Rollers!

After a couple of more outdoor rides on the basic cranks I am really seeing the importance of lots of time on the rollers with the product. I spent a few sessions on them in Jan then switched to the trainer exclusively. I found the rollers w/PC's just too difficult at the time. After a couple of weeks off the rollers however, I got back on them and was amazed at the efficiency I now had.

I can't explain this improvement. I wrote above that I see the importance of roller work. I say this because on the road I really feel the lack of efficiency between my left and right pedal strokes.

I have now started to do all indoor workouts on my rollers and outdoor rides to build endurance. Three hr outdoor ride before I leave for Italy in 8 wks is my goal. Starting next week is my Tempo phase building from 30 to 60 min over 3 wks (adding 5 min per session x 3x's/wk) and after a week recovery I will perform 3 weeks of Steady State building from 2-4 sets of 8 min intervals (1:1 W:R) in Wk 1 up to 2-4 sets of 12 min intervals in Week 3.

We'll see what happens. One thing is for sure, the concentration needed for the roller work makes the time spent inside a lot less boring than on the trainer. Oh, if you're going to invest in a set of rollers, don't cheap out. Buy the CycleOps w/aluminum rollers. Little to no vibration in the hands and smooth, smooth, smooth!

2nd Outdoor Ride

Like I mentioned it has/had finally warmed up here. Took Mon off, got in 70 min on the trainer with an hour run on the snowshoes on Tue, and yesterday outdoors 40km on my heavy steel Marinoni with Powertap and PC's. Didn't feel as ackward as my first outdoor ride but the last 5km was brutal. Even on the small grades my hip flexors would fail to the point where just lifting the cranks was tough I had to stop pedaling to rest my flexors after I crested the hill (bump actually). I was very happy to be back home where I double-checked my distance. Turns out I hadn't finished a hard 100km ride that my legs were telling me I had.

Two sessions to put in today. One hr this morning on the snowshoes and then late this afternoon on the trainer for 75 min. I would go out again if it was only going to be -3 but the weather gods are saying gusts of 70k. Oh well, maybe tomorrow. Only 9 weeks to Italy!

Warmer in the East

It has finally warmed up to normal temps here on the East Coast and rideable weather is here. Looking out my window the pavement is bare and no wind. Going snowshoeing for a couple of hours this afternoon though. (my 6 mth old border collie has been climbing the walls as we've only been doing short walks since the cold temps hit).

Just got off the trainer, 70 minutes --- 20 FM, 20 EM, 5min in SS avg 265wts, 5 min rest, 3min in SS (tough, planned to do 5, too early in the training season to start suffering much and I was suffering), finish with 12 min cooldown. Started getting really bored around 20 min. Outdoors this afternoon though and on the rollers tonite for 30min.

Superbowl Sunday

Sixty-six min today. Thought I would do a 5km ITT test today but after a good 20 min warm-up my heartrate was much higher than I expected so I decided it was NOT a good day to attempt a PB. However, I did perform a one minute max wattage test averaging 347 watts and then, after 2 min recovery time, a 30 sec max wattage test averaging 468 watts. (both seated)

I'll repeat those tests a few days after my lab test on Mar 11 and see where I stand. My goal then will be 375 avg wts for one min test and 500 avg wts for 30 sec.

Must admit I've been slack on the PC roller workout this week. Only 10 weeks to Italy and 14 to my first race so its time to get it in. I believe that it will make a huge difference in my riding, control, and wattage numbers.

Anyone else attending the North American Masters RR in Sutton, QC and/or the GMSR in Vermont this season?

What a session!

I have to say I wasn't looking forward to a boring 64 min on my trainer today (still -18 outdoors) but I can't remember the last time I had such a great workout. I teach group bootcamp classes so I was pretty warmed up by the time I got on the bike.

First 50 min was 85 rpm (53x19) and struggled to keep from checking the clock. I was amazed at my HR though because yesterday I averaged 154 but today 146! The first 50 min seemed effortless (leg wise) so I decided to do a 10 min tempo interval and then a 5 min cooldown to finish my session.

Tempo Zone HR - Avg 156, Watts Avg 225, 53/17 @ 85 RPM AVG, RPE - 6/10! Could have done twice that amount but I'm still in EM and only doing one Tempo interval/wk now to be ready for my three times/wk Tempo block starting in a couple of weeks.

-23C w/windchill Arrrrrg!

Taking Andrew's advice I am doing one session per day on my trainer (-23C w/windchill so definately not venturing out) to build endurance. The other session on rollers for 30 min. I am up to 62 min today on my trainer and will be adding two min /day towards my goal of completing a 2hr ride in 5 weeks (before my next lab test).

I am so bored already riding indoors. If the winds diminished, and it warmed up to a respectable -5, and we had more snow, at least I could get out and snowshoe train. So, using TV, race dvd's, music to try to motivate myself but its pure willpower thats getting me through. And, to add insult to injury, most of the groundhogs in the world didn't help much the other day. Maybe in 5 weeks the weather will change.

To help alleviate the boredom, after 30 min at 85 rpm today I mixed it up with a 1 min work at 100+ rpm to 2 min rest period. I know a lot of PC'ers comment that they're feeling it in their glutes and hams but I find it hits my hip flexors so much that by the end of 60 minutes stick a fork in me I'm done! (Hence the only 2 min extra/day).

If anyone is visiting Nova Scotia, Canada this summer and would like to fit in a race or sportif check out my organizing site http://www.breakawaycycling.ca/ for race details.

8 weeks and counting

Got my first set of Powercranks in Dec and using them about 4-6 times per week since. I'm a heavier rider, a sprinter, Master B 46yrs young with my long-term goal of competing and winning at the World's UCI Masters in Austria in 2013 in the 50-52 yr age group.

Started with the PC's as recommended on my indoor trainer at low rpm 60-65. After 8 weeks I'm averaging 85RPM, now using them on my rollers --- with new difficulty. Just when I thought I had made it through the 'learning curve'. Then I went outdoors. A big change going over bumps, around obstacles, braking, both feet at the bottom, and of course transitioning from flat, slowing into a corner to uphill --- thats going to take more work.

I would like to thank Andrew at Powercranks for all his advice and excellent customer service so far. I have my second set of lab testing in 6 weeks so I'm looking to seeing the effect the PC's have had on my training. I had not used them for my first test last Nov.

I did a ride the other day --- the temp had gone up to +, its cold here on the east coast of Canada --- on regular cranks with my training partner (a pure climber). A month ago he left me easily on a 500 m climb where he finished while I was still only two-thirds of the way up. Last week, I was in front of him and powered over the top. Did it seated and felt great.

I'm heading to Italy to train for three weeks in April and can't wait to see what the PC's will do for my cycling and running for this season.