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Race The Training Thread

Awesome post, @OreoCookie. Thank you.
I've always been fascinated by the VO2max since I learned that was what Lemond based his assertions on Lance being juiced many, many, many years before the truth was revealed, but not quite understood it properly until I read the above.
(Also glad to learn that what I had thought was Fat Turd Pushing it is not the correct acronym for FTP)
 
Just wrote a blog in broken Japanese about two weeks of riding the trainer since a long absence.


Snow on the forecast next week, but until my ribs are fully fixed I'll hold back on CX, cross training and strength work and continue to turn the legs over to good music in the garage.

RIDE ON!

Andy
 
A new zwift training plan started today.

The previous FTP builder was mostly sweetspot work sitting at 280 and 330W.

The first two workouts of this plan asked for 10s and then 45s at 600W x 6 and had me pushing towards LTHR for the first time.

I'd been shortening or cutting the rest intervals in the first plan to make it harder.

For the 45s at 600W today I tried to cut the 4 min rest interval in half at 2mins.

But after 3 efforts I was like a fish out of water! Followed the 4 min protocol for the last 3.

I could squeeze out a little more juice on intervals 4 and 5.

Dead on the 6th, which is a good sign.

20201213_182451.jpg

Respect the rest interval.

Anyway it seems like a nice progression.

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

Cheers, Andy



「keep on zwifting!」

last week's training blog
先週のトレーニングブログです
変な日本語はIMEZIホームページで書きました!

last week's training:
先週のトレーニング:

・monday: zwift workout x 2
・tuesday: zwift workout x 2
・wednesday: zwift workout x 1
・thursday: zwift workout x 2
・friday: road 100km
・saturday: zwift workout x 2
・sunday: zwift workout x 2

3 weeks after breaking 2 ribs
last week was the 2nd week of intensive interval training
riding zwift on the trainer

intervals are based on 345 W FTP
I chose a training plan
「12 week FTP booster」

12 weeks of training
2 hard training workouts each week

my plan was to do the 2 hard workouts each day
12 weeks training in 12 days!

the target intervals are 330W and 280W
I cut out lots of the rest intervals
280W becomes the recovery interval!

24 different workouts
listening to 24 different albums

surprised how strong I feel
it's thanks to all the big gravel rides with Noguchi san this year

next year I plan to do some big gravel races
and try to win my 10th Tokyo-Itoigawa
maybe some TTs too

in the meantime
until the ribs fix
keep on zwifting!

 
The weeks fly by in winter. I've done 3 solid weeks of training. 2 back to back interval training workouts every day. No rest days.

I'll take a day off tomorrow and head to the Kakuda trail on Sunday.

The trail must be the only place in Niigata which is snow free. Sheltered by the mountain range on Sado Island, it's rideable all winter. Club Tropicana!

The usual blog link and cut and paste below.

Cheers, Andy



「3 weeks hard!」

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!

tomorrow is the first rest day in 3 weeks
3 weeks of hard training on the trainer
明日は3週間ぶりのレストデイの予定です
トレーナーで3週間のハードトレーニングをやりました

sunday is the december rai rai cup 2020 final stage
4 weeks ago I broke my ribs at the november rai rai cup at kakuda
日曜日は12月のライライカップ2020のファイナルステージです
4週間前、角田の11月のライライカップで肋骨を骨折しました

looking forward to meeting everyone
time to make friends with the trail!
みんなに会えるのを楽しみにしています
またトレイルと友達になる時間だ!

last week's training:
先週のトレーニング:

・monday: zwift workout x 2
・tuesday: zwift workout x 2
・wednesday: zwift workout x 2
・thursday: zwift workout x 1
・friday: zwift workout x 2
・saturday: rest (plan)
・sunday: kakuda CX (plan)
 
Hit Club Tropicana today for the monthly trail maintenance and race.

Pictures and report below.

Cheers, Andy

 
Merry Christmas. I did another solid 5 days this week. Christmas Day's double punch was a corker.

At the trail with the kids on Christmas Eve, one guy dislocated his elbow, one guy snapped his derrailleur and I cracked the car windscreen. They say bad luck comes in 3s.

Back to the trail tomorrow.

A post with pictures about the weekday training via the blog link. Basic English translation below too. Enjoy the holidays!

Andy


「zwifting christmas!」

the 4th week of zwift training
2 workouts a day is the main
approximately 60TSS x 2 = 120 daily TSS

each workout is different
different BGM too
the basic aim is to raise the FTP
while listening to good music!

♤monday 1: descending intervals 365, 345, 330, 310W x 6mins (95rpm, 3RI)

♡monday 2: tempo with accelerations 300W / 600W

◇tuesday 1: progressive intervals no.1, 290>340>380W x 11mins x 2, 330W x 10mins

♧tuesday 2: criss cross intervals 315W / 415W x 30 mins

♤wednesday 1: 40/20s x 5 plus 330W x 10mins x 2

♡wednesday 2: tempo with spikes 290W / 600W x 20mins x 2

◇thursday 1: max aerobic 420W x 2mins x 4

♧thursday 2: threshold 330W x 5mins (1RI)x4

♤friday 1: progressive intervals no.2, 290W > 340W > 380W x11mins x 2
330W x 10 mins

♡friday 2: 415W x 30s / 315W x 2mins x12 (30mins interval)

really enjoying winter interval training

keep on zwifting!
 
