David Yang said:

Who else wears bike kit as a base layer while shoveling snow? 

Come at me bro

That suuuuuuuuuuucks.

I got a little somthin-somthin for ya

During the workout, I feel all like:


Post-workout, after I look at the actual power numbers:

I did my first intervals in several months yesterday. More or less devolved immediately into this... but on the bike.

I'm sick..went into an FTP test not feeling great but wanted to follow the new training plan schedule.  I can't follow these plans...I ride hard when I feel good and do recovery rides when I don't.  It's that simple.  Whenever I try to follow the scheduled rides/intervals I either get sick or blow out my knee...I'm old and my body is busted and janky

twoyacks said:

I'm sick..went into an FTP test not feeling great but wanted to follow the new training plan schedule.  I can't follow these plans...I ride hard when I feel good and do recovery rides when I don't.  It's that simple.  Whenever I try to follow the scheduled rides/intervals I either get sick or blow out my knee...I'm old and my body is busted and janky

Move the plan around. There is some logic to the way they are organized, but if the weather sucks or you need a recovery day, just move the hard workouts around, and put them when they make sense to you. 

^ What Eloy said. I am always moving workouts around my to fit my life, schedule, health, whatever

^third that. Other than not doing multiple hard days in a row you can really mix & match within a week. Also - and this may be a #duh comment but the meat & potatoes workouts are usually pretty easy to spot. Do those when you're feeling good.

Me today, after a mere 90 minutes. So sad.

after an, ahem, rather extended hiatus from "training", and having finally set up on kickr/zwift etc... i find the ftp test to be waaaaay more challenging than i remember from a few (more than 2?) years ago endurancewerx... does anyone else find the kickr/zwift setup to be "under reporting" the watts? (he asked hopefully...)

McKay Duncan said:

does anyone else find the kickr/zwift setup to be "under reporting" the watts? (he asked hopefully...)

Did you do a spin-down, to calibrate the kickr, prior to the test?  if not, it may be under/over reporting.

generally, no. Zwift does not under report. Calibration as Scott suggested would help.

If you have a power meter on your bike, you can use that instead of the kickr --- this way the same meter is used inside and outside. That how I originally set up zwift:

• Stages is power source
• Wahoo Tickr is HR Source
• Stages is cadence source
• Kickr is controllable trainer (so zwift controls resistance, but its power output is not relevant)

Now for a dose of reality: Generally, no one can sustain the same power inside that they do outside. Think as big as 15-20% less -- this is 20 to 50 to 60 watts less inside.

More reality: if you have not been training, there's a decent chance your FTP is much lower than before --- Zwift FTP test uses an assumed FTP, that precisely because you have not been training, might be waaay tooo high. For the first test: Do the five minutes, and 20 minutes as hard as you can hold them, but you gotta ignore the zwift numbers.

More reality: FTP tests are stupid hard. 

STUPID HARD.

Sometimes it makes sense to ride around by feel/perceived exertion for a week or two (or six) and then do an FTP test. It will still be stupid hard.

I get training plans that start with a test, as you have to set a benchmark parameter. But crap wut? let's start with the hardest possible effort?!? F*ck that.

Ride around, get a little fitness, then jump into a training plan and test.

twoyacks said:

"Now for a dose of reality: Generally, no one can sustain the same power inside that they do outside. Think as big as 15-20% less -- this is 20 to 50 to 60 watts less inside."
amen to that

#YMMV

I have found that (for me) it really depends on two things:

1) how often you ride indoors. If it's rare then yes you're going to have a steep discount, but practice can close the gap

2) how good your ventilation/cooling system is. Remember heat is the enemy and once you start to overheat you're fucked

right then... back to the pit of suffering...

cave of despair

I have 2 fans and would add a 3rd if it were socially acceptable. 

David Yang said:

I have 2 fans and would add a 3rd if it were socially acceptable. 

I still need a fan

Jules said:

I still need a fan

Can't you open a window? Are you in a hermetically sealed room? Isn't it 8 degrees in your neck of the woods?

^ I can't deal with a -7 degree breeze when I'm soaking wet on the trainer. It's like taking an arrow to the knee except it's more like an ice javelin to my junk.

It's not open yet, so there's a movement afoot to make the New Tappan Zee Bridge Bike Path open 24/7

https://biketarrytown.org/tappan-zee-bridge/

Can't hurt to support it.

How did I not know about the existence of this...this...magnificent sounding event???

https://deadspin.com/bike-race-course-goes-directly-through-mans-living-room-1822968711

Book Across the Bay Race Report

Ok, so it's been a looong time since I pinned on a number but yesterday (last night) I reset that timer. The locals here love a nearby race called "book across the bay" where you ski 10km across a frozen portion of Lake Superior at night.



The path is lit entirely by luminaries which is really something.



We started in a way too conservative wave but this being our first ever XC race it seemed smarter than getting trampled by the elites.

Starting at the back meant it was almost 3km of the pokey crowds pictured above before we got to wide open snow and could really "book."

It was mostly "V2 Alternate" practice for me for the next 7km.

My skills are still pretty "novice" but I know how to suffer so I pretty much went full gas for the rest of the way; was dripping sweat by the end to spite the chilly temps.

HR seems to agree. The lull in the middle is where I stopped to grab my bottle out of my back pocket - hot tip - cycling jackets work great for xc skiing, with the added benefit of plenty of strangers asking "what is Kiss-enah?"



Next up is some more time on the trainer preparing for the Fat Bike Birkie - billed as the world's largest Fat Bike race.

Morning after status is "Beaten with a bag of hammers."

I didn't mention the fireworks or the fire breathing snow dragon, but they were there...

https://www.facebook.com/BATBwi/videos/10155019972926104/

Results, bro: I'll take a top 20 finish out of 200+ in my first race ever... 

@Jules

^ I saw this but not really sure it'd be that helpful. The toughest thing I deal with is losing my front wheel. I ride studded 5" tires and that skid-of-deth doesn't look like it would make life better. I wonder if it's a downhill thing?

Yeah from the videos I've seen that thing is for groomed downhill trails

In my experience when the snow is fresh and deep, wide tires don't save you.  You need to do a pass to tamp it all down first, ideally with a snowmachine and a trailer...

Brendan Rigby said:

Yeah from the videos I've seen that thing is for groomed downhill trails

In my experience when the snow is fresh and deep, wide tires don't save you.  You need to do a pass to tamp it all down first, ideally with a snowmachine and a trailer...

Yes all the trails around here are groomed and they post updates as to the ideal tire pressure for the day. When they post 2-4psi I know it's still pretty fluffy. After a day or so it packs down nice.

Sadly today I'm off to the trainer... think I'll finally give that Planet of the Apes movie a go. Wish me luck.