Sunday, January 29, 2012
Sunday, January 1, 2012
Post Analysis - Block #1
"It's not about the bike". What Lance Armstrong meant was that, to get faster on the bike, one needs to work on the engine; a lighter, faster bike isn't going to do it for you. Actually, I could dispute this. My carbon Masi is probably about 5 kg lighter than my steel framed Bauer and I can average about 2 kph faster on a long ride for the same effort. That's pretty substantial. Nevertheless, to be competitive against your rivals, one must focus on building a stronger engine. Which is precisely the goal I set for myself this Winter.
There are many ways to skin the bike fitness cat. My preferred method is based on the axiom "what gets measured gets done". As such, I rely heavily on my power meter to measure bike performance and a software tool called Training Peaks WKO+ to analyze my performance data. In this blog, I use WKO+ to analyze progress over my first six-week training block. A secondary theme is to see how many quotes I can fit in.
A first principle in building fitness is "progressive overload", otherwise known as "what doesn't kill you makes you stronger". Apply a training stimulus in excess of what the body is used to and the body will overcompensate by getting stronger. In WKO+, training stimulus is expressed in terms of Training Stress Score (TSS). A one hour ride at Functional Threshold Power (FTP) gives a TSS score of 100. To get the same score at a more practical low to mid Endurance pace requires about 2 hours of saddle time. Progressive overload, in these terms, entails a daily TSS in excess of one's recent TSS average.
The blue line in the chart above shows average TSS plotted against time where TSS is averaged over the most recent 42 days with more recent days given more weight. What the line shows is that my Chronic Training Load (CTL) at the end of last season was around 112 TSS. Attempting to introduce progressive overload from such a high starting point is not very practical as it would require progressively greater training stimulus either in the form of more riding or higher intensity resulting in diminishing returns. For this reason, an "unloading" period is required to shed some of the cumulative training load from the previous season. Or, as former FMCT coach Rob McCue would say: "To get in shape, you have to get out of shape". My 3-week unload period enabled me to shed close to 30 TSS (from 112 down to 84) which translates to roughly half an hour less riding per day required to produce an overload. The shedding should have been even greater but I got restless towards the end of my unload period and started to ramp up my training ahead of schedule. In retrospect, I should have shown more patience and let my CTL drop even further; 84 TSS is still somewhat high as an off-season starting point.
The goal for block #1 was not so much to introduce progressive overload this early as to establish a solid base. This is reflected in the blue line of Figure 1 where CTL rises modestly from 84 to 92 TSS before dipping again to only 87 TSS by the end of my recovery week, a cumulative increase of only 3 TSS over 6 weeks. To ensure that my CTL didn't rise too quickly during this base period, most of my rides were in the Endurance range as shown in Figure 2 below.
Figure 2 shows that 75% of my training was in Zone 2 (Endurance) or below with 20% in Zone 3 (Tempo) and only 5% in Zones 4 to 7. My training consisted primarily of one hard ride per week targeting high Tempo range with two rides per week at mid to high Endurance range and 3 or 4 mountain bike rides per week at no specified target. Since I didn't have power data for the mountain bike rides, I estimated TSS using perceived effort and/or heart rate (WKO+ can actually provide an estimate based on estimated intensity factor and duration of workout).
Another important principle in building fitness is "consistency" of training. Figure 3 below shows my weekly TSS for each week of the six-week block.
Figure 3 shows weekly TSS was fairly consistent at around 700 TSS per week with recovery weeks of around 540 and 490 TSS for weeks 3 and 6, respectively. I found a weekly TSS of 700 to be hard enough to provide a good training effect but manageable enough that I didn't feel burnt out at any time during the training block.
Despite a fairly flat CTL (training load), my FTP by the end of block #1 was at or close to what it was at the end of last season. This bodes well for future progress as that important measure of fitness was achieved with a lower overall training load, meaning I have some head room to grow. My goal for block #2 is to increase FTP with some targeted high tempo/low threshold efforts. So time spent on the bike will remain about the same but effort on key workouts will increase. I'm optimistic about realizing solid gains during this next period.
