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75 % is not a good power zone if you want to increase your power. So yeah, working at a higher output and importantly be properly fueled will make a big difference.

I spent the last three days with a loaner bike from my bike shop, a 3T Strada Due. What a riot. It is be size too small and because of the aero seat post I'm missing 3-4 cm in height. So I'm feeling that every time I get off the bike. But boy, is it effortlessly fast. I took off 2:40 minutes off of my PR on a local climb. And that's after a month off the bike.
 
75 % is not a good power zone if you want to increase your power. So yeah, working at a higher output and importantly be properly fueled will make a big difference.

I spent the last three days with a loaner bike from my bike shop, a 3T Strada Due. What a riot. It is be size too small and because of the aero seat post I'm missing 3-4 cm in height. So I'm feeling that every time I get off the bike. But boy, is it effortlessly fast. I took off 2:40 minutes off of my PR on a local climb. And that's after a month off the bike.

I mean for the entire ride. 75% for two hours is a solid endurance ride. With plenty of minutes at higher power levels.

Although today I did two hours with an NP of 225 or 250 depending on whether you believe Strava or TrainerRoad. That's the magic of cycling events... endless people to pass!
 
Ah, ok. Although then it really depends on how spikey your power profile is. But an IF of 0.9 is nothing to sneeze at!
 
Ah, ok. Although then it really depends on how spikey your power profile is. But an IF of 0.9 is nothing to sneeze at!

Oof, 0.9 IF for two hours would be rough. Yesterday and today were 0.83 and 0.86 respectively according to TR, but lower according to Strava. I think they count stopped time differently.
 
Today I did about 0.9 IF for the last hour and a half of my 3.5 hour ride today and it wasn't so bad. Maybe it's time for another FTP test...

I feel like I've gained more from three well-fed rides over the last five or six days that I have in possibly months of iindoor training...
 
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After weeks and weeks of big gravel ride training, I switched my focus to cyclocross this week.

Not surprisingly I have built an engine for long endurance riding, but not the full on intensity of cyclocross.

The usual weekly training blog link and cut and paste below.

Cheers, Andy



「CX training lock on!」

last week's training blog
先週のトレーニングブログです
変な日本語すみません!

after focusing on gravel riding
after last week's gran fondo myoko
it's time to lock on to cyclocross training
グラベルライディングがメインの後
先週のグランフォンド妙高の後
シクロクロストレーニングに
ロックオン!

I don't have the shape for cyclocross right now
but I know what I need to do
1. short term power: intervals and strength training
2. technique: ride at kakuda each week
3. passion: ride with others, chase and be pushed
今はシクロクロスの調子がない
しかし、何をする必要があるのか?
知っています
1.ショートパワー:インターバルと筋力トレ
2.テクニック:毎週角田に乗る
3.パッション:皆と一緒に乗って
追いかけ、プッシュされる

the first ride at kakuda today
it took me a few laps to get back into it
but I felt I improved
今日は久しぶりの本気で角田へ
シクロクロスの走り方
最初から数周かかりました
でも一つのトレーニングセッションで
少しでも良くなったと感じました

last year I improved steadily over 3 months
this year I enter the CX season at a higher level
so I hope to take my CX to a higher level than last year
昨年は3ヶ月でシクロクロスのレベルを少しずつ上がりました
今年は去年より高いレベルでCXシーズンに入るから
昨年よりも高いレベルにいけるだろう

!!! I BELIEVE !!!

last week's training:
先週のトレーニング:

・monday: rest
・tuesday: trail run(5km)
・wednesday: road(60km)
・thursday: road(50km)
・friday: 5km run / gym
・saturday: intervals 30s/30s x 20, 50km
・sunday: kakuda trail run & CX

CX races start next month!
来月からシクロクロスレースがスタートします!

here we go!
がんばりましょう!

#imezi #imezi167 #167grv #imezisealant #プロジェクト167
 
Eating on the bike a few rides seems to have netted me a 13 watts increase, putting me over 300 watts for the first time. That was basically my initial goal when I started training two and a half years ago.

Now I just need to get to single digit BF% and I'll be at 4.0 watts/kg. Haha.

It's all thanks to Andy's advice on fueling....hahaha.
 
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Eating on the bike a few rides seems to have netted me a 13 watts increase, putting me over 300 watts for the first time. That was basically my initial goal when I started training two and a half years ago.

Now I just need to get to single digit BF% and I'll be at 4.0 watts/kg. Haha.

It's all thanks to Andy's advice on fueling....hahaha.

DSC_0945.JPG

Easy as ABC. Always Be Consuming!

Andy
 
Another week another block of training.

I put all my focus into CX last week. Feel more prepared now to start racing next Sunday.

The usual blog link and cut and paste below.

