2020 Structured Training

[HLaB]

Ive started doing outdoor sessions but I'm still holding back, too many what ifs in my head, I need to mentally kick up a gear. At the moment I am going to sustainably rather than pushing and thus improving. My first 'what ifs' were to do with handling with the new preying mantis position but I think I'm starting to get over that.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Did a three hour ride today. Towards the end a roadie was out of saddle trying to catch me up a hill. I was on my recumbent. I upped my pace then accelerated away from him through a village. He gave chase. But I managed to outpace him and subsequently leave him behind on a flat section. Mind I did average 27 mph for almost 4 minutes and hit 97% of max HR by the end of that! Strava reckons I was at my VO2 max power, over the 4 mins, which would be about right. Good to see figures outside that I usually only see when doing high intensity intervals on turbo.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Ramp test today.

First one since lockdown started, so not for about 14 weeks as last did one beginning of March. My FTP is up 2.6% since April. In April one of my harder workouts indicated a higher FTP due to the sustained wattage I put out in a 20 min period. So overall about up 5% since beginning of March.

About to restart structure to training as there's an Everesting day planned amongst a group of us end of August. We will all be on our own hills, but all doing it on the same day. So I've now got something to train for this year.

 

[Dogtrousers]

About to restart structure to training as there's an Everesting day planned amongst a group of us end of August. We will all be on our own hills, but all doing it on the same day. So I've now got something to train for this year.

OT a bit but will you be Everesting on your recumbent? I know practically nothing about recumbents but I thought they were a bit less than optimal for going uphill. I'm probably wrong, I usually am.

I have a half formed plan to attempt to accumulate half an Everest's worth of climbing in a single day. A whole one would be way beyond my powers. And doing it on one hill doesn't appeal.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

OT a bit but will you be everesting on your recumbent? I know practically nothing about recumbents but I thought they were a bit less than optimal for going uphill. I'm probably wrong, I usually am.

I have a half formed plan to attempt to accumulate half an Everest's worth of climbing in a single day. A whole one would be way beyond my powers. And doing it on one hill doesn't appeal.

Yes I'll be doing it on my recumbent.

You are making the same mistakre many make when it comes to recumbents. Would you say that a butchers bike would be optimal for Everesting? You see a butchers bike is the same as a road bike if you consider them in the class of upright bikes. It's the same with recumbents, there is a lot of variance in their design, weight, stiffness etc.

My recumbent is a racing one, and though it's not pushing the UCI weight limits, it is the same weight as my road bike. For climbing it's about how much power you can get to the back wheel, and weight. For recumbent that's translates to, how light is it, and how stiff is the frame for the power transfer, and are you adapted so you can generate the power? Once adapted to a recumbent you put out just as much power as a road bike. Climbing out of the saddle will not help you be faster on a road bike. You can do that for a few hills but it's not sustainable over the height of Everest. So it comes down to what power you can sustain uphill, when seated, over 88848m of climbing. Given those parameters a racing road bike and a racing recumbent are pretty evenly matched.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Here is my FTP since beginning of the year. I was only trying to maintain fitness during lockdown so quite pleased it has continued to climb, at a slower rate. I'm about to recommence more structure training this week to see if I can push my FTP and sustainable power up further over the rest of the summer. Once we hit autumn my aim will be to keep my fitness in a holding pattern rather than what usually happens, which is to let it drop, only to have to claw it back again the following year.

 

[ColinJ]

OT a bit but will you be Everesting on your recumbent?

Yes I'll be doing it on my recumbent.

I haven't read all of the thread so you may have covered this, but if you want it to be an officially-recognised ride you might have problems!

Accepted Bikes
– Acceptable bikes: Road, MTB, CX, Track, BMX, ElliptiGO. Not acceptable: Electric, Recumbent and Tandem (Exception exist for special circumstances)

 

[Ming the Merciless]

I haven't read all of the thread so you may have covered this, but if you want it to be an officially-recognised ride you might have problems!

Yeah that is bizarre rule and I’m aware of it. I have tweeted them asking their reasoning but no response yet. But doesn’t really matter it’s a personal challenge between a group of friends. On their website list is no biggy. I’m not so much into the public ego type stuff.

 

[Dogtrousers]

Yeah that is bizarre rule and I’m aware of it. I have tweeted them asking their reasoning but no response yet. But doesn’t really matter it’s a personal challenge between a group of friends. On their website list is no biggy. I’m not so much into the public ego type stuff.

Start your own, even more official, challenge. Call it Chomolungma-ing (or Sargamatha-ing) and set your own rules.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Start your own, even more official, challenge. Call it Chomolungma-ing (or Sargamatha-ing) and set your own rules.

You mean Qonolangma for the Tibetan side

 

[ColinJ]

Yeah that is bizarre rule and I’m aware of it. I have tweeted them asking their reasoning but no response yet.

I can see why they don't want ebikers doing it but I can't see the reasoning behind the objection to recumbents since I don't think they offer an advantage for this challenge. I don't really see why tandems should not be allowed either.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

I can see why they don't want ebikers doing it but I can't see the reasoning behind the objection to recumbents since I don't think they offer an advantage for this challenge. I don't really see why tandems should not be allowed either.

If anything recumbent are at a disadvantage as on average they are heavier than road bikes.

 

[Dogtrousers]

If anything recumbent are at a disadvantage as on average they are heavier than road bikes.

You can possibly descend quicker, due to being more aerodynamic. And half the distance will be descending.

 

[ColinJ]

You can possibly descend quicker, due to being more aerodynamic. And half the distance will be descending.

Yes, but speed isn't part of the challenge. Doing the climbing is what it is about, and recumbents would be at a disadvantage, therefore they should be allowed!

 

[Ming the Merciless]

You can possibly descend quicker, due to being more aerodynamic. And half the distance will be descending.

It will not be half the time descending, not by a long way. The majority of time will be climbing and that’s what will pretty much determine the overall average and time. But all other things being equal a longer ascent at same grade will yield a shorter elapsed time.