10TT training/Turbo program?

Graeme Jones
Graeme Jones Posts: 361
After a few local training loops last year and having a go at some strava 10TT loops I have decided I'm going to pull the trigger and join a club in the next month and get myself to as many 10TTs as I fancy with the odd 25TT thrown in.
My current regime isn't structured with a mix of commuting normally steady in and either threshold effort for the 12 mile back or hitting some strava segments on the way home using them as intervals usual 4 or so intervals.

I generally ride 80-100miles a week but sometimes 160-170 if the weather isn't as bad/dangerous as it is now.

I do use the turbo on bad weather days and generally do the usual 2x20, 5x5 or sprint intervals for a minute with 2 mins recovery.
Most of my sessions are around an hour-1.5hr on the turbo.
I use a HR monitor but no power metre etc.

I have been trying to swot up a bit on FTP etc but I'm interested in training a bit smarter and more specific in the next 2 months to increase top end performance and threshold for time trials.

Any suggestions I am happy to just use turbo for the month ahead by all accounts this wind isn't going anywhere!

I also like to get in a 2.5-3hr tempo or Endurance pace ride at the weekend or day off around 40-50 miles

Comments

  • tim_wand
    tim_wand Posts: 2,552
    If you ve got the gear to run it, Try the 20 minute F.T.P test protocol on Trainer Road.
  • What would I need time apart from Bike, Turbo and HR monitor?
  • bisoner
    bisoner Posts: 171
    What would I need time apart from Bike, Turbo and HR monitor?

    ANT Speed sensor
    ANT USB Stick
    Turbo - check on the Trainerroad website if they support Virtual Power for your turbo

    Optional - ANT HR Monitor
  • LegendLust
    LegendLust Posts: 1,022
    After a few local training loops last year and having a go at some strava 10TT loops I have decided I'm going to pull the trigger and join a club in the next month and get myself to as many 10TTs as I fancy with the odd 25TT thrown in.
    My current regime isn't structured with a mix of commuting normally steady in and either threshold effort for the 12 mile back or hitting some strava segments on the way home using them as intervals usual 4 or so intervals.

    I generally ride 80-100miles a week but sometimes 160-170 if the weather isn't as bad/dangerous as it is now.

    I do use the turbo on bad weather days and generally do the usual 2x20, 5x5 or sprint intervals for a minute with 2 mins recovery.
    Most of my sessions are around an hour-1.5hr on the turbo.
    I use a HR monitor but no power metre etc.

    I have been trying to swot up a bit on FTP etc but I'm interested in training a bit smarter and more specific in the next 2 months to increase top end performance and threshold for time trials.

    Any suggestions I am happy to just use turbo for the month ahead by all accounts this wind isn't going anywhere!

    I also like to get in a 2.5-3hr tempo or Endurance pace ride at the weekend or day off around 40-50 miles

    You could try breaking the 10m TT into approachable sections. Time trialling is all about going as hard as you can without going into the red, and pacing the effort so you steadily increase the effort until the finish line.

    So just try to go 5 mins as hard as you can without dying in the last minute. See how you go with that. Once you've mastered the 'feel' of how to go hard for the full 5 mins, then add another 5 mins. So do 5mins hard 5 mins rest 5 mins hard etc

    Then once you're doing these two interval sessions equally hard, add another 5 mins hard (with 5 mins rest), keep adding 5 mins until you can do 4 or 5 of these intervals. Then you can try decreasing the rest period, down a minute etc

    Do this session just once a week, then add some hour/hour and half tempo sessions to the training mix in the week and you should see some fitness and speed gains
  • On the road I'm able to hold 95-97% MHR for the entire 10miles so handling the suffering mentally I'm fine. I suppose it's more about making my body more efficient and more powerful.

    I find that my gearing on my road bike might not be ideal as I feel like I am missing the ideal gear for my current fitness. When I change up just one gear I feel like the gear is on top of me but the gear lower its 100rpm spun fest
  • LegendLust
    LegendLust Posts: 1,022
    On the road I'm able to hold 95-97% MHR for the entire 10miles so handling the suffering mentally I'm fine. I suppose it's more about making my body more efficient and more powerful.

    I find that my gearing on my road bike might not be ideal as I feel like I am missing the ideal gear for my current fitness. When I change up just one gear I feel like the gear is on top of me but the gear lower its 100rpm spun fest

    Are you sure you mean MAx Heart Rate? Being able to hold 97% of your Max Heart Rate for 10 miles is pro territory!

