Sportstest #2 - The Results (Part 1 of 2)

After my diatribe on the benefits of the chosen training methods it's only fair that I pen the review of the first set of the Team's re-tests with Dr Garry Palmer.
The running order for the day was Alan, me, Manuel (a friend of the team), and Simon. Simon and I popped in half-way through Alan's test to offer some 'encouragement' to find that he looked to be making light work of the test that he found significantly more difficult back in October. Alan completed his test to found that the hard work he had put in since October had paid dividends - max power 288W up from 231W!, power to weight 3.66W/kg (target for July - 4W/kg), VO2max efficiency looks good, and down to 17.8% body fat which means a loss of 3.7kg of fat since mid-October! Impressive stuff considering that there is more training to come in preparation for July, Alan now embarks on the second phase of endurance training to increase his mechanical efficiency and power when riding at this intensity.
Alan also provides the first photo for our caption competition -

I was next up after Alan had set the bar so high. I felt comfortable during the endurance and threshold tests. Apparently I was trying to wrestle the cycling rig by the end of the ramp test which showed that my peak power has increased since October, which wasn't expected as my training plan wasn't targeting that. My mechanical and VO2 max efficiencies are improved significantly and Garry says that I'm in better shape now than I was at the end of last race season (which should have been my peak) so I'm well set for the coming season. To facilitate this Garry has designed a particularly unpleasant Threshold training programme for me. My contribution to the caption competition:

Manuel was introduced to the ramp test next, I won't publish his results here but if he could develop more power without putting on weight he would make an awesome climber!
Simon was the last test rider of the day, I hope he won't mind me saying that he was feeling the pressure of the improvements of the other tests that day. Alan was on hand to provide moral support and capture an unfortunate gurn at the end of test. Despite Simon's concerns his results showed that he too had made impressive gains since his last test point in October. Max power up by 10%, mechanical efficiencies look good, power to weight 4.13W/kg!, VO2max efficiency looks good, and 17.1% body fat down from 18.9% (although some dietary changes required - Simon can update you with these later). These results are especially impressive considering that Simon's recovery rate revealed that he is actually heavily fatigued and run down at the moment, the Dr P has ordered rest and recovery until he feels better at which point he can continue his training.
Simon's entry into the caption comp will be entered shortly.

The remainder of the team will be tested in March, I will be taking a day off that day so I don't have to enjoy the wrath of Nick should his results not show that he can now rip up tarmac with every pedal stroke....
Overall, the results of the team so far have been really pleasing and bode very well for a rewarding ride in July!
The next major event in the team's calendar is the Mad March Hare Sportive on the 4th of March, 75 miles and 1100m of climbing, keep your eyes peeled for the blog entry on that one.

Sportstest #2 - The Reckoning

Alan chose the idea (to ride the Maratona) and I created the route of how we were going to get to the end goal of getting all the team to finish line of the Maratona without any major dramas during the race. Based on my previous training experience for the Etape I arranged for Dr Garry Palmer of Sportstest to assess our current condition and create tailored training programmes for us. Part of this process included a follow-up test with Garry to assess our progress. That time is now here - Alan, Simon and I will be tested this week with the other team members to follow later in the month.
I feel for me that this an opportunity to vindicate my training methods, but you can already see the results of the training programme for Alan, Simon and Gavin even without testing them. Simon has covered significantly more mileage than he has ever done before, and more comfortably. Alan has done rides over 40 miles, a huge achievement from his starting point in October. Gavin is showing signs of his previous impressive form. The impending Sportstest should show improvements in aerobic economy, increase in power at endurance pace, improvements in mechanical efficiency and reduction in body fat/weight (therefore an increase in power to weight ratio). This will give them an foundation for the next phase of training - Threshold, this phase is to increase power and improve economy near to lactate threshold which will improve their climbing ability (a vital part of the preparation for a mountainous race such as the Maratona).
You'll notice that I've only referred to three of the team members so far. This is the part where the blog starts it's controversy in earnest. One team member is struggling to find the time and self-belief to stick to his training programme but with some support is starting to turn it around, hopefully you'll hear his story first hand when he gets round to signing up for the blog. Which brings me onto the final member of the team - Nick. You've read his posts which vividly portray his disillusionment with his training programme, as I mentioned above this training method was my idea so I'm left asking myself whether I've failed Nick, should I have suggested a training method that would suit his preference to ride hard during most of training?
If I had the ability to turn back time would I have changed my suggestion based on Nick experiences since starting the training programme? The answer is no, I've read several training books and magazine articles and they all share the same fundamental approach - periodisation. Periodisation is a training approach that focuses on differing aspects of fitness dependent on the time year in relation to a target race date or the start of a race season. Winter is the best time to focus on base and endurance fitness as this is off-season and the road conditions don't lend themselves to giving it the 'beans'. As the target race gets closer it is time to increase the training intensity to ensure that you arrive at the target event at your peak and not burnt out from training on the limit all year round. There are exceptions to this rule - Eddy Merckx being one, he believed that the only thing better than lots of training miles was even more training miles. Going slow to go faster may seem counter-intuitive but it's all about managing fitness, form and fatigue and arriving at your target event with your best fitness and form with as little fatigue as possible.
Keep your eyes peeled for the results of the Sportstest this week, personally I'll be happy with an improvement in my endurance economy and my mechanical efficiency at endurance pace which means I'll be able to sustain a faster speed for longer. My average speed during my first Sportives was 16-17mph for 60 miles before I started following a structured training programme in 2010, last year I did the 200km Dragon Ride at an average of 18.5mph.

