Newbie trainer road help please

littledove44

Apologies if this should be on the "official" thread. Not sure what that means.

Anyway, I have just started with trainer road. Did the fitness test and came up with an FTP of 151. I followed the instructions and didn't kill it on the first 8 minute, and at the end of the second eight minute I thought I might have been able to do a little more, but not much. I can do a lot more for shorter periods, but not the full eight.

Anyway, I have now started the intermediate base 1 programme and was mildly surprised at the effort level. The only comparison I have is my Strava suffer scores. I do some spin sessions at a local gym and normally get a SS of around 60 on a 40 minute session. My first TR workout gave me a Strava SS of 30 in an hour.

I am concerned that perhaps the FTP is too low, or should I just hang in there as it gets much harder later? Would be a shame to spend all that time on the turbo and not get the maximum benefit. I have the time to train or ride every day so I want to get it right.

cougie

How many sessions have you done that you thought were too easy ? Not every session is designed to be tough - some are steady riding and it will ramp up as the plan progresses.

ExigeR

As a guide i look at the heart rate.

e.g @ 41 mine should be around 179bpm

My 8min test came out at 181avg over the 2

I would class a 1 hour workout at 150+bpm a moderate workout for me as they have rest intervals built in.

So if your 20, thats 210bpm, i would be looking at 170+bpm for a workout

Not the most scientific but its a quick guide that works for me.

littledove44

ExigeR wrote:

As a guide i look at the heart rate.

e.g @ 41 mine should be around 179bpm

My 8min test came out at 181avg over the 2

I would class a 1 hour workout at 150+bpm a moderate workout for me as they have rest intervals built in.

So if your 20, thats 210bpm, i would be looking at 170+bpm for a workout

Not the most scientific but its a quick guide that works for me.

For the FTP test the HR climbed to 90% of MHR towards the end of each 8 minute.
Average over the hour was 70% but of course there is a lot of resting.

I have only done one session after the FTP test. Averaged 67% of MHR for the hour.

Lefthook

Your max HR on your Test was 157. Is that close to your max?

I'm a newbie to the trainer as well. I touched 185 on my test with my max being 190. I average 174 HR on the second 8 min interval, so about 92% of max average. Did you work that hard to set your FTP.

On Gayley my HR did not get above 155 for the intervals. So looking at your workout on TR the swing in your HR from 157 in test to 130 in intervals on Gayley is about the same % change.

Not very scientific, but looks like you worked as hard as I did in Gayley.

Do a couple more sessions, and remember youre in a base training plan, and if still feels easy, just redo the 8 min test and set the FTP % to 105% and see how the first 8 mins feels, and then go full out for the second 8.

Hope that helps

Edit: Did not see your last answer re HR before answering :-)

ExigeR

My HR would be pushing 170+ on the intervals on that one.

Hit 188/191 on the 8min tests, i did push hard on that test maybe a little to much.

Might be best to retest now you have a feel for what to expect.

dw300

You've got to go balls out both 8 minute intervals as the FTP is worked out off an average of the 2. You should fall off the trainer at the end of a test.

What height, weight and age are you, and what workout did you do after the test?

littledove44

dw300 wrote:

You've got to go balls out both 8 minute intervals as the FTP is worked out off an average of the 2. You should fall off the trainer at the end of a test.

What height, weight and age are you, and what workout did you do after the test?

Are you supposed to do the same power in each of the 8 minutes?
Are you supposed to keep the power constant in each 8 minutes?

I tried to do both and perhaps that's why it came out a little low. I was being careful on the first so as not to blow it on the second.

175cm, 90kg, 56 years.

Did Gayley first! then Baxter today. Can't say 90 mins was fun on my rear end on a turbo, but averaged 66% max HR and peaked at 80% so not too tough at all.

ExigeR

Go flat out on the first 8mins and keep telling yourself i did it once i can do it again on the second.

littledove44

ExigeR wrote:

Go flat out on the first 8mins and keep telling yourself i did it once i can do it again on the second.

Thanks. Will try that.

Can anyone recommend a nice gel pad for my saddle. :oops:

ExigeR

lol, sometimes it hurts more than your legs doesn't it. Good shorts helped for me and try and stand for a few seconds that helps a lot.

Just had a look at your TR profile if it was me i would aim at 190-200 try hard not to go under and build from that.

Like Dave said dig deep.

Good luck

littledove44

dw300 wrote:

You've got to go balls out both 8 minute intervals as the FTP is worked out off an average of the 2. You should fall off the trainer at the end of a test.

Great advice. Did it again and almost did.

ExigeR wrote:

lol, sometimes it hurts more than your legs doesn't it. Good shorts helped for me and try and stand for a few seconds that helps a lot.Just had a look at your TR profile if it was me i would aim at 190-200 try hard not to go under and build from that. Like Dave said dig deep.Good luck

Thanks. I followed that. I upped the percentage scale so that the aim during the 8 minute was 200W. Managed to hit that in both intervals so the new calculated FTP is 177.

Definitely nothing left in the can apart from perhaps 10 seconds of sprinting but I was at 97% of MHR at the end so I think the FTP is now something to stick with for a while.

Thanks everyone.

ExigeR

Well done 26w gain good effort.

dw300

You'll probably go faster again fairly soon just from judging your pacing better.

If you do it fresh and well fed, with a good warmup and ideal conditions you'll be in the 200 club. Then it's the grind up to 300!

mikenetic

From personal experience the intermediate base 1 has one of the hardest sessions in the first week. It's called Gayley. If you look at the intensity factor for that it's almost as high as the FTP test.

That session pretty much acts as a check that you've got the FTP right. If you've gone as hard as you can manage on the FTP you should feel that you're just about hanging on at the very end of Gayley. Once I'd got through that the rest of the program was hard but manageable, and I definitely felt the benefit at the end of it when I retested.

littledove44

mikenetic wrote:

From personal experience the intermediate base 1 has one of the hardest sessions in the first week. It's called Gayley. If you look at the intensity factor for that it's almost as high as the FTP test.

That session pretty much acts as a check that you've got the FTP right. If you've gone as hard as you can manage on the FTP you should feel that you're just about hanging on at the very end of Gayley. Once I'd got through that the rest of the program was hard but manageable, and I definitely felt the benefit at the end of it when I retested.

I did Gayley with FTP set at 150 or do as per first FTP. Almost fell asleep during it.

After second FTP test raising it to 177 I am sure it will be a more suitable challenge next time around.