Training has been going pretty good in the last weeks. Have begun to introduce some L5 (VO2max) work and it's feeling OK. Still working in the low end of time range for this sort of training, but as I said, it feels OK ....perhaps due to the greater volume of L4 (FTP) work completed over recent times?
I've made a fairly major decision NOT to race the Grafton-Inverell Classic this year. As much as I love the race, and I sorta do OK in it (generally), it really is just too close to World Masters Track Championships to be sure that I can regain my "track legs" and do myself justice in the Pursuit which has really become a focus for me right now.
Having made the decision, it feels like a bit of a load has been taken off my shoulders. Another factor weighing on my decision has been that my best mate on the bike was seriously injured in a training accident almost a month ago. Ray suffered a fracture of the C5 vertebrae and spinal trauma and is still in the Intensive Care Unit with very little movement in arms or legs. Of course we're hoping things improve dramatically for him, but he's doing it pretty tough right now.
Ray rode the Grafton for the first time last year and I was looking forward to preparing and racing with him again this year. I've coached Ray first as a distance runner, then in more recent times on the bike and he's a coach's dream, following workout instructions to the letter. One of the toughest cookies I know and a Champion bloke to go with it.
So Grafton and the whole trip wouldn't feel the same without him.
This weekend (27th July) I have State Individual Time Trial Championships at Calga, the same course (or part of it) as the Team Championships in a month's time. Feeling ready for it, although I haven't time trialled as well as I would have liked recently. Perhaps sitting up the night before to watch Cadel try to win the Tour in the final time trial will provide added inspiration?
Travelled to Kurrajong (will be racing there in on the 3rd. August) last Monday to look over the course and ride the main climb a couple of times. It's not long, or even steep, but there is always a selection made there and I'd like to make the split. The two reps I rode on the climb were up by around 18watts on what I did last year in training so we'll see what happens.
Had a bit of rain here in Sydney the last couple of days so I jumped on the faithful Kurt Kinetic trainer for a mix of L5 and SST/FTP work. The L5 stuff went better than I remember similar sessions in the last months. 5 * 3min @ 300-310watts (3min R), followed by 2 * 10min @ 235watts (1min R).
This morning I did 8 * 30sec @ 390watts (just over my target Pursuit wattage) with 4min 30sec @ 180-200watts between reps. This was to be a fairly easy day (with my TT in three days) and I felt good. Such short efforts generally leave my legs feeling quite "lively", and tonight that feels like the case again. Rode the 30sec reps at a Pursuit specific cadence of ~120rpm trying to relax as much as possible ..........not easy to do when I know I've going to attempt to hold similar power and cadence for FIVE TIMES THAT LONG in my Pursuit.
Current CTL in WKO+ is 109.3 with a TSB of -12.5, which will come back to around even with today's trainer workout and tomorrow's "openers" I have planned. Then I'll see just what I can do on Sunday in the TT.
Friday, July 25, 2008
Sunday, July 6, 2008
TTT Training
Yesterday saw our first Team Time Trial training session on the Calga course just north of Sydney. My new club, Bicisport, is much better organised than my previous club, and have several team workouts scheduled between now and Championship time at the end of August.
This was our first chance to ride together and see where each others strengths and weaknesses were. On what is basically an out and back course, we were instructed to go out at about 80%, keep things together, and "race" the return leg.
We "lost" one rider on the way out, even at the moderate pace and needed to wait for our third rider on the longer climbs. This Calga course is quite testing and undulates all the way. We need to work on a strategy to keep at least three riders together through to the finish so we may need to share most of the work between the two stronger guys in the hope of having the third man hang on on the climbs.
Went into Sunday with 108.2TSS and +12.6TSB, back in positive territory after a couple of shorter days forced on me by work.
My last ITT at Calga produced a 254wNP and yesterday's 43km TTT came up as 246wNP. Should have bee somewhat higher 'cos I waited for over three and a half minutes in total over two of the more difficult climbs. Felt like decent enough work though.
This morning, Monday, I rode out and back to the Bottom Box and then along Wakehurst Parkway and over Oxford Falls climb on my TT bike with a "mixed bag" of efforts. About 5min of L6, 8min of L5 and 28min of SST/L4. Legs a bit "heavy" from yesterday, but felt surprisingly strong.
TSS was virtually identical to the TTT training.....140 V 141 for approximately one hour and fifty minutes of riding.
I have an "Hour Of Power" indoors with the squad I coach in the morning, not too difficult a workout, planning to make it SST with a few ad lib surges.
Mike
Yesterday saw our first Team Time Trial training session on the Calga course just north of Sydney. My new club, Bicisport, is much better organised than my previous club, and have several team workouts scheduled between now and Championship time at the end of August.
This was our first chance to ride together and see where each others strengths and weaknesses were. On what is basically an out and back course, we were instructed to go out at about 80%, keep things together, and "race" the return leg.
We "lost" one rider on the way out, even at the moderate pace and needed to wait for our third rider on the longer climbs. This Calga course is quite testing and undulates all the way. We need to work on a strategy to keep at least three riders together through to the finish so we may need to share most of the work between the two stronger guys in the hope of having the third man hang on on the climbs.
Went into Sunday with 108.2TSS and +12.6TSB, back in positive territory after a couple of shorter days forced on me by work.
My last ITT at Calga produced a 254wNP and yesterday's 43km TTT came up as 246wNP. Should have bee somewhat higher 'cos I waited for over three and a half minutes in total over two of the more difficult climbs. Felt like decent enough work though.
