More Ouachita Challenge training
I don't know, can I really call this training for the Ouachita Challenge?
I'm doing this training inside my house on a road bike. Does that count?
It has to. Otherwise nothing will. At this particular point in time the roads are out and the trails are a complete unknown. The weather's been so bad lately there can be no question about trail conditions. It's trainer or nothing.
If the Ouachita Challenge was about riding well on a road bike on a trainer in your spare bedroom, I'd be one to watch out for today. Seated, standing... I had it all going on today. It's what fresh legs from power outage induced recovery can do.
According to Performance Manager, TSB was at +9 at the start of this ride. Just over 100 TSS later it's still slightly positive. Could there be another one of these in these legs? I might find out tomorrow; but then I'd planned to do some strength work. I guess I'll play it by ear and do what I feel like.
Schedule?
When was the last time you did a Monod test?
Long time ago
Over a year ago. I have not attempted one since my back started acting up about this time last year.
I'm still pretty nervous about pushing an intense interval to the point where I struggle to retain form. I'm still learning - my leg muscles are learning - how to pedal without hurting my back.
Mark Ewers
I may not be fast, but I'm 2 old 2 go slow
Whats a monotod
Unit, what was that thing you're talking about?
A test
The Monod is a test that is simple to interpret, but difficult to perform (due to the intensity demand on the body). I used to do them monthly when training in ernest.
The main function of the test is to closely estimate your functional threshold (FT) power. What is so important about FT? FT is the basis for all training with power, you use this to define training zones that are used for specific workouts. Simply, hopping on a bike and "throwing down" for some interval of time is technically an interval, but without training zones it is very difficult to monitor exactly what you are doing, and impossible to assess improvement.
A person can use other metrics (such as how fast you can close a loop at Binder), but putting your finger on what made the difference (trail conditions, temperature, wind, fitness, whatever) is pretty difficult. And therfore achieving long term goals becomes a guessing game.
Thus the doors of training with power are opened...with power monitoring, you have a direct link to what work load your body is capable of, and further, you will be able to closely predict (extrapolate) what you can really do and for how long....Imagine entering a 6 hour race and knowing what power output range you should stay in if you want to finish as quickly as possible....Sure beats blowing up at 3 hours in and wondering what went wrong.
Ah....
Now if I only had a couple of grand laying around to buy on of those power thingy majigers.....
its all a bang for the buck
It is really a simple matter of defining what is important to you and how to get it. My point is, many people spend thousands to save a pound or two and not REALLY get any better results in races.
Right now...What is important to *me* is something other than race results...but everyone is different.