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Each SS block should be ramped in intensity from previous block. Never repeat the same HIT blocks. But yeah, always more base than HIT/SS. That's endurance athlete training 101. Be willing to experiment, pay attention to fatigue/Whoop/PRV what have you.
I hadn't intended on building a specific program for you. I'm not a coach and I would caution you to not confuse my attempts at conceptualizations and hypothetical plans with specific plans from folks that wen to school for this stuff.
My take is that these (non-athlete specific) online training programs are a product. As such, I'm always a bit suspect in how and why they build their programs.
In the simplest terms, any plan that has an amateur doing 2-4 days of HIT every week for a few months goes against everything I have come to understand in my research and own experimentation. Gotta find ways to build your aerobic engine with high volume then spice with with short blocks of HIT.
Anyone who’s almost twice my age and can drop me anywhere deserves some listening to, and I’m trying to understand your concepts, wasn’t expecting you to build out a plan for me. I guess another option is
TB1 upped to 10hr week> 1 week Vo2 and endurance to hit same 10hr > TB2 upped to 10hrs a week > 1 week Vo2 and endurance to hit same 10hr > TB3 > 1 week Vo2.
TB3 has more intensity than I’d expect from being focused on volume over intensity but those 1 week Vo2 breaks between base might help. Maybe it makes more sense to run through TB2 twice and not do TB3 since it ups intensity a good bit?
with the above I’d get the volume and be able to “shock the system” with intensity every 4 weeks, then dive back into volume.
Anyone who’s almost twice my age and can drop me anywhere deserves some listening to, and I’m trying to understand your concepts, wasn’t expecting you to build out a plan for me. I guess another option is
TB1 upped to 10hr week> 1 week Vo2 and endurance to hit same 10hr > TB2 upped to 10hrs a week > 1 week Vo2 and endurance to hit same 10hr > TB3 > 1 week Vo2.
TB3 has more intensity than I’d expect from being focused on volume over intensity but those 1 week Vo2 breaks between base might help. Maybe it makes more sense to run through TB2 twice and not do TB3 since it ups intensity a good bit?
with the above I’d get the volume and be able to “shock the system” with intensity every 4 weeks, then dive back into volume.
I like that idea. That's the definition of polarization. One or the other. That's what the body responds to. A lot of this then a lot of that. But keeping the volume as high as possible is key. That's what separates the pros from the schmoes.
As your fitness builds, you be able to tolerate more training load so adjust as needed.
I like that idea. That's the definition of polarization. One or the other. That's what the body responds to. A lot of this then a lot of that. But keeping the volume as high as possible is key. That's what separates the pros from the schmoes.
As your fitness builds, you be able to tolerate more training load so adjust as needed.
Cool, glad i feel like I’m getting the jist now. So it seems then that pulling weeks from SSB or the Build phase wouldn’t be polarized enough compared to the more tame traditional base plans. And seeing as how TB3 doesn’t seem to really fit in with the traditional base methodology, maybe I could run through TB1, then TB2 twice, and then TB3 at the end, all separated by a week or two of HIT work between bases.
I found a podcast that I rather like, they seem to hit all the subjects I've been interested in related to cycling performance. https://www.fasttalklabs.com/fasttalk/
If you're serious about your training and are not already subscribed to his channel, I recommend doing so. Dylan Johnson breaks down a lot of important training concepts in a way that makes it easy for the non-nerd to understand. This latest video is basically what I've been talking about for the last few posts, block periodization.
I just found out about Dylan's channel not too long ago. You're right, he's got some excellent breakdowns on there to help you develop a training plan. I've been learning a lot.
Emilio, do you have any experience with "sweet spot" training? Now that it's dark by the time I get home from work, I've been trying to hit the trainer a few nights a week while getting in some 2-3 hour rides on the weekend. After reading up on sweet spot specific intervals (88%-94% of FTP), I've been experimenting with them on the trainer. So far the results have been pretty good. I'm mainly just looking to maintain some form during the week so that when I head out on the weekend I can still keep up with a decent pace.
No specific work focused on what others would call Sweet Spot. Looking at it more, I see that it is something that I incorporate in my training without specifically meaning to do so. I tend to think in terms of lactic acid, whether I'm below or above sustainable threshold. In general I don't spend a lot of time there. Usually at LT 2 which would be a bit below that.
Same here, I often find myself spending a good bit of time in that area that's just below threshold, whether I mean to or not.
Here's a good table from Coggan's book that shows the benefits of spending more time in that upper zone 3 to lower zone 4 relative to all other zones, FWIW.
My custom wheelset shipped. I’m stoked. This should get my cross bike below 18lbs.
