Hour of Power- A Thank you

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Comments

  • disgruntledgoat
    disgruntledgoat Posts: 8,957
    You'll get a perverse sens of enjoyment from it mate, and a good sense of achievement.

    I normally find it's the section from 15 minutes up to 40 minutes that's the hardest, as I'm hurting but have no prospect of the pain ending any time soon.
    "In many ways, my story was that of a raging, Christ-like figure who hauled himself off the cross, looked up at the Romans with blood in his eyes and said 'My turn, sock cookers'"

    @gietvangent
  • Alex_Simmons/RST
    Alex_Simmons/RST Posts: 4,161
    disgruntledgoat wrote:
    Does being able to do 30 second bursts and sustain it for an hour make me double hard then? :lol:
    If you did a 30-sec burst @ 130% FTP every 3-min while maintaining 90% FTP for the remaining time, then that's a very hard workout.

    Equates to an IF of 0.99 for the hour.

    Presumes FTP is set correctly of course :wink:
    RST Sport : Coaching - Training Plans - Powermeters -- My blog -- AeroCoach Australia
  • meenaghman
    meenaghman Posts: 345
    A question slightly off topic. You mention 2 mins, and the 30 second efforts etc.. but is there a handy device that one can buy that can send an alarm every 2 mins. BTW I can program my laptop to do this so not a worry indoors but I was also thinking such a function would be nice to have on a bike computer.. eg set alarm to 20mins, to remind one to drink/eat on a long trip. Do such things exist.
  • mclarent
    mclarent Posts: 784
    meenaghman wrote:
    A question slightly off topic. You mention 2 mins, and the 30 second efforts etc.. but is there a handy device that one can buy that can send an alarm every 2 mins. BTW I can program my laptop to do this so not a worry indoors but I was also thinking such a function would be nice to have on a bike computer.. eg set alarm to 20mins, to remind one to drink/eat on a long trip. Do such things exist.

    it's called your brain.
    "And the Lord said unto Cain, 'where is Abel thy brother?' And he said, 'I know not: I dropped him on the climb up to the motorway bridge'."
    - eccolafilosofiadelpedale
  • stjohnswell
    stjohnswell Posts: 482
    mclarent wrote:
    meenaghman wrote:
    A question slightly off topic. You mention 2 mins, and the 30 second efforts etc.. but is there a handy device that one can buy that can send an alarm every 2 mins. BTW I can program my laptop to do this so not a worry indoors but I was also thinking such a function would be nice to have on a bike computer.. eg set alarm to 20mins, to remind one to drink/eat on a long trip. Do such things exist.

    it's called your brain.

    my brains capacity to do even simple arithmetic is greatly diminished when fatigued :?

    garmin 305 has programmable time alerts.
  • meenaghman
    meenaghman Posts: 345
    Thanks. Another reason to justify a 705 to SWMBO.
  • Shavedlegs
    Shavedlegs Posts: 310
    Only did 40 minutes as the wife started banging on the door and waving at me.

    Turned out she just wanted me to watch The Apprentice with her!

    Still she is out tonight so I have another go.

    I miss timed an interval and did it a minute early. That hurt, I knew immediately I'd done something wrong.
    http://www.buycycles.co.uk
  • Bhima
    Bhima Posts: 2,145
    meenaghman wrote:
    A question slightly off topic. You mention 2 mins, and the 30 second efforts etc.. but is there a handy device that one can buy that can send an alarm every 2 mins. BTW I can program my laptop to do this so not a worry indoors but I was also thinking such a function would be nice to have on a bike computer.. eg set alarm to 20mins, to remind one to drink/eat on a long trip. Do such things exist.

    Do you have some kind of mp3 player/walkman? I can create a track for you which you can play as you ride which will have a few beeps/noises to indicate the different sections/seconds if you want. It's really easy.
  • Shavedlegs
    Shavedlegs Posts: 310
    I do use a MP3 player.

    That would be great.
    http://www.buycycles.co.uk
  • Slow1972
    Slow1972 Posts: 362
    meenaghman wrote:
    A question slightly off topic. You mention 2 mins, and the 30 second efforts etc.. but is there a handy device that one can buy that can send an alarm every 2 mins. BTW I can program my laptop to do this so not a worry indoors but I was also thinking such a function would be nice to have on a bike computer.. eg set alarm to 20mins, to remind one to drink/eat on a long trip. Do such things exist.

    Often the device know as a "watch" can perform a timer function...

    Set mine last year on the Etape to beep once every 12 minutes to remind me to keep drinking, not a bad idea when you're on a long ride and concentrating on what's going on around you so much (or grovelling up the Tourmalet ;)).
  • Shavedlegs
    Shavedlegs Posts: 310
    Sadly mine is analogue. Cost a fortune and yet it doesn't have a stop watch, alarm or even a back light! To be honest it doesn't keep great time either.