This morning, Monday, I rode out and back to the Bottom Box and then along Wakehurst Parkway and over Oxford Falls climb on my TT bike with a "mixed bag" of efforts. About 5min of L6, 8min of L5 and 28min of SST/L4. Legs a bit "heavy" from yesterday, but felt surprisingly strong.
TSS was virtually identical to the TTT training.....140 V 141 for approximately one hour and fifty minutes of riding.
I have an "Hour Of Power" indoors with the squad I coach in the morning, not too difficult a workout, planning to make it SST with a few ad lib surges.
Mike
Saturday, July 5, 2008
With my main goal being to go sub 2min 30sec for the 2000m individual Pursuit in October at World Masters, I've had to re-evaluate the priority of some of my previous main focus races.
Before my break-through PB in the Pursuit (2min 34.02sec in April), one of my two "A" races for the second half of the year was the Grafton to Inverell Classic in mid September. In past years I've managed several top 10 placings in my category (best being 3rd) in this race.
It's quite a unique event in that it is 228km with not much in the way of flat stuff. The first major selection happens 70km into the race when you reach the climb over Gibraltor Range. Almost 17kms of average 7%. We don't get too many chances to race over such significant climbs.
My problem of course, is that World Masters Track is only five weeks after Grafton. Not nearly enough time to recover my "track legs". So at this point, I'm still undecided whether to contest Grafton. I've still been doing the training for it (FTP focused work at the moment) but may opt out to concentrate on the track. Either way, I'll be starting Pursuit specific training in mid August, so Grafton preparation will be compromised somewhat anyway if I decide to go ahead with it.
The majority of my training in recent times has been heavily biased towards FTP with 15min to 30min reps at or near my FTP of slightly over 250w (estimated from best training reps and Time Trials using my Power tap SL).
This past Wednesday for example, I completed an undulating to hilly almost 12km rep to the "Top Box" from outside the Pittwater High School in ~26min @ 271w Normalised Power (259w av), then a partial return of just over 12min on the same course (McCarrs Creek to the School) @ 269w NP (260w av), with 10min easy ride recovery.
That's fairly typical of the FTP based work I've been doing, although in the past couple of weeks, I've added some "Bill Black HOP" variations on my Kurt Kinetic trainer. Also a smattering of VO2max type reps such as 6 * 3min at my 5MP power of 326w with same time recovery. Later these will build towards 5 * 5min ..........can hardly wait :-)
Last Sunday I went to the velodrome for the first time since my series of CdA tests in May. An "easy" intro session of 4 * 125m Standing Starts and 4 * Flying 500m in mid 37sec range. My new position felt pretty good. Wattage came out at 405w to 418w for the flyers, so it seems it isn't compromising my power output. Now all I have to do is keep up that power....or near it for another 6 laps!!!!
Tomorrow (Sunday 6th July), we have the first of our Team Time Trial training sessions on the Calga course. Alex Simmons is Team Manager/Coach (I'm sure he will be riding next year) so we're in good hands. TTT Championships are at end of August and ITT Championships on the same course are at the end of this month.
I swapped my PT wheel into my Colnago TT bike this afternoon, so will be intersting to see what numbers come out of this ride tomorrow.
Mike
Before my break-through PB in the Pursuit (2min 34.02sec in April), one of my two "A" races for the second half of the year was the Grafton to Inverell Classic in mid September. In past years I've managed several top 10 placings in my category (best being 3rd) in this race.
It's quite a unique event in that it is 228km with not much in the way of flat stuff. The first major selection happens 70km into the race when you reach the climb over Gibraltor Range. Almost 17kms of average 7%. We don't get too many chances to race over such significant climbs.
My problem of course, is that World Masters Track is only five weeks after Grafton. Not nearly enough time to recover my "track legs". So at this point, I'm still undecided whether to contest Grafton. I've still been doing the training for it (FTP focused work at the moment) but may opt out to concentrate on the track. Either way, I'll be starting Pursuit specific training in mid August, so Grafton preparation will be compromised somewhat anyway if I decide to go ahead with it.
The majority of my training in recent times has been heavily biased towards FTP with 15min to 30min reps at or near my FTP of slightly over 250w (estimated from best training reps and Time Trials using my Power tap SL).
This past Wednesday for example, I completed an undulating to hilly almost 12km rep to the "Top Box" from outside the Pittwater High School in ~26min @ 271w Normalised Power (259w av), then a partial return of just over 12min on the same course (McCarrs Creek to the School) @ 269w NP (260w av), with 10min easy ride recovery.
That's fairly typical of the FTP based work I've been doing, although in the past couple of weeks, I've added some "Bill Black HOP" variations on my Kurt Kinetic trainer. Also a smattering of VO2max type reps such as 6 * 3min at my 5MP power of 326w with same time recovery. Later these will build towards 5 * 5min ..........can hardly wait :-)
Last Sunday I went to the velodrome for the first time since my series of CdA tests in May. An "easy" intro session of 4 * 125m Standing Starts and 4 * Flying 500m in mid 37sec range. My new position felt pretty good. Wattage came out at 405w to 418w for the flyers, so it seems it isn't compromising my power output. Now all I have to do is keep up that power....or near it for another 6 laps!!!!
Tomorrow (Sunday 6th July), we have the first of our Team Time Trial training sessions on the Calga course. Alex Simmons is Team Manager/Coach (I'm sure he will be riding next year) so we're in good hands. TTT Championships are at end of August and ITT Championships on the same course are at the end of this month.
I swapped my PT wheel into my Colnago TT bike this afternoon, so will be intersting to see what numbers come out of this ride tomorrow.
Mike
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