Winter Cycling Plan Official Thread (Page 3)

How do you get the interval session into your computrainer?  I created an erg file using a macro I found on slowtwitch, but I do not know how to get it into my computrainer.  Do I need to but the coaching software?

I did the first workout last night, It was a great workout, but I think I guessed too low on my FTP as well.


Thanks,

Matt

if you have the $$ the computrainer OR another option could be to get a trainer + a power meter.

Q1 down - LOVED having the focus during the trainer rides. Looking forward to the rest (but if this is just the warm up - I'll be seriously improved by the end of this!). Thanks so much Jorge for letting us benefit from your knowledge.

unless you have remain training your FTP will fluctuate week to week month to month.

I am in better shape than I was at this time last year but not as in great shape as I was back in July this year hence while my FTP was around 270w in July right now is probably more like 255-260w. I'll find out next week but for the moment I am gonna go of the lower number.

Had to skip the first workout and may or may not get the second. Sliced my knee open pretty good yesterday afternoon. Bending my knee aggressively isn't going to be a good idea for the next few days until it knits back together a little.

I shouldn't be too affected, though, since I just finished my season last week at Longhorn. I probably don't need the intro week as much as folks who finished their season a month or more ago.

that was cool!  I've never done anything other than just spinning along while watching TV, this set last night was way more fun, the time passed much quicker!  I'm a bit sore this morning, I'm curious how it will impact my run program this week (I've been run intensive for the last month).

On the downside, I found it much harder to concentrate on my TV program while focussing on maintaining the interval schedule.

Good stuff, thanks for offering this program Jorge!

as a side note, how do you all log these workouts in your training log?  Do you just do time on the trainer logged in as an exercise (which wouldn't count towards your cycling totals), or do you log it as time cycling and make up an average pace?  I'm doing the latter, logging it as straight time at a 17mph average since that's about what I do on the road.  Just curious,

david.

Did QW1 (HR) last night (awesome, by the way!) and noticed the same thing.  Here's my rationalization - curious to see if Jorge agrees . . .

If you're using a power meter, the measurement that you're seeing changes almost as soon as you change your effort level (DISCLAIMER: I've never used a power meter, but I'm assuming this is how they work).  If you shift to an easier gear and lower your cadence, the measured output changes almost instantaneously, even though your heart rate may take some time to slow down (your HR is lagging measurement).  It would be nearly impossible to get the HR from, for example, 115 to 150 in 15 seconds.  That being said, for a 15' spin, you sould be able to get your HR to adjust to the right level and then keep it there within a few minutes.

I used the warm-up period to gague the level of effort (keeping an eye on gear and cadence) to maintain a "recovery rate" and that gave me an idea of how much effort (based on gear and cadence) to put into the recovery periods.   I was actually really interested to to watch the ranges of the intervals gradually increase over the course of the 10 repetitions.  I don't recall exactly, but for the 15"/45" reps, it was something like:  128/118; 132/123; 135/125; 138/128; 140/133; 142/136; 147/138; 149/139; 151/140; 151/142.  By the last few reps my HR was approaching the target HR, which I think is right, because for 15" of effort followed by 45" of recovery, there's just not enough time to go from warm-up to the target rate on a few reps (or on the converse, to recover back down to an actual recovery level HR within 45").  Similarly, on the recoveries, even though my HR didn't drop anywhere near the recovery level, I'm pretty confident that my level of effort approximated the effort that it took to stay at the recovery level for an extended period of time. 

Moral of the story - know how much effort you need to get your HR to a certain level, even if you can't get your HR to that level within a short interval, this is the amount of effort that you should be putting into that rep.  This helps to approximate using a power meter, where, as soon as you adjust your effort, the power output changes.  Thoughts?

Edited by Ershk 2009-11-03 10:16 AM

Since I'm using my PowerTap, I just log it as an xx-mile ride at X avg power, X normalized power, xx mph, xxx TSS, etc., with a note in Training Peaks that it is a trainer ride (flat). I don't care so much about the distance or speed as the time in the saddle and hitting the correct training zones at each phase of the workout.

If you don't have one already, you can get a cheap bike computer to measure speed and distance so you can keep that information in your logs.