There are many ways to skin the bike fitness cat. My preferred method is based on the axiom "what gets measured gets done". As such, I rely heavily on my power meter to measure bike performance and a software tool called Training Peaks WKO+ to analyze my performance data. In this blog, I use WKO+ to analyze progress over my first six-week training block. A secondary theme is to see how many quotes I can fit in.
A first principle in building fitness is "progressive overload", otherwise known as "what doesn't kill you makes you stronger". Apply a training stimulus in excess of what the body is used to and the body will overcompensate by getting stronger. In WKO+, training stimulus is expressed in terms of Training Stress Score (TSS). A one hour ride at Functional Threshold Power (FTP) gives a TSS score of 100. To get the same score at a more practical low to mid Endurance pace requires about 2 hours of saddle time. Progressive overload, in these terms, entails a daily TSS in excess of one's recent TSS average.
 |
| Figure 1: A plot of average TSS (blue line) against time (horizontal axis). |
The blue line in the chart above shows average TSS plotted against time where TSS is averaged over the most recent 42 days with more recent days given more weight. What the line shows is that my Chronic Training Load (CTL) at the end of last season was around 112 TSS. Attempting to introduce progressive overload from such a high starting point is not very practical as it would require progressively greater training stimulus either in the form of more riding or higher intensity resulting in diminishing returns. For this reason, an "unloading" period is required to shed some of the cumulative training load from the previous season. Or, as former FMCT coach Rob McCue would say: "To get in shape, you have to get out of shape". My 3-week unload period enabled me to shed close to 30 TSS (from 112 down to 84) which translates to roughly half an hour less riding per day required to produce an overload. The shedding should have been even greater but I got restless towards the end of my unload period and started to ramp up my training ahead of schedule. In retrospect, I should have shown more patience and let my CTL drop even further; 84 TSS is still somewhat high as an off-season starting point.
The goal for block #1 was not so much to introduce progressive overload this early as to establish a solid base. This is reflected in the blue line of Figure 1 where CTL rises modestly from 84 to 92 TSS before dipping again to only 87 TSS by the end of my recovery week, a cumulative increase of only 3 TSS over 6 weeks. To ensure that my CTL didn't rise too quickly during this base period, most of my rides were in the Endurance range as shown in Figure 2 below.
 |
| Figure 2: Percent training time in each zone. |
Another important principle in building fitness is "consistency" of training. Figure 3 below shows my weekly TSS for each week of the six-week block.
 |
| Figure 3: Weekly TSS for Block #1. |
Despite a fairly flat CTL (training load), my FTP by the end of block #1 was at or close to what it was at the end of last season. This bodes well for future progress as that important measure of fitness was achieved with a lower overall training load, meaning I have some head room to grow. My goal for block #2 is to increase FTP with some targeted high tempo/low threshold efforts. So time spent on the bike will remain about the same but effort on key workouts will increase. I'm optimistic about realizing solid gains during this next period.
Friday, December 23, 2011
Determining FTP - Test # 2
 |
| Leo's trail. |
The trail where I walk Leo is pretty easy to spot in daylight. Surprisingly, the trail is also not all that hard to spot in the dead of night. What helps to differentiate the trail at night are the different shades of grey that mark the trail from the rest of the ground. A similar analogy can be drawn in determining Functional Threshold Power (FTP).
A problem with using test results to determine FTP are the many variables that can affect the outcome. How "fresh" one is on the day of the test, how motivated, the test environment itself, whether it was done outside or on the trainer, whether there was adequate cooling, all affect the results of the test. Comparing test results is even more difficult when different test protocols are used across tests. So, even though two FTP tests may provide two distinct FTP estimations, sometimes recognition of different shades of grey is required to hone in on a realistic FTP value.
Case in point, here are the results from 2 tests of FTP:
| Date | 5 min | 20 min | FTP* |
| Nov 7, 2011 | 309W | 269W | 255W |
| Dec 14-16, 2011 | 320W | 287W | 276W |
The test results shown above suggest an increase in FTP of 21 Watts in six weeks. While good for the ego, common sense suggests such an increase seems somewhat optimistic. A more likely explanation is that the first and second tests under-estimated and over-estimated FTP, respectively.