    If it is your Max Heart Rate, how did you test yourself to arrive at your MHR figure?
  • You're doing a varied mix of training that will benefit 10 mile TTs already. Spend some time in the aero position outside if you can, or if you don't have aerobars then in a position that you'd used for racing (drops or bent arms on the hoods). Don't worry too much about your heart rate, but make sure when you do a 10 mile effort that the last 10min average is higher than the average for the first 10min. If it's not you've gone off too hard, basic error and easy to do

    Xav
  • tim_wand
    tim_wand Posts: 2,552
    There are various ways to use Trainer Road.

    Actual power with a power meter is the most accurate and replicable.

    Virtual power which compares the speed sensor on your wheel to the known power curve of your specific turbo (not always accurate but its consistent and gives you a base line to train off)

    and Heart rate, which obviously varies considerably according to the environment and your physical state.

    To give you a general Idea I use Virtual power, my FTP (according to the tests on trainer road is 270 watts) I would therefore expect to ride at 85 to 90% of this for a 10 mile TT or about 24 minutes in my case.

    My LTHR lactate threshold heart rate is 141 BPM so theoretically I should hold 85 to 90% of this for the same 24 minutes, but with me it doesn't work and I can hold 141 BPM all day long.

    However if I hold 250 watts for 24 minutes I get my 10 mile TT.

    So its not an exact science, you have to play about with it to fit the metrics you know.

    Hopefully they ll be someone a bit more knowledgeable than me along (DW 300 )

    Just take my advice as an anecdote of what works for me.
  • I have only tested in the usual non scientific fashion of sprint intervals on the turbo or attacking climbs locally until I blow up. I have had readings of 201 and 202bpm on numerous occasions and 203bpm once at the end of a10TT in which I felt like I was giving it everything and my body and mind said no more but sprinting for the finish and blowing up just before got me a 203bpm recorded reading. I can't see me getting a higher reading to be honest.
    I've just had a look through my last two 10TT training tides and they both Aversged 190bpm so if my max is 203bpm then it's only 13bpm off max!
    I am 30yrs young relatively fit and starting to even enjoy the tourture of the turbo lol!
  • tim_wand
    tim_wand Posts: 2,552
    Far too many variables with heart rate.

    Like I say I can hold 141 bpm all day long , but according to trainer road its my LTHR .

    My FTP is 270 Watts ( on virtual power) and I can just about hold 250 watts for 25 minutes.

    Does your H.R monitor have an average Heart rate?


    My own experience is none of the data from the turbo really ties up to the road.

    Its not scientific but I just get on the turbo and bury myself for 30 minutes, and try and keep the effort level.


    Come on lads , there are some knowledgeable guys on here (not me) whats the best way to use the turbo to train for a 10 mile TT if heart rate is your only metric?



    I
  • tim wand wrote:
    Far too many variables with heart rate.

    Like I say I can hold 141 bpm all day long , but according to trainer road its my LTHR .

    My FTP is 270 Watts ( on virtual power) and I can just about hold 250 watts for 25 minutes.

    Does your H.R monitor have an average Heart rate?


    My own experience is none of the data from the turbo really ties up to the road.

    Its not scientific but I just get on the turbo and bury myself for 30 minutes, and try and keep the effort level.


    Come on lads , there are some knowledgeable guys on here (not me) whats the best way to use the turbo to train for a 10 mile TT if heart rate is your only metric?

    141 could be your lactate threshold as it's the power / hr you can sustain without passing a blood lactate value. I'm not sure how trainer road would measure this though...

    I

    I'm not sure your understanding stacks up...

    If your ftp (1 hour power) is 270 watts, you should be able to ride above this for a 25 minute effort (probably about 5% above). How can you ride 270 watts for but then only 'just about hold 250 for 25 minutes"?

    Lactate threshold is something different to FTP (max power for an hour). Lactate threshold the pace you can hold without going above a certain lactate blood measurement (different people define the lactate concentration at different levels, or a series of different lactate thresholds, so confuse things more). The lowest lactate concentration commonly referred to I see is 1mmol, and I've heard it said that at this level you would feel you can ride for a few hours. However, you get your Lactate Threshold measured in a lab, so I'm not sure how trainer road would measure it (unless it's just given you an estimate?).
  • tim_wand
    tim_wand Posts: 2,552
    That's what I figured as the tests are meant to give you a 1 hour figure, even though they are only 20 minute or 2 x 8 minute efforts.

    I don't know how it comes up with a LTHR figure and I really don't hold any store in mine as I can comfortably hold 141 all day long, thought this would be an indicator of the fact that I m in a pretty un trained state and 43.

    So with the figures I put, theoretically I should be able to hold a maximal effort of 1 hour at 270 watts.

    Looking back at some of the hour long sessions I ve done I am around the 240 mark so that would be a 85% effort,

    Obviously for a 10 mile tt you'd want to be some way above that. Higher intensity / shorter duration.
  • I'd take Trainerroad figures with a big dose of electrolyte
    I'm sorry you don't believe in miracles