It's killing me but..........

Originally Posted by kopride

5 minute or less high intensity intervals are a different story. These you just have to gut them out and finish them. They are never fun. If you are hitting 10 on the PE scale, you are doing the workout correctly regardless of what it says on your meter. If your power levels are particularly low, then you probably did pick the wrong day to do them. My issue becomes in the longer threshold intervals where I have ten minutes to go on the second twenty and my average just keeps falling below target.

Originally Posted by PaulMD

I do not agree with it. I think you must not do L5 intervals when you can't keep the right power levels. Because with L5 you want to train your VO2max at (or almost at) your maximal aerobic capacity. When your power drops into high L4 you are not training your VO2max properly but you do a workout in which you suffer and which needs recovery: so the amount of other "quality" hours (SST/L4/L6) in the saddle drops and you don't have done a real VO2max training.

I agree with the fact that you can do 2x20 L4 when unmotivated/tired when you can keep the power in the L4 range, IF > 0.9.

Originally Posted by Sillyoldtwit

NEVER AGAIN!!!!

Well I've calmed down enough to post. Today was the Fukui Prefecture Gran Fondo. So 350 riders set off down the vertical climb behind the lead car designed to prevent a major pileup on the sharp bends.
I managed to get in the first 10 and was surprised we had already opened up a small gap.
Turning onto the main road at the bottom, the lead car pulled over and we were off up a 1km climb. To my amazement only 1 rider followed me up to the brow. Then there was a long downhill and I massacred the guy, in fact I'd massacred the field out of sight. As I didn't want to push the wind for 70km and didn't want to get lost like last year on the 160km course, I slowed down and a bunch of 10 riders caught up. At various traffic lights the group swelled to 20 riders, but then our group of 10 riders pulled away again.
At 32km I was feeling really strong and took the lead and soon there were only 4 of us. Unfortunately I took the lead at the wrong time. At the next traffic light I was the only one who got through and I left everyone behind. 1km later disaster struck again - at a junction there was no bloody marshall and I missed the small sign and went straight on instead of turning right.
5km later I realized no one was following me - shit!!
Back I went but I was foaming at the mouth with anger. So decided to miss the loop and get back to base as soon as poss and home away from this bloody area.
However, my bad luck was not yet over; in the middle of a town a gasoline stand attendant directed me the wrong way - another unecessary 4km.
Now I was really pissed off and was ready to chop the bike into little pieces and walk back to the ski resort.
Anyway, I started the 13km climb to the finish passing a few riders and being passed by none - felt really strong. Then came the dreaded final vertical kilometre. Surprise, surprise I found it quite easy. One guy came up on my rear wheel, but I was so angry still, I leapt out of the saddle and left him for dead. When I arrived in the carpark at the top, young girls tried to direct me to the finish line. Needless to say, I told them to stuff it basically and went straight to the car, throwing the bike in and setting off for home.

NEVER AGAIN!!

Well not until next year that is. Tyson P.S. Did 66.5km

Originally Posted by Sillyoldtwit

NEVER AGAIN!!!!

Well I've calmed down enough to post. Today was the Fukui Prefecture Gran Fondo. So 350 riders set off down the vertical climb behind the lead car designed to prevent a major pileup on the sharp bends.
I managed to get in the first 10 and was surprised we had already opened up a small gap.
Turning onto the main road at the bottom, the lead car pulled over and we were off up a 1km climb. To my amazement only 1 rider followed me up to the brow. Then there was a long downhill and I massacred the guy, in fact I'd massacred the field out of sight. As I didn't want to push the wind for 70km and didn't want to get lost like last year on the 160km course, I slowed down and a bunch of 10 riders caught up. At various traffic lights the group swelled to 20 riders, but then our group of 10 riders pulled away again.
At 32km I was feeling really strong and took the lead and soon there were only 4 of us. Unfortunately I took the lead at the wrong time. At the next traffic light I was the only one who got through and I left everyone behind. 1km later disaster struck again - at a junction there was no bloody marshall and I missed the small sign and went straight on instead of turning right.
5km later I realized no one was following me - shit!!
Back I went but I was foaming at the mouth with anger. So decided to miss the loop and get back to base as soon as poss and home away from this bloody area.
However, my bad luck was not yet over; in the middle of a town a gasoline stand attendant directed me the wrong way - another unecessary 4km.
Now I was really pissed off and was ready to chop the bike into little pieces and walk back to the ski resort.
Anyway, I started the 13km climb to the finish passing a few riders and being passed by none - felt really strong. Then came the dreaded final vertical kilometre. Surprise, surprise I found it quite easy. One guy came up on my rear wheel, but I was so angry still, I leapt out of the saddle and left him for dead. When I arrived in the carpark at the top, young girls tried to direct me to the finish line. Needless to say, I told them to stuff it basically and went straight to the car, throwing the bike in and setting off for home.

NEVER AGAIN!!

Well not until next year that is. Tyson P.S. Did 66.5km

Originally Posted by Sillyoldtwit

I managed to get in the first 10 and was surprised we had already opened up a small gap.Turning onto the main road at the bottom, the lead car pulled over and we were off up a 1km climb.

Originally Posted by jsirabella

Tyson,


Based upon your post I think you would have finished easily in the lead group. I wish you would get a powertap as I am sure your numbers were off the charts.

-js

Originally Posted by Sillyoldtwit

I don't know about 'off the charts', but I don't think I would have held my own for 32km with the guys in the leading bunch with a 240W FTP - my true FTP on the Pendejo scale. Tyson

Originally Posted by Sillyoldtwit

NEVER AGAIN!!

Well not until next year that is. Tyson P.S. Did 66.5km

Originally Posted by bigwillie013

I know it's not quite the same but while training hard on L6 intervals I had an accident by bumping into a car that had stopped in front of me. My face was smashed against the window and was cut at 4 places. They glued and sewed me and after 3 days (still with the threads in place) I was on the bike again. Doing only endurance for the next 3 days as the doctors told me not to go hard with the threads still in to avoid looking like Frankenstein later.

Go hard or go home!

Cheers,
bigwillie013