There is good reason to think that Test #1 underestimated FTP. The test followed a protocol prescribed in Training and Racing With a Power Meter, shown in the table below:
| warm up |
| 5 min all-out |
| 10 min RI |
| 2x1 min all-out (5 min RI) |
| 3x20 sec all-out (3 min RI) |
| 10 min RI |
| 20 min FTP test |
| cool down |
As you can see from the workout above, by the time the 20 min test is done, the legs have been considerably "softened". In addition, that test was my first effort on the Trainer since last spring; typically indoor power tends to be lower than outdoor power at least initially (see Alex Simmon's blog on this). In this light, common sense suggests this estimate of FTP (95% of 20 min power) was probably low. I'm guessing about 5 Watts low.
Conversely, there is good reason to think that Test #2 over-estimated FTP. This test used a different protocol from Test #1 requiring a 5 min and 20 min test done on separate days and using a Monod Critical Power calculator to estimate FTP. The Monod Critical Power uses two interval readings to extrapolate one's power curve and, according to Alex Simmons, is <snip> "essentially equivalent to FTP (or at least a very good estimate of FTP)" <snip>. A pre-condition for using the Monod Critical Power estimate is that the tested intervals measure one's "best effort" at that interval. For this reason, it is important to test them on separate days so that the first effort doesn't interfere with the second effort.
According to the Monod Critical Power formula, my 5 min and 20 min test results of 320 Watts and 287 Watts, respectively, yield a critical power of 276 Watts. However, the Monod Critical Power formula falls down if either of the tests fails to measure one's true potential at that interval. For example, plugging a lower 5 minute value into the formula actually increases critical power while using a higher 5 minute value lowers it. In my case, I suspect that my 5 minute test was on the low side. Most of my training sessions have been 25 minute intervals; my 5 minute power has been comparatively untrained. Also, my legs felt still somewhat fatigued from my Egg Nog Jog effort. In this light, I'm not convinced that the Monod Critical Power calculation is a good estimate of FTP in my case at this time. A more reasonable estimation of 270 Watts makes more sense.
| Date | 5 min | 20 min | FTP* |
| Nov 7, 2011 | 309W | 269W | 260W |
| Dec 14-16, 2011 | 320W | 287W | 270W |
Taken together, the revised estimates of FTP suggest an increase of 10 Watts over the six weeks; a much more reasonable increase. Both tests above provide ballpark estimates of FTP. But accounting for shades of grey such as discussed above provide more common-sense estimates.
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
2012 Racing Schedule
The OCA has published the tentative 2012 schedule which has allowed me to map out my tentative 2012 schedule. A lot of races to choose from so it won't be an easy decision.
Good = quite likely
Maybe = interested but depends on what Kurzawinski crew are doing
Undecided = schedule conflict; i want to do one or the other.
Good = quite likely
Maybe = interested but depends on what Kurzawinski crew are doing
Undecided = schedule conflict; i want to do one or the other.
Sunday, December 11, 2011
2011 Egg Nog Jog - Race Report
It's generally not a good idea to binge on 5 slices of pizza and 3 glasses of wine the day before a race. The Tums didn't do much, it was a rough night. Thankfully, this indiscretion didn't become a factor during the race. Nevertheless, it was cause for concern on race morning.
Upon arrival at Terra Cotta Conservation Area, I was directed to a parking spot right near the registration tent. Sweet! Especially on a cold and windy day like today. The registration tent at the Egg Nog Jog was one of the large canvas tents that you see at outdoor parties. Inside, it was heated! I registered, picked up my race kit, and attached race number to race belt (I have to say that having the timing chip in the race number bib makes registration a lot easier). I met up with fellow Falcons: Peter Halferty, Herb Lockhart, Colin Chung and a few others and chatted for a bit before heading out with Peter for a warmup.
My first steps felt a bit creaky. The quads were still feeling the effects of yesterday's vigorous mountain bike ride with the Kurzawinski crew so it took awhile to warm up. It wasn't so much of a cardio warmup as a loosening up of the legs. With my winter bike-focus, I was running considerably less this year and was under no illusions of being quick on this day. Peter and I got back to the start line just as the MC announced 2 minutes until race start. Good timing! We positioned ourselves in the second row near the front, with 500 or so runners behind us, and waited for the race start.