Edited by Sharkboy 2009-11-03 10:45 AM

For trainer rides, I'll usually use the distance from my bike computer, even though it doesn't equate to road mileage. For me, the trainer will show much fewer miles than an equivalent ride outside. As an example, a 1-hour ride at 200 watts would only come out to about 16 or 17 miles on the trainer while it would be 20+ miles on a flat-ish road ride. So my monthly and yearly mileage totals will be a little off, but I'm not logging my workouts for that. I'm logging them so I can track and compare. In that light, all that matters is that I'm consistent in what I record.

I was originally thinking that I'd just record time, but I think for sake of consistency, I'm going to use a modest avg mph to calculate est distance so I can compare to other months/yrs. 

You could set up a bike computer to read your rear wheel mph, but really it'll be slightly different every time you take your bike off the trainer and put it back on, so I think the best way may be to give yourself an avg you can live with and just use that unless you shell out for a PM or never take your bike off the trainer.

This user's post has been ignored.

The "Coaching Software" program comes with your CT, at least mine did. To use the .erg file, you start the coaching software in chart mode with realtime input and then open the .erg file. The default location for erg files is in the ERG folder under your CS folder (I don't recall the exact name right now) but you can navigate with the "open" interface to other directories. I've created sub directories under ERG for Jorge's workouts from last year and this year. When you finish a session, you are prompted to save the workout. If you do, those files appear in a folder called PERFS (I think). If you start CS in chart mode with "saved file" input, you can review the workout or take screen captures like the one I posted. Good luck with it.

Did Q1 this morning.  I have a question about interval training using HR :

Obviously it takes a while for HR to rise or fall towards the target for each effort.

Should I:

1. Go out as hard as I can to try to make my HR climb to the target as quickly as possible and then steady out once it's there?

or 2. Make the whole interval a steady effort at an intensity that I know would produce the target HR if I sustained it?

... I'm guessing 2 because I imagine that would be more similar to the effort involved if I had a power meter.

Thanks for the help.  Apologies if this is covered elsewhere.

#2, I asked the same question last year and this was Jorge's response:




Edited by CKinsey 2009-11-03 12:43 PM

Alright, thanks a lot.

Thanks

So what did you put in the erg file and how did it impact the way the CT was operating ?

I just calculated my power levels on paper before the practice based on what I believe my FTP is.

I just put the CT in Manual mode and used the Power Level measurement and my stopwatch to time things.

Could I have done something more sophisticated with an erg file ? If so, how do we edit the erg file

Thanks again

Quick Question - Is there any interest for a group purchase for power meters (power tap)? I was chatting with a power tap rep about one of the units I have and asked if there was enough interest maybe he could offer a deal to BTers.

I personally don't need another one (I already have 2 power taps and computrainer ) but many here don't so I figured I could ask. I don't know any details but currently one could get new wired power taps + wheel (DT swiss) for around $660.00-$ 700.00 online; I *think* with a group pruchase we could get this for a bit less. If you have interest shoot me a PM and depending on how many I'll see what deal I can get.

Never mind, I did some RTFM (Read the ##### manual). Page 29 has all the info. Thanks for getting me on the right trail.



Edited by marcag 2009-11-03 2:16 PM

Besides the time/power level data I like to add comments in the header section where I note the FTP base used with the number of reps, the duration, and % of FTP. That looks a lot like Jorge's workout specs. Once I have a few different workouts built, these notes help me pick a file that's closer to a new one to copy and modify. It saves a lot of time building new workouts later. I'll try to remember to post an example later.

Edit: one point I should add ... I usually do at least a 10 minute warm up and, towards the end of that warm up, pause the program to calibrate the CT. In the screen capture I posted earlier, you can see a blip in the power and a dip in the HR at the point where I did that.

Edit2: In the erg mode, your wheel speed means nothing. You put out the power listed whether the wheel turns 18 mph or 25 mph. In order to log something for distance, I just guess estimate.

Edited by Micawber 2009-11-03 3:26 PM

Wish I could!  I just picked up a bike @ Veloswap and am broke. 

Better get used to listening to music instead of watching TV - this is only going to get more fun. 

Sorry, wrong terminology -- I manually enter it under workouts.   Takes a few minutes but it's worth it, imo.  Then you have the workouts as long as you have the garmin