    Anyhow, just about to hop to my HOP.
    http://www.buycycles.co.uk
  • Bhima
    Bhima Posts: 2,145
    Just tried this on the road - :shock:

    Didn't pace it right and was forced to stop 56 minutes in! 56 minutes I tell ya! Damn it!

    My legs were burning so bad afterwards - you could cook an egg on them, they were so hot! :lol:

    I did it on open empty roads today at 4am and, luckily, I stopped right outside a starbucks which was just opening and got one of thier 700 calorie Caramel Hot Chocolate drinks as a recovery - wow, I really needed that!

    Eaten loads of protein today, as I know my muscles are going to need it! Gonna have to take tomorrow off after that savage workout - I wont be doing it again in a hurry! :?
    Shavedlegs wrote:
    I do use a MP3 player.

    That would be great.
    I'll conjure something up tomorrow morning...
  • shockedsoshocked
    shockedsoshocked Posts: 4,021
    Today I changed my workout somewhat.

    Instead of doing 30 second sprints every 5 mins (when I first started) i've now changed to 20 second sprints every 2 and a half mins.

    I'm officially battered.
    "A cyclist has nothing to lose but his chain"

    PTP Runner Up 2015
  • Alex_Simmons/RST
    Alex_Simmons/RST Posts: 4,161
    ShockedSoShocked wrote:
    I'm officially battered.
    Can we change your name to "Sav"? :lol:

    It's a great workout though....
    RST Sport : Coaching - Training Plans - Powermeters -- My blog -- AeroCoach Australia
  • shockedsoshocked
    shockedsoshocked Posts: 4,021
    Alex_Simmons/RST wrote:
    ShockedSoShocked wrote:
    I'm officially battered.
    Can we change your name to "Sav"? :lol:

    It's a great workout though....

    Sav? :?
    "A cyclist has nothing to lose but his chain"

    PTP Runner Up 2015
  • Alex_Simmons/RST
    Alex_Simmons/RST Posts: 4,161
    ShockedSoShocked wrote:
    Alex_Simmons/RST wrote:
    ShockedSoShocked wrote:
    I'm officially battered.
    Can we change your name to "Sav"? :lol:

    It's a great workout though....

    Sav? :?
    It must be an Aussie thing - the "Battered Sav".
    A pretty disgusting bit of junk fast food. A hotdog on a stick, battered and deep fried.
    RST Sport : Coaching - Training Plans - Powermeters -- My blog -- AeroCoach Australia
  • mclarent
    mclarent Posts: 784
    ShockedSoShocked wrote:
    Today I changed my workout somewhat.

    Instead of doing 30 second sprints every 5 mins (when I first started) i've now changed to 20 second sprints every 2 and a half mins.

    I'm officially battered.

    I go for a 30 second "out the saddle effort" every 2 minutes, i.e. starting at 2m, and 4m30, 7m, 9m30 etc. Would like to claim that it's a sprint every time, but I would be lying!!


    p.s. a Sav sounds like a "sausage in batter" you get from the chip shop over here, although no stick for us. Coronary inducing, I used to be partial when I was (much) younger...
    "And the Lord said unto Cain, 'where is Abel thy brother?' And he said, 'I know not: I dropped him on the climb up to the motorway bridge'."
    - eccolafilosofiadelpedale
  • shockedsoshocked
    shockedsoshocked Posts: 4,021
    mclarent wrote:
    ShockedSoShocked wrote:
    Today I changed my workout somewhat.

    Instead of doing 30 second sprints every 5 mins (when I first started) i've now changed to 20 second sprints every 2 and a half mins.

    I'm officially battered.

    I go for a 30 second "out the saddle effort" every 2 minutes, i.e. starting at 2m, and 4m30, 7m, 9m30 etc. Would like to claim that it's a sprint every time, but I would be lying!!


    p.s. a Sav sounds like a "sausage in batter" you get from the chip shop over here, although no stick for us. Coronary inducing, I used to be partial when I was (much) younger...

    Oh no, not saveloys!

    I don't get out of the saddle for the sprints (the rear wheels starts to slip) and I'm terrible at sprinting out of the saddle anyway.
    "A cyclist has nothing to lose but his chain"

    PTP Runner Up 2015
  • Bhima
    Bhima Posts: 2,145
    ShockedSoShocked wrote:
    I'm terrible at sprinting out of the saddle anyway.

    That's a good reason why you should be practicing it then! :mrgreen:
  • disgruntledgoat
    disgruntledgoat Posts: 8,957
    Just wrote up tonights outdoor run at the HoP if anyone fancies a look!

    Link below
    "In many ways, my story was that of a raging, Christ-like figure who hauled himself off the cross, looked up at the Romans with blood in his eyes and said 'My turn, sock cookers'"

    @gietvangent
  • DaveyL
    DaveyL Posts: 5,167
    Bumping this back up as I finally got around to doing this workout tonight.