Cheers, Andy



「go go go!」

last week's training blog
先週のトレーニングブログです
変な日本語すみません!

in last week's blog, I wrote about what I need to do to get ready for cyclocross
先週のブログで、シクロクロスの準備をするために
何をする必要があるか?に書きました

what I need to do?
1. short term power: intervals and strength training
2. technique: ride a kakuda each week
3. passion: ride with others, chase and be pushed
何をする必要があるのか?
1.ショートパワー:インターバルと筋力トレ
2.テクニック:毎週角田に乗る
3.パッション:皆と一緒に乗って
追いかけ、プッシュされる

last week I did 3 sessions of interval training
先週はインターバルトレーニングx3
・30s/30s x 30
・45s/45s x 20
・60s/60s x 20

I also did 3 on the bike strength work sessions
そしてバイクでSFRの筋トレもやりました
・SFR 60rpm x 20 mins

I also made a new CX training course
(gravel downhill, gravel technical, on road climb, left camber, power climb, stairs, chicane, right camber, road sprint finish)
テクニックのために新しいCXコースを作りました
(グラベルダウンヒル、グラベルテクニカル、オンロードクライム、左キャンバー、パワークライム、階段、シケイン、右キャンバー、ロードスプリントフィニッシュ)
・frontier CX

yesterday was race simulation at kakuda
5 guys at race pace for 40 minutes
昨日は角田でレースシミュレーションをしました
5人で、40分間のレースペース!

last week's training:
先週のトレーニング:

・monday: 30s/30s x 30, SFR (45km)
・tuesday: 45s/45s x 20, SFR, unseated climbing x 3(55km)
・wednesday: frontier CX (40km)
・thursday: 60s/60s x 20, SFR, trail run, frontier CX x 2 (60km)
・friday: frontier CX (20km)
・saturday: kakuda trail run & CX race simulation
・sunday: active recovery (25km)

CX races start next week!
来週からシクロクロスレースがスタートします!

nagano here we come!
長野がんばりましょう!

#imezi #imezi167 #167grv #imezisealant #プロジェクト167
 
I have had to return my loaner bike yesterday and got my own back with new inner and outer cables, checked head-to-toe and it got a clean bill of health. Nevertheless, my own bike feels completely broken now. I felt as if I was riding a tractor. The shift/brake levers are completely broken as the lever throw is huge and the brake lever pivots side-to-side again. Maintaining speeds above 35 km/h took significantly more effort. And it was less comfortable. The only plus I can think of is that I no longer felt like riding a bicycle for clowns (the Strada was a size too small). I asked the shop owner to tell me how much my dream built will cost me. I might even get the deeper wheels I wanted, if I am lucky the upgrade will cost me only 20,000 ¥. We shall see if I am lucky.

This week I plan on starting a new training block for my base has all but disappeared.

@baribari
Regarding fitness, fatigue and taper workouts. Think of it this way: you have a power bar and a life bar. Training a lot increases your power bar, but decreases your life bar. So in extreme circumstances you could have a whole lot of power for a whole lot of time. When you rest, you increase your life bar and slowly shorten your power bar. If you time things right, you will have slightly less (or effectively the same) power but a much longer life bar.

For example, I am pretty much detrained due to my forced hiatus. Although I would have taken two weeks off one way or another. The last two weeks I started riding again with some power, and since my loaner did not have a power meter I was pacing by heart rate or by feel. I can tell that my power bar isn't that much lower, especially when it comes to low-end grunt. But. But my life bar is quite short. I went on a training ride yesterday, we did four laps, and I could tell I had an excess of power the first two laps, the third I was hanging in and the third I was hanging on. Well, it wasn't that bad, but when a team mate attacked (he's a sprinter), I couldn't wind up fast enough to counter.

So even when your FTP does not increase during training, if you can increase your life bar, i. e. increase the duration you can spend at a high %age of your FTP, you are fitter. And I am glad you are starting to fuel right. That's very important for fitness improvements.
 
I have had to return my loaner bike yesterday and got my own back with new inner and outer cables, checked head-to-toe and it got a clean bill of health. Nevertheless, my own bike feels completely broken now. I felt as if I was riding a tractor. The shift/brake levers are completely broken as the lever throw is huge and the brake lever pivots side-to-side again. Maintaining speeds above 35 km/h took significantly more effort. And it was less comfortable. The only plus I can think of is that I no longer felt like riding a bicycle for clowns (the Strada was a size too small). I asked the shop owner to tell me how much my dream built will cost me. I might even get the deeper wheels I wanted, if I am lucky the upgrade will cost me only 20,000 ¥. We shall see if I am lucky.

This week I plan on starting a new training block for my base has all but disappeared.

