I’ve been
riding these more and more, and no longer on the
trainer. Nowadays, all the PC
work is happening outdoors and I’m enjoying it
quite a bit. As I’ve mentioned previously, it’s a challenge and makes
even the easy recovery rides interesting because while I’m pedaling
lightly,
I’m still training my muscle memory to fire the fibers in proper
sequence, and
I no longer have issues with the pedal stroke while on PCs. Now it’s all
about
building up stamina to go long distance on them.
The most
recent PC workout was on Tuesday, when I did one
40-minutes set at tempo, averaging about 210 watts at HR of 159 (my zone
3 tops
out at 162). The first five and the last 10 minutes were the hardest.
For the
first five minutes, my hip-flexors were telling me to go “F” myself due
to some
residual soreness, but then the muscles got used to the motion and that
wasn’t
an issue at all. I went through the first 30 minutes without any issues
whatsoever, but as I crawled closer and closer to the 40-minute mark, I
did hit
a few dead spots and heard the familiar clunk. This only happened three
or four
times over the last 10 minutes, but it was still a sign of fatigue,
which
signals two things. First, more time on PCs is needed to build up
stamina.
Second, and most obvious, when I get tired, the pedal stroke gets
sloppy.
The greatest benefit I feel I’m
already getting from
riding on PCs is my climbing feels much more comfortable. I’m not making
a
claim that I’m all of a sudden flying uphill. Given that I’m still in
base, no
serious hill training has yet taken place, but I am saying that my
biomechanics
are working better. I’m having a much easier time relaxing most of my
upper
body and just pedaling from the core. I’m very curious to see what will
happen
once I get to the build phase and actually start doing hill repeats on
PCs.
[Originally published on www.cyclingmusings.com]
[Originally published on www.cyclingmusings.com]
