Advertisement
If you have a new account but are having problems posting or verifying your account, please email us on hello@boards.ie for help. Thanks :)
Hello all! Please ensure that you are posting a new thread or question in the appropriate forum. The Feedback forum is overwhelmed with questions that are having to be moved elsewhere. If you need help to verify your account contact hello@boards.ie
Now, lets see...
Options
Comments
-
-
The Des Hanlon race took a massive chunk out of me and I've been having trouble recovering. Got another head cold and that has migrated to the chest once more. The plan had week 21 as transition and have been using it to the full, no training at all, just trying to get the bugs weeded out of myself.
On week 20 did a 10min climb to simulate the longest effort required for the race and that showed me that I've lost a bit of power. Did also the 90sec efforts. That power loss showed quite clearly also in the race, the positive I can take from it is that I'm definitely not a climber, just too heavy with not enough power to support it. Even at my top form I think I would have gone out the back on the second climb. Loosing more weight would make me even more susceptible to all sorts of colds and bugs. Have to get back on to 78-79kg (now at 76kg) and focus on sprinting and TT'ing.
The combination of TT'ing and sprinting should in the long run bring also my power levels up to where I won't get spat out the back on a hilly course. That will take a while though, getting from 315W to north of 400W is not a one day job for sure
.
Next week is probably going to be no training as well, health has to return first before I can start hammering again. Then I'll rethink my training plan to focus more on the above.
Will report back when I'm back in the saddle again.0 -
-
The Des Hanlon race took a massive chunk out of me and I've been having trouble recovering. Got another head cold and that has migrated to the chest once more. The plan had week 21 as transition and have been using it to the full, no training at all, just trying to get the bugs weeded out of myself.
On week 20 did a 10min climb to simulate the longest effort required for the race and that showed me that I've lost a bit of power. Did also the 90sec efforts. That power loss showed quite clearly also in the race, the positive I can take from it is that I'm definitely not a climber, just too heavy with not enough power to support it. Even at my top form I think I would have gone out the back on the second climb. Loosing more weight would make me even more susceptible to all sorts of colds and bugs. Have to get back on to 78-79kg (now at 76kg) and focus on sprinting and TT'ing.
The combination of TT'ing and sprinting should in the long run bring also my power levels up to where I won't get spat out the back on a hilly course. That will take a while though, getting from 315W to north of 400W is not a one day job for sure.
Next week is probably going to be no training as well, health has to return first before I can start hammering again. Then I'll rethink my training plan to focus more on the above.
Will report back when I'm back in the saddle again.
make sure to build in a rest week , 1 in 4 or so. allow boddy to recover a little. need not be an empty mileage week but reduced mileage .0 -
-
Advertisement
-
-
-
-
Didn't get out as much as I was hoping to but did get the intensity going.
Monday just the commute, but a bit faster than usual. Sort of tempo with the odd sprint thrown in. Felt good.
Tuesday did a few intervals in the morning 4+10+1min and a sprint session on the commute home.
Wednesday didn't get much done at all. Work is getting busy and pretty much time trialled into the office and back home.
Thursday same story as on Wednesday.
Friday had finally some time in the morning and got out for some cruise intervals but due to a puncture only managed to get one 10min effort in. Got lucky in the evening though. Weather was fantastic, no wind, warm and sunny. Had some time to myself after work and turned right at Yellow House and went for some intervals. Had a good try at a Strava segment at the start of the Cruagh climb and got the KOM. Had been trying that segment for over a year I think, was absolutely delighted when I saw that little crown icon in the phone app
. The segment is draggy for most of it but there are a couple ramps there that either make you loose time or get you acidic and the final ramp is just sheer torture, HR went up to 189 during those 3min 33sec, just 4 blips below my recorded max. I might be able to shave off a second or two without the backpack and lights and with summer clothing.
After that tried for a 10min cruise interval but all I had left in the legs was a 6min effort.
Saturday was off bike as usual.
Sunday was busy around the house but managed to squeeze in a short cruise interval session. Did two loops of this:
http://app.strava.com/segments/3673399
The climb there is mostly sheltered from the wind except for the Hellfire Club stretch and the very top. Felt great throughout the session, next time will try 3-4 laps but a bit quicker.
