Tag: powermeter

First 4iiii Long Ride – New FTP test (kind of)

Yesterday was a bank holiday here in Germany, so I could finally go for a bit of a longer ride with the power meter on.  I have stopped putting it between the bars at the moment, so I am just wearing my Suunto Ambit 2 as a watch and recording my data, and occasionally checking what I am doing, rather than fixating on it all the time!

So I have been informed that my last FTP test was probably unrealistically high (325w FTP).  Lots of suggestions were made, and one that was worth testing was if the head unit being used affected the results. I did a ride with my Garmin 705 in my back pocket whilst wearing my Suunto Ambit 2.  I rode normally for a couple of hours or so, and uploaded both of the rides.  The result was that they were essentially exactly the same, with the Garmin showing 1w less. I saw that on one occasion the Garmin had lost the signal from the 4iiii Precision, whereas the Suunto hadn’t so that even explained that small difference.  My watts were just as high as before. Continue reading “First 4iiii Long Ride – New FTP test (kind of)”

End of week 20 – Mannheim relay marathon and 4iiii FTP questions!

On Monday me and Katja went for a 11.2km run.  It was really humid and there were so many bloody flies, it wasn’t a very enjoyable run but was 11.2km at 5:27/km at 122HR.  A quite easy start to the week.

Tuesday I rode with my new powermeter for the first time.  I had written a bit about that already, so won’t go over it again.  It was blowing a gale though, as it always seems to be at the moment!

On Wednesday I ran with Katja again, it wasn’t so horrible weather, but hella windy, which also wasn’t ideal.  When we were done with the 11.5km loop, I cycled to the swimming pool for a swim.  More accurately, I cycled 8km towards the swimming pool, before realising that I didn’t have my goggles.  I know already from experience that without goggle, I am screwed as no one brings 2 pairs, and the pool doesn’t sell/rent or lend any out, so pretty pissed off with myself, I cycled home. Continue reading “End of week 20 – Mannheim relay marathon and 4iiii FTP questions!”

Start of week 20 – 4iiii Precision powermeter is here!!!

My powermeter has arrived! Woohoo!  I ordered a torque wrench too which should be here tomorrow, so then I can make sure I have it 100% properly installed.  I plan just to ride with it over normal routes this week, and then maybe next week try an FTP test to set my zones.  I really hope I don’t mess up the installation, as long as it is as easy as described, it should be all good!

To normal business, today I’m going to run with Katja straight after work, then eat and head straight to swim training. I might swim with the group tonight, as long as they don’t have too much crap planned! Continue reading “Start of week 20 – 4iiii Precision powermeter is here!!!”

Start of week 19 – Let the cycling begin!

May Day or Tag der Arbeit is this week on Friday, so I have a 3 day weekend.  I aim to cycle 300km over those 3 days and 400km this week total.
I will be running my first leg of the Wingertscup running series on Saturday in Framersheim.  It's a hilly 14.3km route with the winning time usually being 55m or so.  I should be quite close to the front.  I will cycle there and back, so that will be 70km, so Friday and Sunday will have to be 230km at least, not too crazy.

I will swim at least twice, three times would be better.  Running is slightly less important at the moment as I have the running fitness and need to improve my cycling and swimming.  I will run this evening (monday), probably 15km or so, as the weather forecast looks a bit crappy, so it's not ideal for cycling.

Possible week plan:
Monday – run 15km
Tuesday – Cycle 30km (+22km) and swim 2km
Wednesday – Cycle 60km
Thursday – Run 11.6km before work, Swim after work (22km cycle)
Friday – Cycle 130km
Saturday – Cycle 70km, run 14.3km
Sunday – 100km, maybe swim

My powermeter should arrive this week – I'm excited!  I plan to just cycle with it to start with and see what numbers it spits out, then next week I can look at setting some zones!

Midweek update – week 12 and random thoughts and plans

I have been quite busy this week so far, so I thought I would write a little midweek update 🙂
On Monday, I went to the gym did some leg strength work and did a hilly run on the treadmill for 45 minutes. As always the 6% and 7% parts are quite tough, but I think it has got a touch easier than last time I did it a month or so ago, so that was a good thing. I think I will try it at 11.5km/h next time out.

On Tuesday I ran before work, just faster than 5m/km pace and nice and easy. Not much to report.
I planned to swim straight after work, before going to the Irish pub for St Patrick’s Day, so at about 18:30 I went to Taubertsbergbad, only to find that only one double lane was open to the public. A quick glance inside revealed about 15 ‘swimmers’ in this lane, all swimming back and forth ‘breaststroke’. There was no chance I would actually be able to swim there, so I binned it.