It always amazes me how fast the front runners get off the line at this race. The entire front row launched down the park entrance way Runners sprinted by me to the first corner onto Winston Churchill. I actually got clipped by one over-exuberant runner who fully sprinted by like he was running the 100 yard dash. I was doing my best to keep up but my best wasn't very good on this day. Maybe I should have warmed up a little more aggressively because my lungs were struggling to keep up. John Grace (eventual winner of the 60-64 AG) and Brad Mailloux passed me, chatting with each other while I was gasping for breath. But after about half a mile I'd found a pretty good rhythm and began to reel in half a dozen or so runners who had earlier passed me. I passed the mile marker, near the bottom of the long downhill, at 5:48 which was not particularly speedy for this fast part of the race but not too shabby either.
Turning the corner onto King Road, I felt the headwind. I needed a draft. There was a runner not too far ahead so I bridged up and stayed in his draft for a short while. Too slow as this runner was fading fast. I went around and tried to bridge up to a group of 6 or 7 runners ahead but that gap wasn't closing.
Turning North onto Sideroad 27, I was met with the day's first climb. Ugh! My 55 year old engine struggled. The gap to the group ahead widened. I tried not to lose too much distance and by the time we turned West into the headwind again, I was within striking distance of stragglers. Passing the first of the stragglers, I heard footsteps behind me. A draft! I let him pass (yeah, right) and tucked in behind. We made good time along the rolling hills of this section and by the time we turned the corner onto 10th Line North, we had passed several more stragglers. Heading North along 10th Line, my pace bunny began to pull away. I was now out of the head wind so let him go; trying to match his pace would have been too costly.
I picked off a couple more runners before reaching "the hill". If you've done the Egg Nog Jog before then you know which hill I mean. It's the one that goes straight up and never ends. My creaky old engine sputtered and coughed as I struggled up "the hill" and one of the youths I'd passed earlier passed me back. I heard the bagpipe guy who seems to show up for every race and that spurred me on and, as we crested the top of "the hill", the youth was not all that far ahead and I was able to bridge back up to him. I passed the youth him on the subsequent downhill section with Brad Mailloux now on my heels.
Brad is the co-owner of Feet in Motion, the Georgetown running store that sponsors the race and awards gift certificates to the top 3 men and women in each age group; great guy! In 2006, Brad finished 27th overall and I finished 29th. In 2007, I was 23rd and Brad 24th. In 2008, I came 25th and Brad 26th. In 2009, I didn't "race" so that year doesn't count but last year, I came 13th and Brad 16th. So it wasn't really all that surprising when I glanced back to see Brad there on my heels at this midway point in the race.
Brad stayed with me the rest of the way up 10th Line as we picked off at least one other runner. We picked off another runner as we turned East onto the pavement along Sideroad 32. After that, I could see there were no more runners to pick off and the thing to focus on now was on not getting picked off myself. I kept up a pretty good pace along Sideroad 32 with a bit of a tail wind and one downhill section, pushing my engine about as hard as I could while keeping my diaphragm relaxed so as to avoid any side stitches.
Brad passed me as we made the turn South onto Winston Churchill. He had more than I on this day and I couldn't match his pace. With only 2 km to go, I maintained focus, concentrating on good form; what I lacked in aerobic fitness, I tried to make up for with mechanical advantage (have you ever thought about how the arch of the foot is shaped like an inverted leaf spring. I could actually feel the spring effect with each step as I ran along this section).
The youth who had passed me on "the hill" again passed me with about 1 km to go. By now we were close to the steep downhill section. The end of the race was very close now. I could hear footsteps behind me and did not want to get picked off by any more runners so gave it everything I had. Two hundred yards to the park entrance way. I glanced behind, turning into the park too see I had a gap. I sprinted the final 200 meters. Well, maybe "sprint" is a bit of a stretch but I let it all out and crossed the line in a time of 45:04, three seconds slower than last year and 2 places behind Brad, eighteenth overall and first in my age group. YAY!
Upon arrival at Terra Cotta Conservation Area, I was directed to a parking spot right near the registration tent. Sweet! Especially on a cold and windy day like today. The registration tent at the Egg Nog Jog was one of the large canvas tents that you see at outdoor parties. Inside, it was heated! I registered, picked up my race kit, and attached race number to race belt (I have to say that having the timing chip in the race number bib makes registration a lot easier). I met up with fellow Falcons: Peter Halferty, Herb Lockhart, Colin Chung and a few others and chatted for a bit before heading out with Peter for a warmup.
