...too deep in retrospect!.
But I have my PM back (finally!) .

[Ant.]

Congrats on the return of the PM. Mine, in my training wheel, has decided to take the day off. Gotta love training on a 404 tubular powertap Will throw some new batteries in there, see if anything sticks out at me.

Just touched the 100 TSS/day mark yesterday, I don't care much about that number to be honest, but will be interesting to see how high it ends up.
2x20s yesterday: Interval 1 was 311W which I was stoked about! Interval 2 was 304W, which disappointed me a bit, but was very much in the pain bin. It's sessions like that that make me MTFU and give it more on the next occasion.

Road race on Sunday (attack or don't register is my motto here), 20km TT tomorrow, (or I should say ~30min TTI session on TT bike as it's just me on my interval grounds doing what I do), gauging power difference on roadie and TT bike. Not ideal race prep, but it was my idea and I pushed for it. I really want my TT power to lift, and I think, one month on, it's worth reassessing the difference.
I'm secretly hoping for 300W, but that may be a tad optimistic, we'll see Have done a few heavy tempo rides and a bit of endurance riding on the TT bike in the meantime.

[Alex Simmons/RST]

Got some extra hours ahead of me this weekend (~ 4.5 - 5hrs) and start my 20-min TTIs next week.

[toolonglegs]

Finally had some energy to burn today...Sundays race was tough!...took me till Friday to get over it!!!.
But I held back...will save it all for Sunday!.

[Alex Simmons/RST]

Bottom bracket completely %^&^ itself today. 40-min into ride, it was unrideable. Taxi ride home.

When we removed it, the completely disintegrated bearings and races fell all over the floor of the workshop in little pieces

[toolonglegs]

Ouch..what sort of cranks?.
I have done 60% of my hedge cutting....300 meters of hedge top and both sides is wearing me out!....another day or so and it will be done! ...
On the down side my weight is climbing again.... .

[Alex Simmons/RST]

Ouch..what sort of cranks?

Cranks are fine. It's just a Campag Chorus square taper road BB that needs replacing. Will just throw a new one in there and she'll be right as rain.

[USM TOM]

went for a ride thismorning when it was around 5c and i felt really bad only averaged 28kph for a 23km loop
then went for a ride this arvo and did the same loop but extended it to 38km and averaged 30.5kph

is it a normal thing to have sluggish performance in the cold??


im also still recovering from a lower back injury so i think that is hampering my performance aswell as my right leg seems to run out of gas pretty quickly and its usually my strong leg

[toolonglegs]

im also still recovering from a lower back injury so i think that is hampering my performance aswell as my right leg seems to run out of gas pretty quickly and its usually my strong leg

Why is one leg so much weaker than the other?...a bit sure but you sound like you are saying it is quite a lot.

[USM TOM]

im also still recovering from a lower back injury so i think that is hampering my performance aswell as my right leg seems to run out of gas pretty quickly and its usually my strong leg

Why is one leg so much weaker than the other?...a bit sure but you sound like you are saying it is quite a lot.

im right handed/legged so naturally my right leg is NORMALLY slightly stronger then my left
but since hurting my back my right leg seems to get fatigued far quicker then my left leg

in genaral day to day activities i dont really notice a weakness but when riding i do
i also spent 6 weeks off my bike which doesnt help either

[toolonglegs]

im also still recovering from a lower back injury so i think that is hampering my performance aswell as my right leg seems to run out of gas pretty quickly and its usually my strong leg

Why is one leg so much weaker than the other?...a bit sure but you sound like you are saying it is quite a lot.

im right handed/legged so naturally my right leg is NORMALLY slightly stronger then my left
but since hurting my back my right leg seems to get fatigued far quicker then my left leg

in genaral day to day activities i dont really notice a weakness but when riding i do
i also spent 6 weeks off my bike which doesnt help either

Yes I thought it maybe to do with your back...but maybe someone structural should have a look at you...if it is really noticeable then it is too much...will cause imbalances and affect performance.

[USM TOM]

Yes I thought it maybe to do with your back...but maybe someone structural should have a look at you...if it is really noticeable then it is too much...will cause imbalances and affect performance.

im currently doing physio and have had a CT done
it is probably refered from the tight muscles i have on the right hand side of my lower back
also have a pinched nerve so that doesnt help either

my performance is slowly getting closer to where it was but i will definately be keeping a eye on it to see how goes


its probably silly of me to think i can jump in and ride 100% when i know that my recovery isnt 100%

[Ant.]

3hr steady ride with 4x4min intervals thrown in (4mins rest between intervals). It's been quite a while since I've done the ole 4min efforts, I was scared of cracking in my final intervals. Like finding your way to the edge of a cliff in the dark. 353W, 354W, 358W, 361W. I'll set my sights on 370W next week, there's more in the tank here

[toolonglegs]

Haha...I am still hoping to drop the kids somewhere so I can get out to do my 5x3's.... !.School holidays!!!...why is it Tuesdays I always feel so crap .

[Alex Simmons/RST]

2 x 20-min TTIs today in the park. My first set of 20-min TTIs in a long while.
Aiming to get to 2 x 20-min (AT) 275W in about six weeks.

except I buggered that plan up by doing them today as follows:
TTI 1: 277W
TTI 2: 275W