Weekly distance: 148.7km
Time for training: 4h 32m (structured)
Will try to keep the intensity high over next week. Work looks very busy though, not sure how many morning I'll be able to get out. Will try my best.0 -
Week 24 was full of intensity but volume is down a lot from what I was doing earlier in the year. Work and life are getting busier by the day (toddlers are fun though ).
Monday, Wednesday, Thursday did just the commutes but most in TT mode. Met doozerie one morning, nice chatting and all the best in the ICL.
Tuesday had some time for training and did 3 sets of 5x20sec sprints with 30sec rest between efforts and 5min between sets.
Friday was nice weather again and had a bit of time in the morning. Did 3 cruise intervals, one on the Cruagh climb and two on Stocking lane. Feeling was great.
In the evening got out of work a bit earlier and had some fun on the Cruagh climb, got a PR and regained my top 20 spot (but now I'm down again to 22nd or 23rd).
Saturday was on the bike. In a very unusual manner I managed to get on the bike on a Saturday. Went out to Howth with family and while the missus was meeting a friend and having some seafood I hopped on the bike and did 3 laps of Howth in cruise interval mode. Was a bit windy but still enjoyable. The Sutton side climb was way more suited for me than the church side (I'm back on 79kg).
Sunday was wrecked and off bike.
Weekly distance: 184.4km
Time for training: 5h 2m (structured)
Week 25 was rest week.
Will try the 2 weeks on 1 week off. Didn't do any targeted training, just the commutes.
Weekly distance: 87.5km
Time for training: none (structured)0 -
Advertisement
-
-
-
-
-
-
Another build week done, feeling good.
Monday, sprint sets 7x20sec with 30sec rest, 2 sets with 4min between.
Tuesday, intervals 4min+6min+3min with 4min rest between, took one of my KOMs back (well, tied it). Did the same set in the evening. Got an 'Uh Oh' email in the evening about the same KOM I got in the morning.
Wednesday did only the commute.
Thursday, sprint sets 7x20sec and 8x20sec, rest as above.
Friday, intervals with a mission: taking the KOM back. Left the backpack and bottle at home, put on my boards kit (tightest fitting kit I have) and did the same 4+6+3 set. Well, the 4min was actually 3m:14s. As a bonus did I not only get the KOM I was aiming for but also an intermediate one, first double for me.
In the evening did a single cruise interval to finish off the week, legs felt kind of weak but they still complied and got a nice time up the Cruagh climb. Looks like my top 20 spot there is now a bit safer (was 6th on Friday).
Weekend was off bike.
Weekly distance: 179.1km
Time for training: 5h 31m (structured)
Next week is going to be another build week. The sprint sets and intervals of various lengths seem to be doing something, I've never been faster and even when suffering like a dog there is still power in the legs.
Won't be able to make the club race on Thursday, will have the day off though, maybe will get a longer spin in.0 -
It's been a while since I've updated this. Been busy with regular life things, crashing with the bike and also with a bit of cycling.
Week 30
Monday - just commutes.
Tuesday - sprint sets, 2 sets of 7x20sec with 30sec rests and 4min rest between sets
Wednesday - bit of cruise intervals (12min+6min) and made a splat into a wall on Scholarstown road, lost a bit of skin on my left hand and couldn't open doors of any kind with the left hand for a day or two. Nothing broken thankfully.
Rest of the week was off bike, putting pressure on the wrist joint and breaking was close to impossible. Also, bent the handlebars out of shape (44cm became 41.5cm) and they also cracked lenghtwise, got new bars (42cm).
Weekly distance: 53.4km
Time for training: 1h 46m (structured)
Week 31
Monday - still off bike.
Tuesday - back on the bike, just commuted, still was flinching a bit on surface cracks and pot holes.
Wednesday - did some short intervals just to see how the hand will react (got a good lead-out from a SUV on segment and got the KOM there). This whole exercising thing is probably also doing some good things to the healing processes in the body, can't remember healing up this fast, especially the speed my skin was growing back on the fingertips.
Thursday - Was marshalling the club league, did a few tempo pulls on the way there and then some motor paced threshold intervals once there (getting to the marshalling spots while sitting on the bumper of a club mate was kind of fun ).
Friday - just commutes
Saturday - The Evil 200, well, 220 for me and a bit over 4000m of climbing in the best cycling weather ever. Great route, fantastic crowd and 9.5h in the saddle, about 11 or 12h in total. Going out of Rathdrum my chain snapped but luckily petethedrummer had a power link with him and was kind enough to lend me one, that saved my day big time.