@baribari
Regarding fitness, fatigue and taper workouts. Think of it this way: you have a power bar and a life bar. Training a lot increases your power bar, but decreases your life bar. So in extreme circumstances you could have a whole lot of power for a whole lot of time. When you rest, you increase your life bar and slowly shorten your power bar. If you time things right, you will have slightly less (or effectively the same) power but a much longer life bar.

For example, I am pretty much detrained due to my forced hiatus. Although I would have taken two weeks off one way or another. The last two weeks I started riding again with some power, and since my loaner did not have a power meter I was pacing by heart rate or by feel. I can tell that my power bar isn't that much lower, especially when it comes to low-end grunt. But. But my life bar is quite short. I went on a training ride yesterday, we did four laps, and I could tell I had an excess of power the first two laps, the third I was hanging in and the third I was hanging on. Well, it wasn't that bad, but when a team mate attacked (he's a sprinter), I couldn't wind up fast enough to counter.

So even when your FTP does not increase during training, if you can increase your life bar, i. e. increase the duration you can spend at a high %age of your FTP, you are fitter. And I am glad you are starting to fuel right. That's very important for fitness improvements.

Well, I had been thinking since I hadn't seen an NP for a race over 275 watts since.... well, ever, and I hadn't seen any ramp test improvements in about a year, that maybe I was bumping up against my genetic limits (particularly for VO2max). Especially when you consider how much as I have improved since I first started training with power.

But to suddenly get a 5% bump in just one month doing just a few rides and sessions (filling pushing me over 300) has reinvigorated my motivation.

Hopefully by the start of the season I will finally be at 4.0 watts/kg, which seems to be the barrier to entry for being competitive in road racing in Japan. Or perhaps I will just take up track cycling. Haha.

On another note, I did my first mountain bike ride ever on a borrowed bike yesterday. It was... definitely different. It's great exercise and a lot of fun, but it feels closer to snowboarding than it does to road cycling, which feels closer to riding a motorcycle or driving a car. I managed to stay upright somehow while testing the limits. I guess I have to buy a hardtail and tell my wife its for commuting? It *wrecked* my wrists, especially my right, though.

By the way, why do you think you are so much faster on the Strada? I definitely added about 2 km/h when I went to my new bike, but I basically chalked it up to slightly better aerodynamics (it's not an aero bike) and a more aggressive position. Theoretically a stiffer frame shouldn't actually make you any faster, just feel faster. The CAAD9 would probably feel glacially slow now, though.
 
But to suddenly get a 5% bump in just one month doing just a few rides and sessions (filling pushing me over 300) has reinvigorated my motivation.

Hopefully by the start of the season I will finally be at 4.0 watts/kg, which seems to be the barrier to entry for being competitive in road racing in Japan. Or perhaps I will just take up track cycling. Haha.
That's a great bump, take these big wins while they last! 4 W/kg is very good, many people don't get close to that!
If I may ask, what did you change in your nutrition? Did you also change your training?
On another note, I did my first mountain bike ride ever on a borrowed bike yesterday. It was... definitely different. It's great exercise and a lot of fun, but it feels closer to snowboarding than it does to road cycling, which feels closer to riding a motorcycle or driving a car. I managed to stay upright somehow while testing the limits.
Oh, I miss mountain biking. It's real fun. I'm glad you explore different types of two-wheeled fun. Did you go with friends?
I guess I have to buy a hardtail and tell my wife its for commuting? It *wrecked* my wrists, especially my right, though.
That's what I do! Seriously. Once my current mountain bike's suspension bites the dust, I can get a new bike and it doesn't count as breaking my "no new bike until xxx" promise 😅😁🤣
By the way, why do you think you are so much faster on the Strada? I definitely added about 2 km/h when I went to my new bike, but I basically chalked it up to slightly better aerodynamics (it's not an aero bike) and a more aggressive position. Theoretically a stiffer frame shouldn't actually make you any faster, just feel faster. The CAAD9 would probably feel glacially slow now, though.
To be honest, I would chalk up a lot of it to the bike being lower and forcing me into a more aerodynamic position. (If I had to bet, I reckon most of the aero advantage is not from weird tube shapes, but just the aggressive body position.) It is also quite a bit lighter (1.3 kg if I believe the quoted weight is correct). But with effort I lopped off over 2:30 of a previous PR and got very close to PRs or getting PRs when not trying too hard. Since I didn't have a power meter, it is impossible to quantify my efforts. But especially in the flats I could definitely feel the effort. On relatively flat pieces of road, I could cruise in Zone 2 at 35-40 km/h, and when I had a subtle downward gradient, 50 km/h wasn't hard to reach either.

The bike seemed much lower than mine and was definitely shorter. It loved corners, and I felt much much safer railing through corners, I was cornering on rails. The only complaint I have was that at least in size M, there was significant toe overlap. So I shouldn't practice my trackstands at the traffic light once I get my new bike 😁
 
All I did was (re)start eating a food item every thirty minutes or so, which lets me ride harder, which netted fitness improvements,

There's an MTB course about 15 minutes by road bike from my house. I went to check out an unofficial race where a friend was racing,

A CX bike would probably be a better commuter, but too close for comfort to road riding...
 