Update:
I haven't been doing anything other than running, lifting, swimming and Z2 trainer rides since I am doing a low carb diet, so my power is probably terrible, but I am also the lightest I have been in the last decade (lightest so far was 85.5 kg a few days ago).

Just another 6-8 kilos to go to achieve a decent race weight. Hopefully I will get their by April... Wherever I stop my diet I will I end up putting on two kilos of water and sugar weight, though.
 
Update:
I haven't been doing anything other than running, lifting, swimming and Z2 trainer rides since I am doing a low carb diet, so my power is probably terrible, but I am also the lightest I have been in the last decade (lightest so far was 85.5 kg a few days ago).

Just another 6-8 kilos to go to achieve a decent race weight. Hopefully I will get their by April... Wherever I stop my diet I will I end up putting on two kilos of water and sugar weight, though.

I always think running is good for weight loss.

Also lifting and adding some muscle to increase calorie demand
is good.

Just my own experience, but if I do weights in the winter, I bulk up, some muscle, some fat, but the weight comes off easily with long rides in the spring.

Keep up the good work!

Andy
 
Second blog in two days. Itchy fingers! A time attack on the trail. Slowly getting some form back after 2 separate cases of broken ribs!

Blog link and English translation below.

Cheers, Andy


today was the kakuda trail
the sun always shines on kakuda!

each time I want to try to beat last week's time

last week's time was 18:05
the best this season was 17:30 before breaking ribs
the best last season was 16:15

a few laps to warm up

the first long lap with a group
the guys take the new steep climb we built last week
I take the easier original climb and find myself on the front as we regroup
noguchi san on my wheel
I decide to go for it!

it's the first time to push hard like this since breaking my ribs for the first time in early november

still slow on the sakurazaka section
noguchi san kisses my tyre a few times to wake me up!
more physical than verbal!

pushing too hard in the middle section
I'm losing focus
a few pedal strikes
"you're losing it!"
time to calm down

a time of 16:53
my second best time yet

the next target is 16:30!

"you have to do two laps at that pace to make it count!"

hard training is fun training!

thanks every time!
 
I'm on a cold-induced break again. Ugh. Christmas was less fun than it could have been. Well, that's 2020. But in a few days it'll be 2021 and I will finally pull the trigger on the new bike. Yay!

Did you get sick more than usual this year? The hospital I work at is having much fewer cases of colds, influenza and other infections this year. Probably a result of people taking more precautions than usual.

Anyway, speedy recovery!

Andy
 
Another day, another blog!

Inadvertently tested my FTP today and decided to raise the training FTP benchmark by 10 watts.

Blog kink with pics and English text base below.

Cheers, Andy


FTP booster

☆394W x 8mins = 355W FTP
☆raise the 345W FTP→ 355W FTP

4 weeks ago I did an FTP test = 345W FTP
then I did 4 weeks of "FTP booster" workouts

today I tried an aerobic power profile test
several 345W+ anaerobic intervals to clear the anaerobic system

then an 8 min free ride
no idea what power to aim for!

>2mins @370W (370W av)
raise the power a little, drop the cadence
>2mins @400W(380W av)
a little too much
>2mins @380W keep(380W av)
steady effort
>1min @400W(390W av)
raise it again
>1min @450W to 500W (394W av)
all out to finish!

☆8mins @394W

like a fool
reading up on the workout after doing it...

for the final 8 min free ride
elite riders should be able to do 105 to 110% FTP

345W x 110% = 380W

so it looks like the FTP has increased

working backwards
394W ÷ 105% = 375W FTP
or
394W ÷ 110% = 358W FTP

traditional tests to determine FTP are
90% av power of an 8 mins test
95% of 20 mins
100% of 60 mins

so 394W x 90% = 355 W FTP

It's important not to raise the FTP too much each time

so I will raise the FTP value for training purposes
345W FTP → 355W FTP

I will do another "FTP booster" workout cycle
with higher target power intervals based on a % of the higher FTP

before testing FTP again

one stroke at a time
ride on!
 
This New Years I did 5 back to back days of snow shoes. Compared to cycling, for me it's the only thing that comes close.

We did Kashiwazaki's sacred 3 peaks on alternate days. In-between days I did a river / rindo loop straight out of my front door.

Lessons learnt from Rocky IV.

Some pictures and a Japanese write up below.

Cheers, Andy

 
@andywood What kind of footwear are you pairing with the shoes--same on all days, or various?
(and those are Atlas?)
 
Snow shoes are MSR Lightning Ascent. They have a serrated metal base and hook which is good for icy stuff. They also have a heel raise which is useful for climbing.

20201230_184122.jpg

Beer is Kirin Ichiban Shibori.

Boots are Scarpia with thick wool hiking socks. Feet stay dry even in snow melt. I just hang them over the dehumidifier with bag, gloves, spats, hat etc after each hike.

20201230_184947.jpg

Both were great birthday presents from the missus who doesn't really bother since we had kids!

Andy
 
Last edited:
First ride on the trainer in a few days.

In this the age of smart trainers wired up to cinema size monitors, FTP, TSS ...

I was happy to get the sweat spot today.

This is the spot where the garage shutter is pulled down just far enough that the heat generated condenses on the snow covered metal roof and drips back down on to the back of my neck.

An extra 5 watts right there! Add the Chemical Brothers to the mix and we're probably talking 10!

Ride on!

Andy
 
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