Sunday was off bike, completely stiff and knackered.
Weekly distance: 352.2km
Time for training: 12h 27m (structured)
Week 32
Monday - just commutes
Tuesday - cruise intervals (12m+6m), still a bit stiff.
Wednesday - tempo up the Cruagh climb to Viewing point. Feeling better.
Thursday - Race day, club league in Corkagh park. Was upgraded from Limit to Semi Limit. We got sent also the 'other' way round so that the home straight was into a 40something km/h headwind and required a full on 20sec sprint to get from the last corner to the line. Went off the front from the first corner, one young lad came with me but after a few laps he was gone. Spent a few laps chasing limit, some other riders appeared on my tail but not for long. Continued chasing, made contact with the tail end of Limit, went past to chase down the leaders, the Limit bunch was split to bits (all credit to the wind on the day). Made contact with the Limit leaders, a couple of them decided to stick with me while some other SL lads joined up. A merry bunch of 5 then continued to plough on, keeping a gap of 10-15sec to the nearest chasers till the line. In the last few laps the 5 merry men became 4 and we had a 4 way sprint for the line, I got lucky with one of the 4 remaining men giving me a lead out out of the last corner. Made an early jump and held it to the end, second win of the year, very happy with that.
Friday - just commutes, legs felt empty from the windy crit on Thursday.
Weekend was off bike, lots of other things piling up to do.
Weekly distance: 143.6km
Time for training: 4h 45m (structured)0 -
-
Monday - sprint sets, the usual 7x20sec, 2 sets. These things just never get any easier.
Tuesday - Cruise intervals, 12m+6min. Was going quite well, set a few PBs on Strava.
Wednesday - first time out on a pair of borrowed TT bars. Felt awkward at first but got used to them quite quickly. Handling does become very twitchy with them and when going back into drops the bike feel silly wide and the hoods feel like being on a High-Nellie.
Thursday - club league 16k (10 mile) TT. Did a 23m:57s on the Batterstown course. Pacing was way off, had still plenty left in the tank after the line. Will have to work better on that to make the times more decent.
Friday - just the commutes, work piling up, had to catch up a bit.
Weekend was off bike, but now the bikes have nice and tidy sheds with boxes and shelves for parts and tools.
Weekly distance: 136km
Time for training: 3h 40m (structured)0 -
-
Advertisement
-
Week 34 was a rest week. Tried making it a build week but the body refused.
Monday, tried some cruise intervals, body was not responding so settled into sub threshold mode with a bit of grinding gears for strength.
Tuesday, just commutes
Wednesday, commutes and in the evening was marshalling the Stephen Roche GP. Was a great evening for it and it's a great one to watch.
Thursday, just commutes
Friday, did two small tests. One in the morning and one in the evening. Picked the Cruagh Bridge to Bridge segment and did it all out in the morning and the same in the evening. Turns out I'm a bit quicker in the evening. Also, finally cracked the 5min barrier on that segment, very happy with that.
Weekend off bike.
Weekly distance: 162.1km
Time for training: 4h 48m (structured)
Week 35, build week.
Monday, sprint sets (7x20sec with 30sec rest, 2 sets). On the commute home did some longer effort sprints, 2 sprints 40-50sec.
Tuesday, hill repeats (3x) on the Cruagh Bridge to Bridge segment. It's a great one for this type of workout, the steepness and the shelter provided by the trees, houses and hedges makes the times very consistent for the RPE and HR.
Wednesday, just commutes.
Thursday, Corkagh park crit in the club league, got upgraded to Scratch. Very different racing, a lot of stop n' go tactics, attacks and positioning struggles. Two men went away never to be seen again (well, they almost lapped us), tried chasing but my max was not even close to theirs so sat up and waited for the bunch. Started the finish sprint quite a bit back from the front, overtook everyone but then a Frenchman came along on my right and beat me for 3rd. Anyway, 4th place on the first outing in the Scratch group, can't much complain about it.
Ah, and I broke my BH's frame in that last sprint, now I have a Terry Dolan (yellow in colour, massive kudos to lennymc for sorting me out with it).
Friday, just commutes, legs were not feeling well.
Weekend off bike. But was building up the new frame on Sunday.
Weekly distance: 140.3km
Time for training: 3h 59m (structured)0
Advertisement