Testing, Testing, 1,2,3...

Trying to keep up with the blogs is harder work than I thought, thinking of something to put down on (virtual) paper while being at the very least interesting and if I can summon something funny to add is no mean feat.

With that in mind here we go again...  Last week I was back at York Cycleworks to see Coach Rob (New official name), after a poor test in December we were keen to get another one in to see if it was a one off, or if indeed I had gone backwards from the first.  

There is a funny thing about fitness / power testing, and that is that no matter how strong you are it is still horrendous, it starts easy enough but with every 2 mins comes 20watts more resistance and soon the legs are full of lactic and you are trying to suck in air through every orifice, that said there is a love / hate relationship it gives you quite a buzz.

This time though the results were more positive the loading work that I had been doing late in 2015 seems to have worked, overall power is up, although we have lost some efficiency and fitness, which was expected.

So what has caused this to change so much since last time, well one big factor is weight, I was nearly 89kgs at the last test, this time I was closer 84kgs, I had over indulged in December, I am thinking of starting a blog "things coaches shouldn't say to me", as being told not to worry about your weight and ensure you have the energy resources to do the sessions is translated by my brain as eat everything in sight and use carb loading as an excuse!! 

Still back on the trail of a strong start to 2016, we have 4 weeks until the first race, I am hoping by then to be at about 83kgs which will give me a watts per kg of 4.64, assuming my power stays the same, which is about where I ended the 2015 season.

One of my sessions was also my first outing on the TT bike, after riding the winter bike the position is a bit of a shock, from relaxed relatively upright to bent over double and looking out of the top of my head, it is an awkward position but one I soon got used to.  The biggest issue was my gears, I set off assuming all would be well but after the first 5mins I was just about ready to throw the thing in a field, the gears were not working, the rear mech was simply not moving, I am assuming due to lack of use, but its frustrating none the less.  I stopped, gave it a firm "wiggling" and managed to get it to a point where I had the use of some gears, so set off again.  This is why its crucial to ride all your bikes before you race then, you just cannot be sure what has happened in the garage over a long winter hanging about. 

The session was a 60min TT effort, which after a tough day in the hills was a hard session, trying to maintain FTP for 60mins is brutal and it takes time to remember the hurt, needless to say I didn't manage it, something I am blaming on my bike, obviously!

I managed to average 24mph, and my HR was around zone 3 for the ride, so that does mean that on fresher legs I should be in reasonable shape, I also decided that I need to see the speed I am going as that is a real motivator for me, and I tend to target a specific speed which makes me work harder, so next time I will be looking at speed alongside power.

I have also ordered a thing 20mm rear tyre, my TT bike wont take a wider one for some reason, so I had to run my disc for the above ride and you do feel a bit of a div on a training ride with that on, at least I refrained from wearing the skinsuit.... one to save for racing only!!

Looking to the future, consistent training may become more difficult, my daughter is due to start nursery in May and my wife to go back to work, she is also training again so I can foresee a time where there are some early starts on the turbo to make sure I can do the nursery run, and the rides to work which have been working for me so far may have to be dropped off for a while.

I certainly don't begrudge it, but I am mindful of what it might mean and I am giving some thought to how best to manage that transition.  

Its the small things that make it...

This past weekend was one where I enjoyed the little things, spending time with the little one, my wife and making the most of some time out on the bike.

This Sunday was a really cold morning, I had 2 hours to do and was out before sunrise, it made for a cold ride with an average temp of -4 degrees, this meant that drinking from my water bottle became increasingly challenging...

 That said I saw some fantastic sights, including an Owl, a deer some Hares, rabbits and a beautifull sunrise...

  

For me it was a reminder that small moments are what make it worthwhile and that its the small things that keep us going,

Random ponderings

For a little while I have been trying to think of something insightful and ideally interesting to write, but needless to say I have been struggling a bit.  The CX season for me is over, I am wondering whether to sell my CX bike and more recently its been all about training.

One marginally interesting thing is that I am now only 7 weeks or so away from by first 10mile TT of the year, this is on the V910, its not a flat course but you could hardly call it hilly either, this is a good benchmark race for me as last year when I had only just started coaching i did a 23:24 for 6th overall, a result that I was relatively pleased with at the time.  

Its a good early season race, not too serious that it attracts the really big guns but big enough to get a benchmark and one I would advise people to have a go at, although its always cold and windy so leg and arm warmers are probably needed - If anyone wants to ask anything about it let me know!

I am hopeful that I will better that this year, although I have some reservations, I am currently 7kgs heavier than I was this time last year, I expect that I can drop some of this off in the run up but getting down to 80kgs will be unlikely but on the flip side I am carrying form from last season so it should be an interesting test if nothing else.

Also I have been getting the miles in when I can, now into "base" its about getting some endurance in the legs and focusing on that fat burn and at the moment I am getting about 150miles in a week, with a 5 month old at home that feels pretty good given the fact I have to work full time as well!

I also have another test with Rob at York Cycleworks coming up, my last didn't really show the results we were hoping for, but there are so many factors that can influence it that its hard to say why, but one is definitely  my weight, I was at one point up at 89kgs, even losing just 2kgs I can feel the difference and my efforts on the bike are better and I can breath more easily, so with a bot more off th next test in just over a week should be better.

On a different point I was out with a group of guys that also like to race at different amateur levels, and we got on to talking about coaching and how they didn't see how it would work for them as they like to "do their own thing", "can't commit to the hours" and "train with mates", and I must admit its not the first time that I have been in one of these conversations and its an interesting discussion.

Mt come back is always the same, "each to their own" but don't disregard it without first having a discussion with a couple of coaches, I found a couple of interesting things when I first starting a coaching plan, 

1 - I trained less that I did before
2 - A good coach will be able to build in things that you want to do around the goals.

What this meant in real terms is that I had more spare time to spend with my wife (and now child) and I was still able to get out on group rides and enjoy the banter.

The point about committing to the sets / hours is more about a mindset, I know that some are going to be horrible, I will be in pain for the most of it, but most importantly, that at the end there will be benefits, and that is why I like the structure, it tells me what to do and when all I need to do is commit a few hours a week to delivery and for me thats perfect.

Also for me there is a guilt factor that helps motivate me, I am paying for a service, so by not doing the plans I am not getting best value for money, this might not work for everyone but it helps keep me on track, that said I still miss the odd session, sometimes more important things just come up. 

So, have a chat with a coach about coaching if you want to improve or have a specific goal in mind, most will be able set up a plan around your life that will work and it could be less time than you think.

If anyone has anything to ask I could do a Q&A for my next one based on my experience over the last 4-5 years of pedaling bikes.

Cheers
Rich