Trainer vs. No Trainer

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Yesterday I was following the plan and because my daughter caught a cold, I decided to go home and do my workout on the trainer instead to be there if they needed me.

It was usual warmup, 5 min all out 240-250 watts and than 5 min cool off and than up to 5 intervals at 320 watts for two minutes and than 3 minute rests and than cool down for 15 minutes.

Anyway in the park I usually do these type of workouts and they seem straight foward and never feel too tough. I have a computrainer and put it in watts mode and durng the intervals raised it to 320 watts. The strain on my legs was so intense like never before!! After the 4th one I could not do anymore!

I have been in the park on hills and do higher watts for two minutes or more and it did not feel like this. Am I doing something wrong on the trainer or is something not set right??

-Js

....I have been in the park on on hills and do higher watts for two minutes or more and it did not feel like this. Am I doing something wrong on the trainer or is something not set right??...Did you warmup the trainer and do the coast down calibration described in the Computrainer manual? If not the CT wattage could be way off, did it match the wattage on your PT?

A lot of folks find it difficult to produce the same power indoors as they regularly do outdoors. That can be due to cooling problems while riding indoors, the sheer mental boredom of working hard and not going anywhere or the lack of momentum you have when pedaling a trainer. With practice that last part gets easier, and a big fan can help with the cooling but the mental part is hard to deal with sometimes. Last spring after a full winter of indoor riding I was able to put out roughly the same power indoors as out but it took a while to get there. I've only done a few indoor rides this fall since the weather has stayed fairly warm and those are close to my normal outdoor power levels but probably about 10 watts low for similar perceived exertion. I hope I'll be able to work back up to indoor repeats that match my regular outdoor efforts but it just aint as much fun sitting still and staring into a big fan while I ride.

Anyway, if your CT matches your PT numbers then I expect it comes down to cooling yourself or getting used to spinning the low inertia of the trainer. One thing about running a CT in ergo mode, it really encourages you to spin faster since the load drops in order too maintain constant power at higer rpm. Based on a lot of forum posts here some folks never get to the same power indoors that they regularly do outdoors so YMMV.

-Dave

Hi Dave,

Everytime I start it that machine needs to do that calibration coast down test for me so I guess it is accurate each time(?).

The wattage did match in the end. Ofcourse when I would ramp up the wattage of the CT, it took about 45secs to get up to the desired wattage. I do admit on that day I decided to do it at end of day instead of mornings which are always better for me but it was just too hard IMO. I than checked some of my prior CP files and I see that my five minute highs have all been very close to 300 for the last couple of weeks so can not see a 2 minute at 310 that much worse and my 1 minutes were in the 400 range but on a race day hit about 500.

I have been following the plan I downloaded and in the plan last week was the rest week. I have noticed my first two work outs coming back have been in the low range when compared to my first few weeks. I think the end of the race season combined with everyone telling me it is time to slow down in October is having some effect on me but I think that is garbage personally. I think the coming back after the rest week is having some effect though.

I know exactly what you mean as far as the high cadence and high gear. I put it usually in the highest gear or very close and spin at about 90 rpm or higher so it feels natural. I actually find it much more difficult trying to do the same wattage in lower gears and higher rpms. I find it strange that it would work that way for me as in the outdoors it is a totally different situation.

I do agree with you that the inertia must really be the deciding factor because even when I do recovery rides on the trainer at a constant 150 or so, it seems much harder than outdoors. The fact I live in NYC and my wife banished me to this little area (I mean little where I have trouble getting on and off the bike) for me and my toys as she calls them makes me feel like a hamster in a cage sometimes but as long as the ipod is going and a movie or football game is on I am usually fine. I do admit as I saw in sillyoldtwits thread, the gym and some pretty girls can help the motivation. The body is 42, the hair is gray but the mind is still 22...:D

-Js

Did you warmup the trainer and do the coast down calibration described in the Computrainer manual? If not the CT wattage could be way off, did it match the wattage on your PT?

A lot of folks find it difficult to produce the same power indoors as they regularly do outdoors. That can be due to cooling problems while riding indoors, the sheer mental boredom of working hard and not going anywhere or the lack of momentum you have when pedaling a trainer. With practice that last part gets easier, and a big fan can help with the cooling but the mental part is hard to deal with sometimes. Last spring after a full winter of indoor riding I was able to put out roughly the same power indoors as out but it took a while to get there. I've only done a few indoor rides this fall since the weather has stayed fairly warm and those are close to my normal outdoor power levels but probably about 10 watts low for similar perceived exertion. I hope I'll be able to work back up to indoor repeats that match my regular outdoor efforts but it just aint as much fun sitting still and staring into a big fan while I ride.

Anyway, if your CT matches your PT numbers then I expect it comes down to cooling yourself or getting used to spinning the low inertia of the trainer. One thing about running a CT in ergo mode, it really encourages you to spin faster since the load drops in order too maintain constant power at higer rpm. Based on a lot of forum posts here some folks never get to the same power indoors that they regularly do outdoors so YMMV.

-Dave