After St Patrick was celebrated (I’m a lightweight nowadays, I only managed 3 Guinesses), I ran on Wednesday evening. I decided to go for simple 400m repeats, the first of which was in 73 seconds, then gradually slower down to about 80 seconds over the next 7 repeats. The toilet was calling and my calves were screaming, so I left after only 7 intervals and jogged out a just longer than 10km run. I need to work on my speed work in minimal shoes, my calves were not happy at all, and still aren’t now as I write!

This morning I got up at 6am and went for an easy run. I realised that that means I have run everyday this week, and I plan to do my long run tomorrow, so that will be 75km or so before the weekend, but the weekend will be very light on running, so I think that is ok. I didn’t fancy my normal loop this morning for some reason, so I cut back through the part of town where I live and did a slightly shorter 10.6km run.

Tonight I want to swim, I won’t lie, haying not been to a TCEC swimming practice for a long time, I am a bit worried about it, but I will go anyway. Then tomorrow I will run long after work. I am going to try to eat simple low fibre food until then, so hopefully I won’t have the stomach discomfort I have had during my last 2 long runs. The current plan is 5km normal to start with, 20km of 1km marathon pace, 1km easier, then 5-10km easy to end the run.

I’ve planned a long ride on Sunday, I plan to ride the Undenheim RTF route.
http://www.gpsies.com/map.do;jsessionid=D3CEAFDB8C941269908C3076FE020DEC?fileId=mjbeuzipodvejfon

It’s ‘only’ 110km, but Undenheim is 17km from home, so that would be 144km total. I have posted in the TCEC facebook group to see if I can get a group to ride, no positive replies yet! Dimi is in though.

On Saturday I want to keep it relaxed. A swim and a short cycle. There is important balcony work to be done, so I won’t fill my day too much with training!

To the random stuff: profile-design-fc25-hydration-system-17

I want me one of these bad boys, it has a GPS holder, is aero and holds a load of liquid. It would be good to have before Wasserstadt.
I need to get a torque wrench. By some sort of amazing coincidence, both of my bikes have the same bottom bracket and I can use my ordered powermeter on either, when it arrives. Apparently a torque wrench is pretty necessary if I want to not break the cranks, so I will get one before the power meter arrives.

I have been reading about ‘proper Ironman training’, the general consensus seems to be that running can be reduced to very little, as long as you’re fit and can cycle like the wind. I think this summer might be a big cycling summer!

One last thing, I have been looking at when the outdoor pools (Freibäder) open. Apparently it won’t be until at least late April, which sucks, I don’t see me getting in a big load of swimming until after that happens, and even then it is unlikely! The clocks change next weekend, then it is go time for evening cycling…. 300km weeks here we come!

Oh yeah, I weighed myself once and was 77.5kg, not great but not bad. 76kg for Bonn would be good.

Start of week 12

As I am writing this on Monday evening, I can accurately predict that I will do hill intervals at the gym on the treadmill on Monday after work! I also did some leg strength work.

Tomorrow’s plan is to run before work, then swim after work at Taubertsbergbad, before celebrating St Paddies Day at the Irish Pub. On Wednesday I would like to run before work again, and cycle after work. I feel like doing some short intervals on Thursday for some reason, I might do a pyramid again but 400-600-800-1000-800-600-400, the paces would be hard to work out as I have little idea! lets say now 1:15-1:55-2:40-3:30-2:40-1:55-1:15, is that reasonable? I really don’t know but lets find out!

Friday would ideally be long run day again with a good portion at race pace, followed by a Saturday swim and cycle and Sunday long cycle.

I pre-ordered myself a powermeter today, I am both excited and nervous about it! It is a 4iiii Precision, a new crank based powermeter that promises to be like stages but cheaper and more accurate. Fortunately they will be pre-assembled on the crank arm, not DIY like they first planned!
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I have never trained with power before, but I think it can only help for pacing the long distance and middle distance races I have planned this year 🙂 I have no idea when it will get here, but I am looking forward to it, I can plan some proper intervals too, it’s done wonders for my running, hopefully it’ll be the same for cycling…

5 weeks to Bonn marathon, oh yeah, I am not going to do the Tour of Flanders, too much effort, I would have to do it alone and I could better use the 4 day weekend training at home, sad but a good choice I feel.