1319g
EIE ARG35TC30
30/24mm
12/12TA novatec hubs, 6 bolt
pillar aero spokes
stealth black nips and no decals.
11-46 XT cassette already waiting, 140/140 rotors ready to go.
Planning 40c Continental Terra Speeds(best option IMO) or Kenda Alluvium Pro(local company, local group discount)
Yea the new trend of black bikes (especially matte black, sorry Tim), really doesn’t do much for me. Every time I look down this thing is telling me to go faster. Wish it was an SLR but that was too expensive and the SL is damn comfy too
I completely agree but my black bikes were all too good to pass up.
I'm just starting to get into cycling as a fitness and fun activity. I have a strange motivation to get off my butt in this work-from-home case study and the garage is becoming too cold on most weekends to work on the car. Of course, I pick it up right as the snow starts in Colorado, but we happen to have a treadmill and cheap wheel-on fluid trainer in our "pain cave" my wife can train for triathlons. Using Garmin speed and cadence sensors on the trainer and my free zwift trial just expired so I'm deciding if netflix will be motivating enough.
Started out with a Centurion Lemans my dad bought in the 70s which I used through college. Horrible shifting and might have had a few tip overs on the way home from a bar. Also my large feet would sometimes hit the front wheel and I could easily drag a pedal with minimal lean.
Needed a bike for casual usage and camping trips and was encouraged not to fix up the old bike by people that know better. Landed on a Trek FX3 and it's been great for quick errands sight seeing. I actually bought a Trek FX 7.3 on craigslist before this and noticed a mismatched wheel and a few other minor things I couldn't fix without substantial cost so I sold it for what I paid and bought new.
I would like to do more outdoor riding but winter is upon us and the 5 pm sunset sucks. I've been relegated to trying to ride the trainer every other day and hope 1 of the weekend days is good enough for a ride. I also ventured into clipless pedals last week and I'm batting 1 for 1 so far (1 fall during my 1 ride). I'm not trying to maximize cycling performance like some of you but a century ride sounds like a good obtainable goal for next year for my fat man stuffed in a lycra casing body type.
I told myself I could buy a real road bike if I make it through the winter with motivation and progress. Currently thinking an aluminum frame "endurance" bike with a 105 group set would be good for me. Casually eyeing a Trek Domane AL 5 Disc or Canyon Endurace AL Disc 7.0 but it's a good thing inventory is low or I might find a reason to buy sooner.
I'm just starting to get into cycling as a fitness and fun activity.
I would like to do more outdoor riding but winter is upon us and the 5 pm sunset sucks.
. I'm not trying to maximize cycling performance like some of you but a century ride sounds like a good obtainable goal for next year for my fat man stuffed in a lycra casing body type.
I told myself I could buy a real road bike if I make it through the winter with motivation and progress. Currently thinking an aluminum frame "endurance" bike with a 105 group set would be good for me. Casually eyeing a Trek Domane AL 5 Disc or Canyon Endurace AL Disc 7.0 but it's a good thing inventory is low or I might find a reason to buy sooner.
A few broader ideas to help narrow it down.
Flat bars best for rugged terrain (hiking trails) and short rides.
Drop bars more comfortable for longer rides and still fine for dirt roads and occasional hiking trails
Gearing: Go as low as you can find. You will never run out of gearing on the top end. You will however, always want lower gears for altitude and hills where you live.
Plug each bike you're looking at into this calc https://www.bikecalc.com/gear_inches
Tubeless: Tubes suck. Too low pressure and you'll pinch flat on sharp bumps. Even the tiniest invisible hold ends your ride. Tubeless doesn't pinch. Tiny holes self seal. Tubeless has less rolling resistance. because you can run much lower pressure, ride quality and traction are greatly improved.
Make sure whatever you get has tubeless compatible wheels. TL tires can be added later if the OEM tires are TT(tube type) and not TL (tubeless).
Tire size: If you know for sure you will never ride on dirt, I'd suggest 28-32c. That's 28-32mm wide tires. If you think you might venture onto dirt occasionally, 32-35c. If you think you will do quite a bit of dirt, 40-42c. If 100% dirt with lots of hiking trails, an MTB with 2.3" wide tires. Always err on the "too wide" side.
Too wide is just a bit more rolling drag but better comfort, puncture resistance and traction.
Frame material: Aluminum will be way lighter than steel, worth it. Carbon will be way lighter than AL and ride better, but is not cheap. If it's in the budget, go carbon. AL is the 80/20 of bike frames.
Frame design: sloping top tube highly recommended. Lighter and the longer seatpost will flex more which greatly improves ride quality. Sloping TT is where top tube of frame is much higher near head tube junction than seat tube. As opposed to bikes where top tube is roughly level, parallel to ground.
