3/15/15 4:54 PM

"Seems lately I have a power outage evrytime I ride my bike."


In your case, you are probably the one causing them with mega watt reflections. No such problem here... ;)

3/26/15 3:23 AM

Almost through with my day by day adherence to Smelly's Gran Fondo training plan, but going out with a bang, considering last night's ride, Hautacam Full Gas. I have to pat myself on the back just for finishing this one, it was in doubt. Only 1:10, including warmup and cool own, but holy crap. Plenty of z5 and even z6, for those speaking z. Toward the end I was in pure survival mode, cadence dropping into 70s and even 60s on the hard sections. Harder than any intervals I've done or even the ftp test. Fell asleep on the couch afterward and when I got up had simultaneous leg cramps in the inner thighs (adductors?).

Anyway, my reward for tonight is 8x2 minute z6 intervals. We'll see how my legs are. Then an ftp test scheduled for Saturday but as the weekend looks good I think I'll test my legs on some hills instead. This is an awesome program from site sponsor Smelly!

4/8/15 6:22 PM

I've continued with some of Smelly's Erg workouts week nights while riding outdoors on the weekend. I've been fairly pleased at being able to complete all the workouts, some on the bleeding edge. Tonight I met my match with the first Maximum Aerobic Power intervals. This was 2 sets of six 2 minute intervals at 125% of ftp (ftp is time trial pace). I took an ftp test last week and boosted it pretty good, so I don't think there was any slop in the number. I've done lots of longer interval workouts, but those top out at about 105%.

Anyway, I got through the first set of 6 OK, though the second minute of each interval was difficult. There was 9 minutes recovery between sets, I got through the first interval of the second set, but totally fell apart in the second minute of the second interval. Just plain couldn't get the pedals around - cadence dropped so low the sensor stopped registering. I knew I was toast, but hope springs eternal, so I pedaled through the 3 minute recovery and tried the 3d interval, but no hope. I wanted to recover, so I sat out the next 3 and pedaled thought he recoveries, then tried the last interval and lasted a minute.

So I guess my high end is lacking, which may not be surprising as I haven't ridden in that range in lots of years.

Overall I am really pleased with this program as I noticed on a long outdoor ride that I seem to have a "cruise gear" where I can ride at a reasonable (not fast) rate and it doesn't seem to take much out of me. Perhaps this is z2 or "all day rate." Not sure I've had that before. So I'm thinking the theory that building tt power is a big factor in helping endurance riding may have something to it. I'll find out soon enough. :)

4/8/15 6:49 PM

Got nothing to say or add, but will stay tuned. ;)

4/9/15 7:08 AM

Dan.

I wouldn't beat yourself up. With a real life besides training and all the stresses working involves surprised that this didn't happen more often...hats off to you for all of this winter's work... I am sure you are not beating yourself up on this or at least you shouldn't who knows another day would have had an entirely different result. I am sure you are going to slay it in Majorca....

4/9/15 7:25 AM

Rick, I'm not beating myself up in the slightest. I didn't "give up" because of fatigue or pain, I just couldn't get the pedals around (this is erg mode so power load stays constant regardless of cadence). It is what it is. I think the only way it would be different if I was in better shape.

I'm really looking forward to the long ride as I'm interested to see if this "cruising gear" is a capability I haven't had before. Plus I'm a good bit lighter so interesting to see how that affects riding the long hills.

4/16/15 10:32 AM

http://www.engadget.com/2015/04/16/widerun-virtual-reality-bike-trainer/

Sandiway

4/17/15 7:12 AM

The last thing that I want while sweating balls on the trainer is some massive thing sitting on my face.

4/17/15 11:24 AM

Yea, that one is a MEH for me too... ;)

6/13/15 5:13 AM

The computrainer and Smelly's training program continue to be interesting to me. I have not returned to the structured Program since coming back from Mallorca about 6 weeks ago, but had reverted to my normal pattern of commuting with a fairly long ride on the weekend. I've just started doing a couple Erg workouts in the evening during the week though (I don't ride outdoors on week nights mostly because I don't want to ditch my dogs). I find this works well for me, I was pleased I was able to finish a hill interval workout the other night as I haven't been doing intervals. OTOH a rainy Sunday I tried a full-on, 100% Stelvio and got killed, had to ratchet the intensity well down to finish.

But the striking thing is that, as a result of about 3 months this winter following Smelly's Gran Fondo training program (and also losing some weight), I'm riding much better than anytime in recent memory. I'm not doing anything competitive, but I have 40 mile hilly loops I've ridden for 30 years, and to the best of my recollection I am riding them faster than I ever have. I felt I was riding pretty well last year, but I'm riding up to 2 mph faster this year, climbing in higher gears, generally feeling better and having more fun.

So I conclude that the CT is a great tool, Smelly's program works, and with a little effort and discipline (though not a great time expenditure) you can make big gains even at an advanced age.

6/13/15 12:00 PM

Dit fing o

6/17/15 7:25 AM

WOW that's nice to hear Dan. Of course my theory on life is IF you're faster you're always going to have more fun...with one exception of course which 30 years of marriage has taught me. For you to be doing better rides after 30 years is an amazing statement and something I could only dream of being able to say.

Hope you don't mind but I sent your latest post to Smelly, told him he should be sending you some money.

I just got down here to the Catskills for a SEVEN week stay this year...going over to do Devil's Kitchen today. While I know I wont be setting a PB today I hope to at least do better than I have for the last 5 years or so...unfortunately with 16 years of SRM data IF it doesn't happen it will be very clear. In that way data is a double edged sword...when I inadvertently set a PB on the 8.2km 44/55 climb this spring I was very happy, just wish that sort of thing weren't the exception these days.

6/17/15 12:43 PM

Sure, Smelly could send me some $, that would be fine...Seriously, I was quite impressed with the workouts in the training plan, they all seemed to have a point, and the hard ones were quite hard without being so hard I couldn't finish them (except for one, an aerobic power interval workout I couldn't finish, but I never really ride in that intensity so I probably wasn't ready for it).

But I really feel like a different rider now. Of course, for me riding better than in the past is a fairly low bar, but it does include some periods I was doing citizen racing, tts, and fast group rides. I considered my best ride on the local loops to be a 43 mile hilly ride I did probably around 1990 when I was doing the tts and stuff, and was trying to do this ride fast. I figured I'd never get close to that time again, but recently I rode it 6 minutes faster. Go figure.

Enjoy the Catskills. And crossthreading, that P5 looks scary!

6/18/15 8:24 AM

Don't hold your breath for the cheque from Smelly.

Yeah I love the 48cm P5 for TTs, and for the first TT of this season I somehow ended up putting 150km on it for the day, which considering it was only a 15km TT is a fair bit of mileage. For wheels I'm running clinchers this year, Super9 disc and 808 Firecrest on the front.

But I like my 48cm S5 with 808 Firecrest wheels more, even as a 'climbing' bike here is the Catskills it is awesome...did a 7 hour ride on it yesterday. What's interesting is to get the exact same 'fit' on my old Litespeed Ghisallo, I needed a full custom frame.

For touring I still love my 51cm P3 and lately more than I used to since going away from the disc/1080 wheel combination to a pair of 808 Firecrests...you may sense a theme here. Back when I got this bike, the 48cm frame was 650 wheeled so I had to up-size to the 51.

What's kind of ironic is back when Cervelo was actually a Canadian company I didn't own any of their bikes, now between Sally and myself we have 5 of them. BTW, both her Cervelos (P3 and R5) are also 48cm. I sometimes get accused of riding my wife's bikes.