That's a great bump, take these big wins while they last! 4 W/kg is very good, many people don't get close to that!
If I may ask, what did you change in your nutrition? Did you also change your training?

Oh, I miss mountain biking. It's real fun. I'm glad you explore different types of two-wheeled fun. Did you go with friends?

That's what I do! Seriously. Once my current mountain bike's suspension bites the dust, I can get a new bike and it doesn't count as breaking my "no new bike until xxx" promise 😅😁🤣

To be honest, I would chalk up a lot of it to the bike being lower and forcing me into a more aerodynamic position. (If I had to bet, I reckon most of the aero advantage is not from weird tube shapes, but just the aggressive body position.) It is also quite a bit lighter (1.3 kg if I believe the quoted weight is correct). But with effort I lopped off over 2:30 of a previous PR and got very close to PRs or getting PRs when not trying too hard. Since I didn't have a power meter, it is impossible to quantify my efforts. But especially in the flats I could definitely feel the effort. On relatively flat pieces of road, I could cruise in Zone 2 at 35-40 km/h, and when I had a subtle downward gradient, 50 km/h wasn't hard to reach either.

The bike seemed much lower than mine and was definitely shorter. It loved corners, and I felt much much safer railing through corners, I was cornering on rails. The only complaint I have was that at least in size M, there was significant toe overlap. So I shouldn't practice my trackstands at the traffic light once I get my new bike 😁

On the flat, the body shape of you the rider, is the biggest thing slowing you down. The common phrase 'lower is always faster' is true to a point. But just getting the frontal area as small as possible is the main point.

Less spacers? Narrower handlebars?

On the trainer, a mirror is as good as a wind tunnel. And if you have a 'watcher' all the better.

On the road, experimenting with different hand positions and head positions, and then noting speed changes for the same watts or even perceived exertion, helps you fine tune it even further.

Andy
 
All I did was (re)start eating a food item every thirty minutes or so, which lets me ride harder, which netted fitness improvements,

There's an MTB course about 15 minutes by road bike from my house. I went to check out an unofficial race where a friend was racing,

A CX bike would probably be a better commuter, but too close for comfort to road riding...

Glad to hear fueling your rides is having positive effects!

'Never ride with the red light on.' is another golden rule!

Andy
 
This is a video of Saturday's ride at Kakuda. Still looking for a bit more sharpness. And clipped out a couple of times.



Luckily, Sunday's race course looks more like my cup of thrills.




The kick at the top of the climb under the ski lift will be a heart breaker.

But hopefully I can make up time on the virtual out and back gravel TT after that...

Andy
 
I started my 2021 training today with a ramp test. 24 little horses have escaped my barn, but I have plenty of time to catch them. My FTP estimate was within 1 W, so I am definitely getting good at realistically estimating my fitness. And I am not too stressed about it, that was to be expected.

I'll start with a low-volume base plan for 2–3 weeks until I get into the groove of getting up early. But today I feel quite good. My throat is still a bit weird at times, but I'll keep an eye on it. I hope I can get to 330–340 W/4.6–4.7 W/kg this season (up from 323 W FTP/4.5 W/kg). Although FTP isn't everything, I think I would like a little more endurance and more snap (probably contradictory goals 😅). My sprint power cold isn't bad (1,300 W peak power on the trainer for a second or two), but during hard rides when I have been pushing it for a while, I usually only get up to 700–800 W.
 
A CX bike would probably be a better commuter, but too close for comfort to road riding...
I've been thinking about that. Getting a CX bike would allow me to participate in CX races, which would probably be fun. But I have a trailer, and so I'd prefer to have flat handlebars and wider tires. Plus, I just like mountain bikes, they are awesome.
 
I started my 2021 training today with a ramp test. 24 little horses have escaped my barn, but I have plenty of time to catch them. My FTP estimate was within 1 W, so I am definitely getting good at realistically estimating my fitness. And I am not too stressed about it, that was to be expected.

I'll start with a low-volume base plan for 2–3 weeks until I get into the groove of getting up early. But today I feel quite good. My throat is still a bit weird at times, but I'll keep an eye on it. I hope I can get to 330–340 W/4.6–4.7 W/kg this season (up from 323 W FTP/4.5 W/kg). Although FTP isn't everything, I think I would like a little more endurance and more snap (probably contradictory goals 😅). My sprint power cold isn't bad (1,300 W peak power on the trainer for a second or two), but during hard rides when I have been pushing it for a while, I usually only get up to 700–800 W.

Dang. How did you lose all that weight again? Haha...
 
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