My first steps felt a bit creaky. The quads were still feeling the effects of yesterday's vigorous mountain bike ride with the Kurzawinski crew so it took awhile to warm up. It wasn't so much of a cardio warmup as a loosening up of the legs. With my winter bike-focus, I was running considerably less this year and was under no illusions of being quick on this day. Peter and I got back to the start line just as the MC announced 2 minutes until race start. Good timing! We positioned ourselves in the second row near the front, with 500 or so runners behind us, and waited for the race start.
It always amazes me how fast the front runners get off the line at this race. The entire front row launched down the park entrance way Runners sprinted by me to the first corner onto Winston Churchill. I actually got clipped by one over-exuberant runner who fully sprinted by like he was running the 100 yard dash. I was doing my best to keep up but my best wasn't very good on this day. Maybe I should have warmed up a little more aggressively because my lungs were struggling to keep up. John Grace (eventual winner of the 60-64 AG) and Brad Mailloux passed me, chatting with each other while I was gasping for breath. But after about half a mile I'd found a pretty good rhythm and began to reel in half a dozen or so runners who had earlier passed me. I passed the mile marker, near the bottom of the long downhill, at 5:48 which was not particularly speedy for this fast part of the race but not too shabby either.
Turning the corner onto King Road, I felt the headwind. I needed a draft. There was a runner not too far ahead so I bridged up and stayed in his draft for a short while. Too slow as this runner was fading fast. I went around and tried to bridge up to a group of 6 or 7 runners ahead but that gap wasn't closing.
Turning North onto Sideroad 27, I was met with the day's first climb. Ugh! My 55 year old engine struggled. The gap to the group ahead widened. I tried not to lose too much distance and by the time we turned West into the headwind again, I was within striking distance of stragglers. Passing the first of the stragglers, I heard footsteps behind me. A draft! I let him pass (yeah, right) and tucked in behind. We made good time along the rolling hills of this section and by the time we turned the corner onto 10th Line North, we had passed several more stragglers. Heading North along 10th Line, my pace bunny began to pull away. I was now out of the head wind so let him go; trying to match his pace would have been too costly.
I picked off a couple more runners before reaching "the hill". If you've done the Egg Nog Jog before then you know which hill I mean. It's the one that goes straight up and never ends. My creaky old engine sputtered and coughed as I struggled up "the hill" and one of the youths I'd passed earlier passed me back. I heard the bagpipe guy who seems to show up for every race and that spurred me on and, as we crested the top of "the hill", the youth was not all that far ahead and I was able to bridge back up to him. I passed the youth him on the subsequent downhill section with Brad Mailloux now on my heels.
 |
| "The Hill" - a category 5 climb, midway through the race. |
Brad is the co-owner of Feet in Motion, the Georgetown running store that sponsors the race and awards gift certificates to the top 3 men and women in each age group; great guy! In 2006, Brad finished 27th overall and I finished 29th. In 2007, I was 23rd and Brad 24th. In 2008, I came 25th and Brad 26th. In 2009, I didn't "race" so that year doesn't count but last year, I came 13th and Brad 16th. So it wasn't really all that surprising when I glanced back to see Brad there on my heels at this midway point in the race.
Brad stayed with me the rest of the way up 10th Line as we picked off at least one other runner. We picked off another runner as we turned East onto the pavement along Sideroad 32. After that, I could see there were no more runners to pick off and the thing to focus on now was on not getting picked off myself. I kept up a pretty good pace along Sideroad 32 with a bit of a tail wind and one downhill section, pushing my engine about as hard as I could while keeping my diaphragm relaxed so as to avoid any side stitches.
Brad passed me as we made the turn South onto Winston Churchill. He had more than I on this day and I couldn't match his pace. With only 2 km to go, I maintained focus, concentrating on good form; what I lacked in aerobic fitness, I tried to make up for with mechanical advantage (have you ever thought about how the arch of the foot is shaped like an inverted leaf spring. I could actually feel the spring effect with each step as I ran along this section).
