Improve your cycling power over the winter. (Page 7)

Yesterday I bought shoes and pedles.  The shoes are due in 7-10 days and the pedles are sitting with my name on them.

Our 20th aniversary is wednesday and my wife ask for a trainer like mine, so she can ride tis winter with me.  This should be fun

Joe

It means you commit yourself to do doing the workouts.  Jorge posts the workouts in his blog a week at a time.   But whether or not you do them is on you!

Edited by gopennstate 2009-10-20 8:49 AM

I just picked up a KK road trainer off of Craigslist so I'm all ready to go!  RPE/watts for me (trainer came with the KK power meter, need to research this piece).

I'm in.

When does this start? Where are they posted?

Need to get my trainer sorted out ASAP I guess.

Thanks Jorge.

I'd like to try as well, hrm/rpe

Count me in!  I really need to work on my bike weakness this winter.  I don't have a PM, but can monitor by HR/RPE.

And after Boston's first snow, it's about time I set up the Kurt!

Sounds interesting.  Count me in for HRM.  When is this going to start up?

What is PM?  What is RPE?

Still new to all of this, but am interested.

PM is a power meter which some folks have attached to their bikes/bike trainers that will let you know how much power you are generating/outputting where power is basically equal to a factor of the  force you're generating and the speed at which you're doing so.

RPE is a rating of perceived exertion.  Folks will rate how hard they're working by how they feel and assign it a number.  1 is no real exertion, but a 6 might be somewhat hard to hard.  Some people use an assigned scale like this to determine workouts rather than heart rate zones

These are just different ways to figure out if you're working to the right level of intensity in a given program, and also will help gauge improvement over time.  There are some articles on this site that will tell you more about both if you do a quick search.

Folks, feel free to correct me if I didn't explain either of those right or I missed anything -- I'm still new to all this, too.

Ok people, just as a rehearsal for Nov 2nd when we'll start the thread on the challenge forum; please remember that:

- All the info will be on my blog.
- Any questions regarding the plan should be asked on that thread as well as post improvements, comments, support each other etc. That way we can all share info and learn together.
- I'll answer any questions in that thread but please remember, before you ask make sure you have read the thread and/or blog and the question is not a repeat otherwise will be asking/answering the same questions over and over (like some have done in this thread )
- The plan will officially start on Nov 2nd (Monday) and I'll post the plan each Sunday night for the following week.
- I'll keep the plan in there for those who want to start at a later date.
- You do all the work and log as much training as you want; how much each of us improve will depend on how much training we actually do.
- It might be a good idea to start riding your bike/trainer (if you haven't done so for the past weeks) at least a few times a week between now and Nov 2nd, that way your legs won't be completely untrained by the time we do the 1st round of testing.

12 days until we start!

Edited by JorgeM 2009-10-20 12:38 PM

Edited by chevy57 2009-10-20 12:37 PM

Thanks for doing this.  I'm all set, got my basement all setup.

Kevin

Jorge,

Will the first week (Nov2) be a testing week or do we need to due a power/LT/HR test the week before?

You got me in trouble, Lo-D!!!

Some of us focus & work really hard.  Some of us play Go Fish or Facebook Chat.  Might I suggest if everyone would like max return on investment that you focus & work hard.  Do as I say not as I do.    

Jorge, one request, and you can obviously say no since you're the boss.  Could you post the next weeks workouts on the Saturday night instead?  Just gives a little breathing room to get the workout setup on the trainer software for a Monday morning session.

Erg files are a feature of the Coaching Software (CS) that comes with the computrainer. They refer to it near the bottom of this page:
http://www.racermateinc.com/coaching.asp
and the CS manual that came with your ct describes it further. I think there were some example files in the software too, but I've been editing and creating more of my own copies for so long now I've forgotten where the first one came from. I usually open and run the erg files from the graph mode shown on that link and review the saved sessions in that mode too.

Edited by Micawber 2009-10-20 4:20 PM

As a handy reference when building erg files, I use a spreadsheet to convert various percentages of an inputed FTP (or critical power) value into wattages rounded off to the nearest 5 watt step. Then I print off the spreadsheet list and use that to put actual watt numbers in the erg files from Jorge's percentage based workouts. Once we retest, I just input the new (hopefully) higher FTP in my spreadsheet and reprint a new wattage reference list.

Edited by Micawber 2009-10-20 4:30 PM

Well I am going to pretend I am riding to Deltona Fla.  Since it's winter I might as well see how long it will take me to cover the miles, 1215 from driveway to driveway.

Tommorrow we are shopping for a new LCD/DVD combo, so one fo the TV's is going in the basement. 

Anyone want to pick a wieght to loose by Christmas?  I'll start, I need to drop 17 pounds.  I am going to add this to my ride tracking.

Joe

Thanks a bunch. I will give it a whirl.  Sometimes technically challenged.

I have been creating my own workouts based on whether I want a flat recovery or I am riding for time, but I have done it the cheating way on the main screen.  Haven't tried the erg yet . . . can't be too hard.  If I was able to set up the CT on my own I can do this.

One more for the group, doing it the HR/RPE way.

Now, can anyone point me towards something like this for RUNNING?
I need that too.

Thx in advance!

I recently started a run program for a Thanksgiving Day 5k and have been totally neglecting my biking lately...  I'm all over this, I can certainly do an hour three nights a week in the garage.  I'm looking forward to achieving 205 power gains in a weekend.    Thanks Jorge!