Shifters/drivetrain: Stick to Shimano or SRAM. Drivetrains are marketed in "groups" by model. Example SRAM Rival group is heavier, a bit less precise and costs less than SRAM Force. Both brands have like 5 group levels, levers 2-3 being excellent. Shimano 105, Ultegra /GRX and SRAM Rival & Force. Below that is a big drop. Heavier, less precise.
Fenders & racks: If you think you might eventually ride, or at least prepare for inclement weather, you'll want fender mounts on the frame. Universal fenders with clamps suck. Integrated fenders or racks for standard mounts are dope.
Clipless pedals: No downside once you get used to it. Pro tip, first 3 rides stay 100% focused on twisting fit as you roll to a stop. Otherwise you'll forget and as you tip over your instinct to lift foot off pedal will be met with sadness. After 2-3 rides, twisting to release will become automatic.
If you will use bike for errands, buy commuter or MTB shoes/pedals with soles meant for walking. Road specific shoes and pedals are a bad idea for errands as they're harder to click in ad walk in.
Lights: Not part of the bike but always have front and rear blinking LED DRL's regardless of time of day. They may save your life. Not to be confused with an actual headlight for riding at night, which is much more powerful and continuous.
Gravel bike is the most versatile. MTB the most comfy and stable for hiking trails or <20 minute rides in the city. I wouldn't recommend a road bike unless its an endurance design with rack mounts and clearance for 32c tires at least.
Any recovery on bicycle stock levels in the states yet? I'm trying to find a bicycle shop that both has a semi-decent gravel bike in stock and is willing and able to ship it via USPS to an APO address. I was hoping to find something in the 56cm range for around $600-$700 - maybe $900ish plus shipping, but it seems like everything under about $2300 is completely dried up. The only bikes I can get my hands on out here are sub-$200 department store mountain bikes. I've got miles of beautiful low-traffic hard pack out here, and no way to really enjoy it.
New GoPro Hero 9. Hypersmooth, 2.7K, 60fps. horizon leveling. Faceplate mount on Zipp Speed SL stem. Still haven't figured out how to export from Adobe Premier Pro and preserve the image quality. 11mbps bitrate but it looks meh.
Original video on a machine in our shop with a good enough graphics card and it looks amazing. Gotta figure that out. Image stabilization is surreal.
No ride metrics since I'm shutting camera off between shots to conserve battery. Only runs about an hour on standby mode. No easy way to sync sensor data (HR/Power/GPS/Elevation/Gradient/Cadence/Map)
to all the clips. Bike is my 2020 Trek Domane SLR with Pro Endurance geometry, 40C Pirelli Gravel H at 30/32psi, Dura Ace Di2, 46/34x11-40
Edited the 4:56 section on Coyote Run with data overlay and full resolution. Only device I own that will play it properly now is my 4k smart tv. VIRB edit
Circuit race in April. With about 10k to go, I bridged across to two guys that had about a 15s gap on the field. Worked with them, stayed away and won the sprint. I'm not a sprinter, so that was especially gratifying.
So aero
A few meters from the line, uphill and into a headwind. Ouch.
Great article by a local ex-pro triathlete Jordan Rapp on polarized training and having a qualitative vs purely quantitative approach.
If you haven't guessed, I think "sweet spot" / zone 3 heavy training plans are a scourge.
I ended up picking up a Domane SL5 at the end of 2020.
I was going to use it as a carrot to get through winter training with motivation, but the bike shortage made me pull the trigger on it early when I found the correct size locally. CO is a gold mine for bike parts on craigslist so I've almost upgraded it to a SL7 spec on the cheap.
Bontrager XXX carbon handle bars, Bontrager Aeolus Pro 3V carbon wheels, Bontrager Pro Stem, GP5000 tubeless tires, XTR rotors (cause lightweight), Power2Max power meter.
So many less parts to upgrade on a bike than a car so I think I'm done. The only thing left would be electronic shifting and I'm a long way from sourcing good quality used parts for that undertaking let along finding new stock. It's been fun learning bikes.
I've been training for the Denver Century ride in September, and I have my first ever group event in 2 weeks. 62 mile Elephant Rock ride. I did a 70 mile ride last weekend with 6,600 ft of elevation gain which is significantly more than the Elephant Rock route so I'm feeling pretty confident. Kickr indoor trainer with Sufferfest has been great at getting me from almost zero to this point. I've also lost 25 pounds since November and just dipped below 200 on the scale today for the first time in at least 10 years. Longer term goal is 185 lb.
It's also taken a toll on my car rebuild which basically has stalled since I picked up biking.
10-13-2020, 04:27 PM
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