The youth who had passed me on "the hill" again passed me with about 1 km to go. By now we were close to the steep downhill section. The end of the race was very close now. I could hear footsteps behind me and did not want to get picked off by any more runners so gave it everything I had. Two hundred yards to the park entrance way. I glanced behind, turning into the park too see I had a gap. I sprinted the final 200 meters. Well, maybe "sprint" is a bit of a stretch but I let it all out and crossed the line in a time of 45:04, three seconds slower than last year and 2 places behind Brad, eighteenth overall and first in my age group. YAY!
Saturday, November 12, 2011
Bikes in my garage
I had some time to kill this morning while waiting for the weather to warm up before my ride and decided to catalog the bikes that are currently in my garage.
 |
| Steve Bauer Chinook. My first racing after getting hooked on triathlon. I paid $150 for it. I've since upgraded most of the parts, including STI shifters. It's now my winter bike. Notice the headlight and taillight for night riding. It still rides great. It's also wired for the Powertap |
 |
| Cervelo P2 SL - my TT bike. I rode this to a 2:37 bike split at the 2009 Muskoka 70.3. It's been neglected lately. I intend to rectify that next year. It's wired for the Powertap. |
 |
| Guru Racelite - my first really decent bike. It has carbon forks, chain-stay, and seat post which gives a really nice ride. I transferred most of the components to my Masi and re-built this using hand-me-down components. This bike did the Ironman France course. It's now Alysha's bike. |
 |
| Opus Allegro and Masi 3VC - the Opus is Jon's bike. The Masi is my current ride and I love it. It's unbelievably light. Powertaps on both. |
 |
| Ridley Crossbow - my new cyclocross bike. Haven't ridden it much but intend to race it next year. It will get wired for the Powertap. |
 |
| Specialized Hardrock - this was Jon's bike when he was 10. It was in a state of disrepair for quite a few years but I recently restored it to do some trail riding this fall. |
Monday, November 7, 2011
Underway - Test # 1
So, my winter training program is officially underway. It sort of got underway last week as I had a pretty full training week but officially this week is the start of the program. Today I did some tests on the trainer to determine my power profile. Here is the result:
Weight (kg)
|
Power Profile
|
|||
75.5
|
Duration
|
Watts
|
W/Kg
|
Rank
|
5 sec
|
654
|
8.66
|
Untrained
|
|
W/Kg
|
1 min
|
396
|
5.25
|
Untrained
|
3.38
|
5 min
|
309
|
4.09
|
moderate (Cat 4)
|
FTP (.95*20')
|
255
|
3.38
|
moderate (Cat 4)
|
|
The important numbers from the above table are my Functional Threshold (based on a 20' test) and my current weight in kg. My estimated FTP is 255 watts which is a little bit discouraging as my best 20' interval from just over a month ago yielded an estimated FTP of 276 watts. On the other hand, today's test was done on the trainer and it's not atypical to under-perform on the trainer as compared to outdoors. The important thing is that I now have a benchmark from which to determine my training zones for the next 6 weeks.
My current weight of 75.5 kg tells me I have 5.5 kg to lose in 18 weeks and that's certainly doable. My FTP goal is to reach 300 watts in 18 weeks which, at a current FTP of 255, would suggest I'd need to raise my FTP by 45 watts, a tall order at best. I'd be happy with a 30 watt increase on the trainer which I think would translate to pretty close to 300 watts on an outside test.
Something I've been paying a lot of attention to lately is my position on the bike, for two reasons. One reason is that I've been experiencing chronic pain along my left ITB following long and/or hard rides and I think that a lot of that has to do with my position on the bike. The second reason is similar; during a long and/or hard ride, I experience lower back soreness. Again, I think that this has something to do with bike fit.
What I discovered today is that the trainer is perfect for making adjustments to bike fit. During my 15 minute warmup, I took the time to focus on areas of tightness or discomfort as I was pedaling. I found that lowering the seat about 10 mm and moving it forward about 20 mm all but eliminated the discomfort and made pedaling seem more natural. Consequently, I was able to complete the 2 hour ride, with some very hard intervals, without any lower back pain. Even better, I experienced no pain along my ITB whatsoever from the session. This is very encouraging. In future, I'll be tweaking the fit on all my bikes using the trainer.
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