Research and training

After yesterday's rude, yet fun, awakening to my lack of brute power on the bike, I did some research on crit races. As you can see in the image, a typical crit race has power spikes (measured in watts on a power meter fixed to the bike) where the rider (me) is pushing way above limits they could hold for more than 20-30secs. So basically it's true, all-out, full-gas interval training. The research suggests the guys that win spend a greater % of race time at 0 watts (not pedalling) so they're fresher for these power spikes.

Training tonight was designed to boost my power for the 2 slight uphill sections of the Murrarie course where I found it hard to keep up. My race had at least 20 laps, so my training now has to replicate the 40 (20 x 2) power spikes. So I found a hill near my house and did 5 sets of 10sec sprints with 30 secs recovery.

I still covered 21.2km, but there's no way I can replicate the intensity of a race at the moment, so my avg speed was way down.

Total time: 57mins, avg HR 158, 784calories, 35% from fat
Set 1: 79-88% HR MAX
Set 2: 86% max
Set 3: 79-91% max
Set 4: 83-93% max
Set 5: 86-92% max

First race

Okay so saturday was my first criterium race at Murrarie. To be honest I was nervous: I've never done this sort of race before as I'm more suited to long endurance efforts or time trials from my triathlon background, but my training has been quite specific to crits lately so I was relatively confident, especially when they put me in c grade for my first race, and there were some old buggers in the group. But boy could they pull!!!!!!!!!!!!
The race was for 40mins + 3 laps, with sprint prize half way at 20mins.

The pace was quick, real quick, and I just wasn't used to that type of racing. My heartrate was in the 190's, and I thought I was gonna die. so tactically I had to learn to hold back in the group to recover, which I did. Nevertheless, the last lap came around and I stuffed up tactically! I was in 2nd place, so doing all the pulling for the group, and when the first slight uphill hit the fresher blokes zoomed past and I got dropped off the back!!! I managed to pull back the gap and not finish last, but it was a painful and rude awakening. I've got some work to do.

But it was fun, and awesome training. We covered 31.1km in approx 46mins, so our average speed was 37.2km/hr, but we hit 48km/hr.

For that time period I was below my lactate/anaerobic threshold for only 6mins, and above for 42!!!!!!! So it burnt. My avg HR was 187, but I hit my max of 199 at least once. I burnt 899calories!!!!!!

Threshold training

After a series of lactate threshold work, I didn't really feel I was improving in terms of speed etc. Using Karvonen Heart rate reserve method instead of %Max Heart Rate method, my 85% threshold is now 178 instead of 168. This should see me working much harder.

If you're interested in working out your training zones, let me know.

Yesterday did 3 x 10min steady state threshold repeats @ 178bpm with 5mins rest between (only had an hour or so to workout). Real tough workout and I think I overgeared a bit, should focus on spinning higher cadence with slightly less load. So may have counted as a climbing workout. Totals: Avg HR 155 @ 78%max/70% Vo2max, 927calories @40% fat =40g fat burnt.

10km run

Gotta start building the k's up for the Gold Coast half, so last night, 10km run @ relaxed 6min/km pace. 1hr duration with average heart rate 167bpm = just over 75% Vo2max. 887 calories burnt, 35% fat, 35g body fat burnt. That should have burnt off the couple donuts I had. oops!!!

Strength and Conditioning

Bloody hard session yesterday with Fran.
Started with 60kg squats x 12+ 3 pause reps, supersetted with 8 wide grip chinup, then 8 x narrow grip chin ups.
Repeated, but with 80kg for squats. ouch!!!!!!!!!!!!
15 x jump squats
2 x 15 swissball hamstring curls, burning.
5 x 22.5kg DB chest flyes, into 8 x 22.5 DB chest press, supersetted with 22.5kg reverse lunges x 12
Repeated.
I felt sick.

Recovery ride

Easy recovery ride today on spin bike. 30 mins at 60% Vo2max = avg 142bpm. 342 calories, 50% from fat.

Performance training tip

If you're seeking fat loss from your endurance and aerobic training, try this easy tip. According to dieticians from the Brisbane Lions, consuming either 2 cans of V, or 2 No-Doz tablets before an aerobic workout has had considerable effects in terms of fat loss. There are many theories as to why this may work, but studies have shown that consuming caffeine 30 minutes to an hour before workouts results in longer endurance, faster times, less exertion, less fatigue, and more rapid recovery. Furthermore, to a nerve cell, caffeine looks like adenosine, which is an amino acid within the body. This then keeps cyclic AMP active rather than being broken down which maintains the body’s energy supply.

Give it a go! But keep in mind that caffeine is a diuretic so it causes dehydration. Make sure you drink before, during, and after your session. 150-200ml per 15-20mins is recommended.

