A bump in the (trainer) road

So after being all cock-a-hoop last week about my ftp number rising like a rocket after my last 20 minute test, it should come as no surprise that it would all spectacularly turn to worms this week. Basically, I caught a cold. The rest of family wheezy came down with it and by Monday my throat was sore and eyes were puffy, but to be fair, I was not feeling too bad so thought that I should just man up and get my next session done. This was to be a 90 threshold session with me doing 6 x 10 minutes around my ftp. This is a tough session and with me being under the weather and chasing a new ftp number I simply couldn't keep the cranks turning after the third rep, so I bailed early. The rest of the week I was able to do a couple of easy, low intensity aerobic sessions which didn't stress me too much and this morning I felt good enough to have a crack at a one hour session with 4 x 10 minutes at threshold.

Again, it didn't go to plan. The first rep felt too easy and I was well over the 230 watts required. Second rep was better; still a bit too high, but I felt comfortably extended.

The third rep; Oh. My. Days. I was hanging on, barely, almost from the off. The last 3 minutes felt like 3 years and I was just able to keep it at 230 watts. So it was time to HTFU and get the last one done, but I simply couldn't. By this time my temperature had rising stupidly and even at rest my heart rate was extremely elevated and I simply couldn't get my power up to even 180 watts, let alone 230. I should be disappointed but this is precisely why Trainerroad is proving so useful and this is telling me a few of things. Firstly, I am ill and I need to actually let my body recover a little more before attempting a threshold session. Secondly, this confirms that my muscular endurance needs a lot of work. I can spin a light gear for hours. I can push a relatively high number of watts (for me) for a short period pretty well, but maintaining my watts near ftp for extended periods of time is a real weakness and something I need to focus on when I am back to full fitness. Thirdly, I need to put my ego in check (again) and at least temporarily bring my ftp number down while I build my fitness back up.

Training works

For the last two weeks or so I had felt that the Trainer road sessions were feeling a little easier as I got a little fitter, so it seemed like a good time to do my third functional threshold power test. In November my first test had been 205 watts, with a slight improvement in December at 212 watts, so I was expecting another modest improvement.  So I started the session thinking that I would be looking at a few more watts and maybe I could squeak over 220; imagine my surprise when I was able to bash out 230 watts. In a word; Boom. I suppose I do also have to factor in it being my third go at this session I am obviously becoming more practiced at pacing. but there's no doubt that I am starting to make some really good improvements and with a 25 watt increase in 10 weeks, I have to be pleased.

This now means that my sessions are that little bit harder as I have to adapt to a higher percentage of power across all the sessions and I think the next few weeks are going to be pretty tough. As Greg Lemond once said 'It doesn't get easier, you just get faster.'

The wrong side of 3w/kg

#StormFrank on the Isle of Wight

It's been a bit of a rest week due to a small family break over the New Year. The great thing about making the conscious decision to not do any running for the foreseable future is that I had no compunction about leaving my trainers at home and not worrying about trying to fit a session in. Just lots of very windy (courtesy of Storm Frank) and wet pub walks, fish and chips and quite a few beers. All good. We came back late Friday night so I was able to get up early on Saturday and Sunday and fit in another three hours on the turbo, including my longest ever turbo session at 2hrs 15 minutes. I think that's the really good thing about Trainerroad as it breaks it all up into manageable chunks, so that and with the aid of a couple of Kermode and Mayo film podcasts made the time while away quite quickly. I must be getting soft in my old age as I so glad not to be out in the horrible grey and turbulent weather that we have had recently. It could have been even worse; I could be on the water DW training. (Very pleased that I am not)

Not that I have tested it recently, but my ftp seems to still be gradually creeping up, as some of the sessions from earlier in the plan have been repeated and my normalised power for the sessions is a few watts higher every time and some of the threshold sessions which left me a dribbling mess a couple of weeks ago are not quite as intense now. A sign, I guess, that it is time to test my ftp again soon.

The big thing I need to get under control is my diet, as like most people I have hit the calories a bit hard over the last two weeks and my weight has crept up somewhat, but thankfully, nowhere near as bad as it could be. Anyway, there's little point working on improving my power output if my weight is going up too so it is time to 'reset' and get some good eating habits going again. My current power/weight ratio is 2.92 w/kg (in his heyday, if you can call it that, Lance was over 7!). So a first aim is to get that number over 3w/kg. A modest but achievable target.

Small wins and all that.