Rain forces me Indoors
February 12, 2008 · Filed Under Uncategorized · Comment
Rain, Rain and more rain, well it’s good for the dams in the area but not cycling weather. I opted to hit the trainer when I got home from work, It’s always tough to do an hour after a day in the office but that said I had to get the legs turning over after a rest day.
Electrolyte mixed x1 bottle, bib nicks on… check and off down we go to the house of pain. I had no real plan, as you might tell from any and all of my training posts and today’s session was heading in the usual direction (Direction unknown!). I knew I wanted to make it hurt after a rest day. I would take the first 30mins at a gentle pace then start an effort or two.
Attempt 1:
5:39 into the warm up and the polar beeps, OUT OF MEMORY warning appears. Right hit the brakes and get rid of a few old training files from January.
Attempt 2:
0:00
Off we go again Déjà Vu on the warm up. I changed the memory capture to 5 seconds to get a good idea of the session. The iPod was set with Cat Stevens to keep the heart rate and legs ticking over for the warm up. I was feeling good, had the Polar on the “cadence – Power – HR” screen so I could build it up slowly in the first 10 mins.
0:00
Off we go again Déjà Vu on the warm up. I changed the memory capture to 5 seconds to get a good idea of the session. The iPod was set with Cat Stevens to keep the heart rate and legs ticking over for the warm up. I was feeling good, had the Polar on the “cadence – Power – HR” screen so I could build it up slowly in the first 10 mins.
10:14
this was about the first time I flicked over to the time elapsed screen, I had been chugging away on the electrolytes so as not to hit the wall too early.
this was about the first time I flicked over to the time elapsed screen, I had been chugging away on the electrolytes so as not to hit the wall too early.
18:39
Legs are starting to feel it a bit, not to worry as the HR id looking great, from memory it was around the 144 mark. This was my first mistake, I’ll explain a bit later.
Legs are starting to feel it a bit, not to worry as the HR id looking great, from memory it was around the 144 mark. This was my first mistake, I’ll explain a bit later.
27:54
Cat Stevens has done his set on the iPod and has left the stage, Time to roll in Peter Murray to see me to the end of the hour. Legs and Lungs are all starting to ask for and pace to be eased off. It’s at this point that I think to myself why is the HR looking so good but the legs hurt so much, At this stage the HR was around 148, not high or in a zone that should make the legs burn.
Cat Stevens has done his set on the iPod and has left the stage, Time to roll in Peter Murray to see me to the end of the hour. Legs and Lungs are all starting to ask for and pace to be eased off. It’s at this point that I think to myself why is the HR looking so good but the legs hurt so much, At this stage the HR was around 148, not high or in a zone that should make the legs burn.
I soon figured the I had the HR setting on "Overall average HR" for the effort and not the "Current HR", flicked it over and 157 - 159 where the numbers. Ok… so we started a bit too hard, making the hour is going to require some effort.
30:12
I decide to keep things moving forward… so to speak as I’m sitting on a trainer, going nowhere!… I would put in a few efforts of 3 mins at a gear down every min, At this stage I’m spinning away on 53-18, which means a bit of pain it heading my way, just what the session ordered.
I decide to keep things moving forward… so to speak as I’m sitting on a trainer, going nowhere!… I would put in a few efforts of 3 mins at a gear down every min, At this stage I’m spinning away on 53-18, which means a bit of pain it heading my way, just what the session ordered.
32:00
Effort one begins… ok it feels good, we can do this. (positive thinking or some form of sports psychology is noe in play to get the mind over the task in hane)
Effort one begins… ok it feels good, we can do this. (positive thinking or some form of sports psychology is noe in play to get the mind over the task in hane)
33:00
Nother gear down the cluster we go. Nice, looking and feeling good, HR just under 160.
Nother gear down the cluster we go. Nice, looking and feeling good, HR just under 160.
34:00
Click got the Chorus Campag. Still feeling this is ok, sure the legs are screaming but they need the work out.. right!
Click got the Chorus Campag. Still feeling this is ok, sure the legs are screaming but they need the work out.. right!
35:00
I flick back and attempt to spin an 90 cadence, the body manages to do 85 and the HR is dropping slowly, not a good sign for fitness. I chalk it down to a slighty harder than usual first 30mins. 2 mins of spin before the next effort.
I flick back and attempt to spin an 90 cadence, the body manages to do 85 and the HR is dropping slowly, not a good sign for fitness. I chalk it down to a slighty harder than usual first 30mins. 2 mins of spin before the next effort.
37:00 - 40:00
Effort 2 goes well but hurts a bit more, this is expected as one would hope. 3 efforts is all the I have planned at this stage.
Effort 2 goes well but hurts a bit more, this is expected as one would hope. 3 efforts is all the I have planned at this stage.
42:00 - 45:00
Off we go on the final effort and I hit the wall near the end of it, not good enough so I put myself onto a 4th effort.
Off we go on the final effort and I hit the wall near the end of it, not good enough so I put myself onto a 4th effort.
47:00 - 50:00
Effort 4 takes place, at this stage I’m having an outer body experience as the legs have detached from the body as far as the mind is concerned. I got through it and spent the remaining 10 mins spinning away to get the hour done.
Effort 4 takes place, at this stage I’m having an outer body experience as the legs have detached from the body as far as the mind is concerned. I got through it and spent the remaining 10 mins spinning away to get the hour done.
52:43
Battery in the iPod finally runs dry… just when I needed it most. Now all I have is the Hum of the excellent pedestal fan and the annoying whine of the wind trainer to contend with for the final few minutes as I head for the 1 hour mark.
Battery in the iPod finally runs dry… just when I needed it most. Now all I have is the Hum of the excellent pedestal fan and the annoying whine of the wind trainer to contend with for the final few minutes as I head for the 1 hour mark.
60:00
The pain train comes to a grinding hault, now to stagger up stairs after a 5 min cool down spin.
All round it was a good session, Average speed for the hour was 35.4 km/h (22Mp/h). Notice the HR just keeps going up and the recovery time is nothing to write home about… the fitness is no where near where it needs to be, back to base and tempo on the road when the rain clears.