    I took my FTP as 315 W and did an hour at 275 W (~87% of FTP), with 20 sec bursts at 380 W (120% of FTP) every 3 min. It was very hard, but my HR only got up to 170 (max ~193) by the end of the last hard effort, so i think I have probably, unfortunately, underestimated FTP. Which means the next HOP is going to be seriously unpleasant...

    3523551680_6e3541f49a_o.jpg
    Le Blaireau (1)
  • Gav888
    Gav888 Posts: 946
    Has anyone noticed an improvement out on the road, such as your average has increased, or your TT times are coming down by doing the HOP?
    Cycling never gets any easier, you just go faster - Greg LeMond
  • disgruntledgoat
    disgruntledgoat Posts: 8,957
    Gav888 wrote:
    Has anyone noticed an improvement out on the road, such as your average has increased, or your TT times are coming down by doing the HOP?

    Observed benefits from Hour of Power and other structured intensity workouts so far...

    1) Knocked 25 seconds off my best 10m TT time.

    2) Knocked 22 seconds off my best climb of Whinlatter Pass

    3) Got over Hardknott and Wrynose at the end of the Fred on a 39x25. Grrr. First time in 5 years i've got over them both without dabbing a foot and i'm 4 kg heavier than i was on my best year.
    "In many ways, my story was that of a raging, Christ-like figure who hauled himself off the cross, looked up at the Romans with blood in his eyes and said 'My turn, sock cookers'"

    @gietvangent
  • richa
    richa Posts: 1,632
    What sort of HR should be sustainable for an hour. 80%-85%?
    Rich
  • disgruntledgoat
    disgruntledgoat Posts: 8,957
    RichA wrote:
    What sort of HR should be sustainable for an hour. 80%-85%?

    I've been using 87-90% as an acceptable range.
    "In many ways, my story was that of a raging, Christ-like figure who hauled himself off the cross, looked up at the Romans with blood in his eyes and said 'My turn, sock cookers'"

    @gietvangent
  • richa
    richa Posts: 1,632
    disgruntledgoat wrote:
    I've been using 87-90% as an acceptable range.
    :shock:

    I'm good for about 10mins at 90%.
    Rich
  • DaveyL
    DaveyL Posts: 5,167
    In the graph above, the red line is my HR, so you can see that even at the "baseline" pace the HR drifts upwards as you go through the session.
    Le Blaireau (1)
  • disgruntledgoat
    disgruntledgoat Posts: 8,957
    DaveyL wrote:
    In the graph above, the red line is my HR, so you can see that even at the "baseline" pace the HR drifts upwards as you go through the session.

    That's exactly what i've always found, good shout.

    I know what gear at what cadence and what resistence setting I had the trainer on so, after a 5 min warm up, I roll along in that. Now, my target zone for that kind of maximum sustainable intensity is about 172-177 bpm, but i'm experienced enough to know by percieved effort if i'm doing it right or not.

    So, for example, after my warmup I may begin my first 2 min section at about 160bpm or sometimes lower. By 20 minutes I'll be right where I want to be with my HR rising slightly on the 30 sec bursts (as your HR won't respond quickly enough to measure those by) but always remaining in that band (if i'm not fatigued or anything). By the last 15 minutes, I usually find that I'm not recovering anymore and that my HR remains at about 90% or even slightly above for the rest of the workout. But I still keep up the same cadance in the same gear at the same resistence, that's what the workout is all about.

    The key is, if you're not using a power monitor, gague your effort by feel and use your HRM as a guide as to how your body is reacting to the constant, repetitive varying of effort. You may find you slightly underdo it the first couple of times, certainly it's a daunting undertaking mentally, but once you crack it it IS a very rewarding workout.
    "In many ways, my story was that of a raging, Christ-like figure who hauled himself off the cross, looked up at the Romans with blood in his eyes and said 'My turn, sock cookers'"

    @gietvangent
  • DaveyL
    DaveyL Posts: 5,167
    I'll second that - from the numbers of my power vs HR, I was probably not going hard enough, but I still felt pretty fatigued and light headed after the session! Am slightly dreading the next one, but in terms of bang for your buck, along with 2 x 20s, I don't think you'll get better.
    Le Blaireau (1)
  • mclarent
    mclarent Posts: 784
    In terms of HR, I tend to be in the low - mid 70s by the end of the warm up, high 70s by the start of the first "jump", push up to mid 80s by the end of the 1st jump and then range between 85-91% throughout the session, with a drift of 1-2% I would estimate.
    "And the Lord said unto Cain, 'where is Abel thy brother?' And he said, 'I know not: I dropped him on the climb up to the motorway bridge'."
    - eccolafilosofiadelpedale

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