Clifton CC Discussion Board

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by justsweat Tue May 12, 2009 8:33 am
As some of you may know I have been going to a lab to get tested over the last 5 months to measure what improvements I'm getting from the amount of training I'm putting in. Unlike field testing ie TT's this takes away a lot of the variables (Saturday was a field test, 13.1 Clifton Open) where the wind made me 51 seconds slower due to the strength of the wind, whilst I feel I'm in much better shape than last year.

My training has been around 1,000 miles a month for the last 6 months with an increase to 1300 miles due to coaching on camps in April, these included 5 TT's and lots of large climbs.

Remember I am training for RAAM 09, although this due to the state of the economy may slip back to 2010. So what I am trying to increase is the wattage I can put out for ever, or at least for around 10 hours at a time, so long as the right amount of carbs are going through the gut.

Also we have increased the length of the stages from 3 minutes to 4 minutes this time as it was not about going to VO2 max but about locating what HR/power I will be able to ride RAAM at. The table seems to bunch up but I think you can read it?

24/11/09 02/03/09 11/05/09
Power Lactate HR Lactate HR Lactate HR
120 1.2 126 1.4 117 2.0 115
140 1.7 130 1.2 121 1.7 121
160 1.7 137 1.8 126 1.7 131
180 3.0 147 2.4 138 1.8 138
200 4.0 158 3.8 148 3.0 144
220 6.1 166 4.6 156 4.0 153
240 9.3 168 7.1 164 5.2 161
260 Didn't reach 9.8 172 7.8 176
280 Didn't reach 13.3 181

The power I'm really interested in is between 180 watts and 220 watts, if you look at the first test in November 180 watts was where I produced 3.0 mmls of lactic acid (it is actually 184 watts) by yesterday at the same mml I was able at 214 watts (actual reading) so over the last 5 months I have managed to increase my wattage at lactate threshold (first turn point) by 30 watts.

On Sunday I have a 50 mile TT followed by a big week in Lanzarote (aiming for 800 miles) then arrive back at 2am on the 25th May and hopefully will be racing the Anfield 100 at 6am the same morning. Then the Grimpeur the next Saturday.

The following Monday I have my last test before (if we get the funding) flying off to the states. I am hoping for the final test to hit over the 220 watts mark at 3.0mml.

I'm pretty pleased with the progress but of course would like it to be faster (the plaintive cry of the athlete)

Brian

by tomf Thu May 14, 2009 10:53 am
Brian, hope this looks like the table you were after!
Code: Select all
     24/11/2009   02/03/2009  11/05/2009   
Pwr   Lact   HR   Lact   HR   Lact   HR
120   1.2   126   1.4   117   2.0   115
140   1.7   130   1.2   121   1.7   121
160   1.7   137   1.8   126   1.7   131
180   3.0   147   2.4   138   1.8   138
200   4.0   158   3.8   148   3.0   144
220   6.1   166   4.6   156   4.0   153
240   9.3   168   7.1   164   5.2   161
260   Didn't rc   9.8   172   7.8   176
280   Didn't rc   13.3   181      

It's an interesting table. The first two rows seem pretty noisy; lactate decreasing at higher power on two tests.
After that there's a real contrast in the changes in HR vs Lactate for given power.
Looking at 160-240 Watts where the data are complete, between the first and second tests you lost an average 8.8bpm for given power; between the second and third the HR decrease averaged 1bpm.
The changes in lactate@power were much steadier: average improvement of .88mml between first two tests versus .8 between second and third. They're impressive gains whichever way you look at it.

It's the opposite of what I would have predicted if you were following a conventional distance-followed-by-speed training program, but given this is RAAM maybe you're doing something rather more tailored!

Given you're after "wattage I can put out for ever", how do you choose the critical lactate level? Ie. is 3.0mml what you know is tolerable, so you want to maximise power at this level, or do you also want to improve your lactate reabsorbtion so that eg you can sustain 3.5mml "for ever"?

I could just imagine a longer test where you try to find the 'maximum power for steady state' ie max level you can maintain for hours without lactate running away...
tom

by justsweat Thu May 14, 2009 11:23 am
Yes I'm pleased with the gains.

And thanks for sorting out the table as it always crushes up on the forum pages (I also crossed HR & mml).

If you look at the tables my HR at 148 is actually what I can maintain for ever, when putting in the right about of carbs. Ever since I was first tested in 2001 this seems to have been the HR I have come out with, all I'm really doing is trying to increase the wattage that I can hold at this HR.

Matt Wilson who is the physiologist who's helping me and I came out with a plan to improve various things.

1. Firstly because I lack natural power therefore I am more of a natural distance runner (1h 18m half marathon pb) than cyclist. We have worked to increase this in the limited time we have. Whilst in Mallorca I rode a lot of mountains quite hard. Lots of thes have been done at the second turn point which is around 158HR.

I have also been doing half hour sessions at this HR in the middle of longer rides.

This works both on the amount of lactate I can reabsorb and use.

2. We then wanted to work on power, to do this first and formost I have done TT's, where I'm pushing as big a gear as fast as I can. This also helps with lactate buffering.

3. We need to make sure I can sit on a bike day in day out. This is really the crux of the matter as it does not matter how much power I have if I can't sit there and apply it.

If the funding does not come through (which is lookinglikely now) then for 2010 I will carry this on, plus add in weights to increase the power to where I should be able to hold 230 watts at 148 hr.

The rest of the training will include riding 12/24 and probably the end to end there and back, so will start at York and finish at York (point to point 802 miles but normally comes out about 900, so 1800 miles in total).

This I believe will allow me to ride under 10 days than the 11 I am looking to aim for if I do it this year.

Brian

by tomf Thu May 14, 2009 1:14 pm
So you set the training zone on your HRM to 147-149 and just go :wink: .

It's quite a daunting training volume when you're not even certain you get to race. I hope it goes well, otherwise are there any ultra-distance events in the UK you can put this conditioning to use on?
tom

by justsweat Thu May 14, 2009 2:22 pm
Yes, I will use the longer events to build for next year. However your right it is hard to put another 13 months in, however I have done it before in 2005 we lost funding, but managed to go and do it in 2006. Thankfully racing last year has left me with the option to do it up to 2011, although the aim is for me over the next 2 years and then Stacey in 2011, so nothing will be wasted.

What will be will be.

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