It's February

Hi blog reading bicycle buddies; you'll be pleased to read that I am back again for another instalment of blog writing tomfoolery.
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Get a cuppa and settle down for a long read.........

[Warning: this is not motivational]  


[Disclaimer: reading this could cause unexplained punctures]

So, here we are in February. Work and play are doing their utmost to spoil my training. Pre-Christmas I was merrily (get the xmas reference) churning out 800-900 miles per month. However, all fell apart as I escaped England over the Christmas and New Year period by enjoying the summery wonders of New Zealand. I then returned to Blighty for 1 day before being dragged off to Sweden for work for one week. Another 24 hours rapidly ticked by back in the UK before heading off to France snowboarding for a week. Finally, I am now writing to you from Austria, again work related travels; and I am stranded here for a further 2 weeks. Joy!
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In the midst of all this I have managed to jump on some exercise bikes in various gyms across Europe and squeezed in 10 days back-to-back riding on the bike, rattling off 400+ miles in the process. Work then whisked me off to Austria.

So, the million dollar question, "how is training going?"     puncture

I'm afraid the answer is more long winded than 'well'/'badly'........................
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I am assuming the bulk of Endurance training has now finished. I won't have chance in the near future to see Dr. Palmer to assess how the training has gone but to be honest, I've had enough! Maybe another Sports Test would reveal some hidden and mystical improvement in my Endurance threshold performance, but in the most part, it has failed to reveal itself to me. Average speed has shown no improvement, still hovering around 19mph for the longer rides. Maybe it's not meant to improve.....'so what's the point?' Hehe.
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The last ride I did before heading off to Austria with Steve did give me a glimmer of hope though. I actually managed to climb some hills while remaining in Endurance; fancy that! My Facebook post on Feb 3rd revealed my surprise and delight. So, that is where I left it. My last Endurance ride on the bike before I headed off to snowy climbs for work was a good one and it's not all doom and gloom. punctures

In other news, I have also bagged myself a few punctures, I mean 'segments' on Strava, which is encouraging. Having said that, I doubt this has much to do with training! Having said that, training wasn't meant to increase my sub 10min 'sprint-ish' performance. Having said that, it is very frustrating feeling no quicker. Having said that, maybe a Sports Test would reveal an improvement Endurance wise. Having said that, I'm bored of having said having said that!                                                                                puncture
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So, looking to the future now. I have joined Epic RC and have plenty of rides organised, both Sportives and races. I plan to start my Threshold training block when I'm back in the UK. This will once again be interrupted by a climatic test trip for work at the end of March. Luckily I have managed to move the trip around to allow me to enter the Victoria Park Crits and the Cheshire Cat (on consecutive days no less).
I can also reveal a cunning plan for the work test trip. I intend to buy another bike before the end of march. This way I can send one of the bikes over to Tenerife with the test cars and still have transport left in the UK. Tenerife altitude training here we come!

Right, I know you're bored now so I'll be off.
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Bye for now bloggers and blog-readers. Don't forget, with power comes punctures.                       puncture

Nick Punctured Power Rawlinson