A wet ride

Yep, in yesterday's dismal weather I went for a long ride. 114km's covered from home at Forest Lake up Mt Coot-tha, then out to Cleveland, then back home via Burbank/Mt Gravatt/Archerfield. Conditions were real slow with the rain and tough headwinds, so my avg speed was down to 26.7km/h. Rode to Mt Coot-tha in 49min26sec, avg HR 157 @ 70%Vo2Max.
Up the mountain fully was 11min, with avg HR 194bpm so I was pushing really hard and felt sick as I was pushing my max of 199 for a substantial part of that. But I took 20secs off my best time as part of my own partial time trial section going up.
Out to Cleveland and home from there took 3h30min with an avg HR of 162bpm @ just under 75% V02max.

All up burnt 3892 calories at 35% from fat = 150g body fat burnt.

With that consistent intensity, plus the 42mins I spend well above my lactate threshold, I'll need a couple days of recovery rides/runs at very low pace and at 60-65%, so around 143-150bpm. This will not induce a training load but will stimulate a speedy active recovery.

Recovery run

Well it wednesday morning, and I awoke to a very sore set of hamstrings and glutes. Was planning a long run this morning (about 10-12k's) but as I set foot out the door and broke into a jog, the legs just didn't feel good. So I decided sanity was the best option and stuck to a 5.6km 'recover' run. I deliberately chose the hilliest circuit I could so my run would be done at low speed but would spike my HR uphill. At 6min/km speed, downhills were easy with my HR about 155bpm = 75%max. Up hills I let it rise to 180-190bpm so about 90-95%max. Not an all out session, but more of a forced interval hill repeat type workout. After 32mins, avg HR 171bpm @ 86%max, 503calories burnt @ 30% fat, so about 15g body fat burnt.

I'm starting to see the benefits, and with some advice from a nutritionist and dietician I've made some changes to my diet, my weight is consistently around 75kg at the moment. So hopefully I'll reach 70-72 with about 10-12% body fat in time for the Gold Coast half marathon and 100km MTB Epic.

Training since last week

Wassup y'all? Man I'm getting bad at keeping you guys updated on my training. Now I have to sit down and remember my training since last week.

Pretty sure since last week's soggy run I started to feel a bit crook again, so I got Fran to take it easy on me during my strength and conditioning session, so we focussed on upper body strength integrated with core.

The remainder of the week was 45min-1.5hr recovery rides. I'm pretty lucky that the Matilda's (Australian female soccer team) came to the gym for a session so I got to shoot the breeze with them in the bike room, and chatting to them about their upcoming qualifying games and training regime.

I decided to skip racing last saturday due to 'inclement' weather, but still went for a 60-odd-k's with Paul from Forest Lake to Toowong for a coffee.

Rested Sunday, but Monday hit the Murrarie criterium circuit hard with a full 'dress-rehearsal' for this weekend. 45mins at lactate threshold + 3 laps flat out. Felt sick at the end. Unfortunately, I forgot my bike computer so no avg speed data etc.

Tuesday was another session with Fran. We designed the following whole-body integrated with core workout. Try this:
Bosu squats with 15kg dumbells
Superset with 15kg DB lunge balance complex (front, side, rear, repeat x 4) each side
Triset: single legged squat with row (low pulley, single leg squat, straighten, then opposite arm pull) x 12-15each side
Repeat

Bench Press: 50kg, 5 x wide, 5 x normal, 5 x close grip
Superset: 20 chest taps + 4 pushups
Triset: 17.5kg DB Romanian deadlift, slow, 3secs down-pause-3secs up
Repeat

Welcome Back!

Hey all. Well it's been a while since my last posting and I haven't kept you all updated on up to date training techniques (you can all use) that I'm using to get leaner and fitter. Since late January, I've let my training become a little more varied as I'm trying to build some upper body strength to get back into swimming. Also, I've let my cycling volume (120km's+ per week) stabilise and I'm now focussing on increasing intensity. My next immediate goal is to start racing for the Ffast Cycling Club at Murrarie, with the hope of beating some of the team boys and getting a spot on one of the sponsored teams such as Virgin Blue etc. So preparations recently have been on speed work and working alternately over and under my lactate threshold to improve my lactate threshold and power/speed. But the last couple weeks saw my intensity drop as fatigue started to set in. Probably a combo of coming down with a cold and overtraining, but either way I've had enough rest and also focussed on 'recovery' rides and now I'm back into it.

As mentioned in previous posts, I've got the Gold Coast half to get ready for, so I've been running a bit lately too. Yesterday was an easy 6k's to clear the lungs after some rest, and tonight was a brisk 9km's. Definitely completed it more comfortably than before and was definitely able to run a lot harder, but my avg HR of 92% @ 183bpm was quite high which annoyed me. Makes me wonder where my speed is capped at the moment. But done in 50min25sec, which by memory is a good 4mins faster than I've done it before. So there's a plus I guess. Still heaps of work to do obviously on building the k's and speed! Totals: 908cals burnt, 20% from fat = 20g body fat burnt. Geez I need it.