how to really train

http://www.abvio.com/runmeter/

kinda excited about getting this, btw

no power, just at rest.

you first cuttlezzzz...

im getting tested next week.

guys i should know this maybe, but how does a lactic acid threshold test work? esp if it's done at rest?

i don't know what he is talking about re: rest

when i do it, i'm hooked up to an ergometer and the resistance is ramped up at 25w intervals. blood is taken every 5 minutes and tested for volume of lactic acid.

you can't stop pedaling and by the end you should be shaking and drooling and in the worst state of oxygen debt you've ever been in.

it's really strange to experience such catastrophic muscle failure

how much blood do they take?? makin u hypovolemic imo

just a pinprick each time

FYI: this is a true lactic acid test, not a threshold test.

ah, ok, that makes more sense

oh, like, what is steve shasta's resting lactic acid level

Yes, and once determined, I will be able to better extrapolate what my training levels (BPM) should be instead of the hodgepodge back-of-envelope analysis that I've been doing.

why not do an LT test instead?

honestly? i'm too green. maybe (?) in a year or two will i be at the level that i could a test like that seriously.

well i know a guy in your area if you're interested

i know, i know, i know...

let me at least get my first full year of riding in almost 2 decades under my belt and we'll see what happens.

better to train right now, while you are super-motivated and see what happens, than later, though!

you know super-motivated is bike netslang for doped, right?

h's adventures in turbo trainererers, pt 1

tues: set up unit, mount indoor tyre, test out. geez it whines a bit! seem to only be measuring cadence on bike computer sp use rather unscientific method of riding to tempo of lcd soundsystem '45.33' (about 60rpm) on big ring until cracking.

wed: mess w/ sensor and magnet for a bit, finally get it working. tooled about while watching tv, then put in more concentrated effort - 28ish km/h @ 80 rpm for 15 minutes.

some stuff i've read seems to stay build base endurance first then worry about interval stuff, whaddya you dudes think?

well that all depends where your race season begins, not sure when to start base down under.

but yes, you will truly benefit from high intensity training after you've built a significant base. without the base you will be able to do crits and short circuits but long road races you'll never make it to the end.

crit season finishes april-ish, road season then takes over in the winter months. it's year-round down here!

w/r/t endurance base training:

Yesterday had my longest ride ever without stopping (traffic lights excluded): 4:20 minutes, 77 miles of mostly flat with some rollers. Clipped out a couple of times for long lights and then for a quick pee break after 3 hours (one leg still clipped in fwiw). Clock time was 4:31 so I had 11 minutes of <4mph deadtime. This was about 50 minutes longer than my previous endurance effort.

yr killing it

alone or with group?

i need to step dat game up

imo alone is the only way to "how to really train"

yeah. was only curious bc 18 mph alone for 4 hours is diff from 18 hours in a group for 4 hrs.

Good question... because normally Saturday is my big group ride.

However, I had my Dad in town for his bday and time was tight so I woke up at dawn and did that ride solo.

also, my riding club likes to stop a lot and regroup so a big non-stop ride is pretty much out of the question with those peoples.

ramping up the efforts on the trainer - 1-hour sesh while reading book then watching champions league replay, mostly sat around 27-29 km/h @ 80ish rpm, then ramped up to 45+ for rather swift last 4 kms.

so much sweat :0

Cutty/Hunter/Anyone ITK:

Is there any benefit, in a training (not racing) sense, to deliberately going into oxygen debt by attacking the bottom of a long steep hill as hard as you can, and then struggling the rest of the way to the top at an increasingly faltering pace?

i highly doubt it. blowing yourself up is only helpful in sprint training and jump intervals.

I wondered if you could somehow improve your ability to soldier on once you've blown.

train so as not to blow up i think

i reckon that taking long, long climbs in a really low zone is probably more beneficial in the long run for climbing endurance?

this is from the web so ymmv but i have referenced it quite a bit in the past year:

Want to train for climbing hills while seated?? Here is a drill you might consider. Go hard up short hills while seated. Find a climb that's moderately steep and takes about 30 seconds to crest. Hit it hard at the bottom in a fairly large gear. Beware of letting your cadence slow by the top. Use a gear that lets you pedal at 90 rpm or more all the way up. Start with two or three reps and increase as your strength improves.

from http://www.cptips.com/climb.htm

NBS, blow up in a race and your are pretty much done.

Yep, I've noticed that ;-).

Another question: from a strength and fitness point of view, would it be useful to continue to train on my (heavier and slower) winter bike even when spring and summer come along? I was thinking maybe this would force me to get stronger, and then when I race I'd feel the benefit of being on a lighter bike. (Obviously if you're trying to improve technique/position then it makes sense to train on the same bike you'll be racing on, I was only asking from a fitness perspective)

training on a heavier bike is not going to do anything for your fitness. you'll just go slower on that bike as opposed to the same effort on the lighter bike. your perceived exertion will be the same, so there really is no feeling "the benefit of being on a lighter bike."

Damn. Too much negativity here, another potential stroke of genius bites the dust.

you think you outsmarted the pros?

i mean if you really want to train how about stop thinking of creative ways to ride your bike and follow the science of it?

What about training in clogs? In a wetsuit? On a tricycle? In a lake?

periodization with structured intervals is how you get fit and fast

I hear what you're saying, but I'm going to give this a go before retreating to the tried and tested traditional routes to success:
http://content6.clipmarks.com/clog_clip_cache/amplify.com/5773CE7B-BFC2-46E0-B565-0BA4CBCE8E7D/40843D27-B0EE-49EF-BD66-41E89E54D911

goin ham

you think you outsmarted the pros?

yeah we know how they get it done- speed, blow, epo, transfusions, gene doping.

periodization. lolz

i was gonna offer him EPO. they certainly don't ride around on heavy bikes.

http://www.cyclingtipsblog.com/2009/11/drugs-a-cautionary-tale/

migraine-y effects of EPO = do not want, but human growth hormone sounds fantastic!