kenj's group closed, training hard and having fun!! (Page 38)

I've learned there is far more to training than just putting in time.  We have to vary exertion over the range of our aerobic capacity get the best results.  That means slow tempo efforts, harder efforts near that place where our ability to reduce lactic acid is equal to our rate of producing it and then above that in the anaerobic state where we are stressing to the max.  Just putting in hours on the bike, run or swim and the same speed will not cut it. 

There are three ways to measure exertion.  The oldest method of Real Perceived Exertion.  It was simply a subjective guess measured on a scale of 1 to 20 and later reduced to 1 to 10, 1 being the easier.  4-7 or so is tempo (easy to hard),  8 is the Lactate Threshold and 10 is all out.   Not very accurate. 

Heart rate came along.  It is a good measure once you know your maximum HR, you can set the other zones and train in them.  But many things affect the HR, like whether you're tired, not feeling well, etc.

Watt meters take all guess work out.  They do not care how you feel, only what you do.  They measure precisely the amount of watts you produce.  Through testing, the coach can tell what my functional threshold power is.  I do it by riding a time trial for 20 minutes on a computer operated trainer that sets the resistance of the wheel.  Once that LT power is known, then he can set my tempo rangers, my LT range and my anaerobic (VO2 max) range.  Then he can set workouts like tonight's, 90 mins @ 70% (tempo)... Or Tuesday's VO2 workout that was a killer...3 X 4 mins at 115%, 3 X 3 mins at 125% and 3 X 2 mins @ 130% and 3 X 1 min @ 140%.  Doing those intense workouts actually boost my ability to do longer stronger tempo workouts.  

The hub and wheel and handlebar computer came to $1200 new. Is it worth it?  It is to me.  I have a brief window to accomplish my goal of an Ironman before I start to lose muscle mass due to aging.  To cut the curve, the watt meter has been invaluable.  I've increased my LT level by 36% in two years.  That's pretty unheard of.

It makes my workouts more efficient and I know when I'm done that I have done measurable work instead of just pedaling away miles.  We test every 6 to 8 weeks so I can see improvement.  Of course as my LT level goes up, my workouts get harder. 

I just bought a full Power Tap wireless set up on a very nice race wheel with a matching front wheel PLUS a matching rear wheel without the PT for $1800 on ebay.  If new, it would have cost over $4500.  I can sell the extra wheel with another matching front wheel I have if I want and probably make back nearly enough to pay for the racing set with the PT wheel. I'll probably do that after IM.  Until that, I'll keep everything just in case I need spares.

That's probably more than you wanted to know.  But I love training with the watt meter.  I have always felt like I was getting somewhere.

Thanks Ice, I appreciate the time you took on that.

Congratulations on your improvements!!

Good luck on Sunday!

Go get 'em on Sunday!!!

kenj - 2011-06-11 8:33 AM I am going to do a little bragging this morning!  Decided to do another local 5K this morning. Not sure since I was on the trainer when I decided and had a pretty heavy run week how I would do.  But I finally beat my previous best 5k by 47 seconds!  All this running is finally paying off!

Funny thing, I came in 29th overall and 6th in my AG!  Tough group of fast old guys!  

Congratulations! Way to go!!

That's a considerable jump for a 5k. Well done!!

Burritos for breakfast?

Question for those (Ken) who use Infinit

For the century tomorrow, how do I do the servings?  I know people have concentrated bottles with three or more servings but then what do you do? take sips of that with water or pour a portion of it into another bottle with water?  Do you carry some extra dry stuff with you for later?  I have to cages on my bike and am also going to use an aero bottle.  Any guidance would be GREATLY appreciated!

Good luck and have fun tomorrow. Your training has been great, so now all you need to do is rest, hydrate, and then go out and kick some butt!

Best of luck to Kathleen and Julie! A century is an awfully long way to go. I am impressed!!

My 10K is actually a pretty big deal for me. It is a big local event, and it is the race that got me started. 8 or 9 years ago I had lost about 40 pounds and a guy I know told me I should run the "Classic 10K". I figured I would be one and done just so I could say I did it, but I had so much fun I kept it up and here I am today. My wife is going to walk the 5K, and it's the first time she has done an event like this, so maybe she will get the bug also.

Best of luck for a PR and a bug

I messed up. I'd wanted to get into a Woodstock race Saturday that was 500m/20k/4k, but the weather was forecast to be bad, so delayed to what I thought was the same race Sunday. It wasn't. Today's was 750m/30k/7k, all distances I've never done in a race. C'est la vie, this is how we learn, right?

Had three goals: finish without the use of a defibrilator, bike leg at avg. 30k/h, and not walk on the run. Didn't get the middle one (only managed 29.6), but I'll take two outta three. And being firs time at those distances ... they're now all PR's. Time was 2:22 with a decent swim, ride I was happy with and run that was all about pacing and learning (sure as hell wasn't about speed as I got centu-chicked -> chicked a hundred times). No idea what the splits were.

Just wanted to say a BIG thanks for all those with suggestions about my previous swim, you were bang on. MUCH better this time by just doing my own pace from stroke one.

kenj - 2011-06-11 10:33 AM I am going to do a little bragging this morning!  Decided to do another local 5K this morning. Not sure since I was on the trainer when I decided and had a pretty heavy run week how I would do.  But I finally beat my previous best 5k by 47 seconds!  All this running is finally paying off!

Funny thing, I came in 29th overall and 6th in my AG!  Tough group of fast old guys!  

Great job on the PR, Ken!