Ade Merckx

[Toks]

Look I found evidence that Ajay was motivated to make third cat last year [quote]So this year my goal is to move from 4th cat racer to 3rd cat racer, and to finally work out how to use that Polar heart rate monitor I bought last year. Read this blog to find out how I get on.

[Matthew Ives]

To be fair, I think Ajay says that every year

W's less typical? How's that?

[Toks]

[quote]To be fair, I think Ajay says that every year

W's less typical? How's that?

[Paul H]

I think your blog is good and makes interesting reading.

Not sure I would want everybody to know what I was doing though.

Dunno how you can do 3x20 on a turbo and at 90%. I can only do 1x30 at 85%.

[quote]I think your blog is good and makes interesting reading.

Not sure I would want everybody to know what I was doing though.

[Matthew Ives]

It's a pity people can't comment on the blogs on LCS or give feedback.
Some of them are very interesting and it would be good to be able to give some feedback.

[Toks]

Thats a good point Matt. I've tried once before but I can't remember I think it goes to an email response...Re Pauls point about keep anonyminity I'm gonna try to keep posting every week just so people can judge for themselves whether that training actual helped me meet my goals.

A lot of cycling diaries/blogs even pro ones seem to fade away with time which is disappointing. I hope i can show that trying to be a competitive amateur cyclist requires some focus and dedication but yet you need to keep it real and make sure the important things are look after like, not burnning the toast or upsetting your partner

[ajay khandelwal]

Nice work Toks - just don't forget your man Superaj who helped launch into the world of cycling celebrity ! Toks is a phenemona - everyone knows him and he knows everyone...The blog is excellent. I like the fact that you give a window into your personal life and how your training fits around it. That makes it much more interesting than the mutant type blogs that read 'did x y z today at 99.9 percent and then did 400 press ups and then blah blah blah'. Yours usp is your special style of humour and ability to laugh at the whole competitive cycling scene whilst loving it at the same time ! Its got to be the best blog going...In fact...your digressions are the best bit...so just freewheel with them. PS I hope you really are doing to training not just blogging about them and eating cake...I'm sure we'll find out in March. Well done for keeping up the blogging and not falling by the wayside like many well intentioned but ill disciplined fellow bloggers (who shall remain nameless!)

[Toks]

Cheers Daddy Soops. I still haven't replied to Quintins email but keep that one quiet. Seeing as ACC launched me on to the cycling scene various members will get nods from time to time. I'm saving yours for the first race of the season!

[Brian Robinson]

Toks,

Great blog, keeping it real. As Ajay said, it's much more interesting because you've provided some context around the various sessions (i.e. work, social, relationships etc...) that we all have to contend with.

Personally, I find it motivating especially as I have just reached my 26th day without booze (longest period by about 16 days in the last 16 years!!) I'm definitely going to take a few leaves out of the Toks handbook, although to be fair it will mainly be focused on doing something every week to get the habit embedded. I might even try a 1 x 20 min of pain thingy. Small steps

Bri

[Paul H]

Next time you see Jason, tell him I had 10 bpm spare.

[Toks]

Ooo tough talking from the uphill gradient master!! I probably didn't do you justice in the blog but Jason was definitley impressed...By the way you're a 'power man' now so you should know that an extra 10 bpms when you're so close to your max might be quite insignificant power/speed wise.

For example on the turbo during a 5 x 5 session I might be at 177bpm with a minute to go. My HR may drift up to 185 by the end of the interval. Those 7 extra beats don't necessarily buy me anymore speed/power. But I know where your coming from. It always sounds good if you've got more in your locker

[Toks]

[quote]Toks,

Great blog, keeping it real. As Ajay said, it's much more interesting because you've provided some context around the various sessions (i.e. work, social, relationships etc...) that we all have to contend with.

Personally, I find it motivating especially as I have just reached my 26th day without booze (longest period by about 16 days in the last 16 years!!) I'm definitely going to take a few leaves out of the Toks handbook, although to be fair it will mainly be focused on doing something every week to get the habit embedded. I might even try a 1 x 20 min of pain thingy. Small steps

Bri

[Brian Robinson]

Tried a 20 min session at 85%.....Jeez!

I notice a few posts from people who have struggled to get their heartrate over 80%. I thought, no problem for me as I always struggle to keep it down.

Did 10 min warm up and then only managed 5 mins where my heart rate was only at 85% for the last 3 mins. Did 10 mins at 70% and then another 5 mins at 86/87% before a final warm down.

There is a bit of work to do before I can do 1 x 20min never mind 3 x 20mins.

What I don't understand is, I can easily ride along on the clubrun at 82/83% yet on the turbo it was as if someone was using my thighs as a test environment for bunsen burners. Is it purely psychological? i.e. my garage door wasn't getting any closer the harder I tried.

Is it best to try build up to 1 x 20min or build on the 2 x 5 min (i.e. 2 x 10 min, 2 x 15 min, 2 x 20 min)?

Bri

[Matthew Ives]

HI Brian,

There's a lot of people who , for one reason or another, find it very hard to get their HR on a turbo up to the levels that they see on the road.
There was a huge thread on this over @ Cycling Forums.

There was no common consensus as to why this was, but the most people felt that it had something to do with pedaling style:

Those that have a very smooth style who pedal in circles applying force all the way round the stroke are better at turbo sessions. Whereas those that tend to mash the pedals and have an irregular, less fluid pedaling style find turbos harder .

Apparently, the more turbo sessions you do, the better you get at modifying your pedaling style to suit the turbo and it's constant resistance all the way round the stroke.