Hello to all and thanks for all the info you have shared here. It has been quite an illuminating read. I have been cycling for about a year and a half and started with almost no fitness at all. I am 42 years old, was a lifelong cigarette smoker until about 3 years ago. About a year and a half ago I was about a hundred pounds overweight (270 pounds) and could barely climb a few flights of stairs without getting winded.
I am currently 6'0 - 190 pounds and have a few crits and a half season of Velodrome racing under my belt. I typically ride 3-4 hour group rides on the weekends that are very challenging for me to keep up with. I train mostly indoors during the week on e-motion rollers (now that track season is over) with TrainerRoad software for structure and estimated power as a power meter is not currently in my budget but believing that training with power has merit. I think the power numbers that it is giving me are at least a bit higher than reality, but as long as it is accurate relative to itself and i use it to both test and work out on it all nets out, right?
After looking for an answer to the question of whether I am better served by focusing more on trying to push or pull my FTP up (as it is definitely my limiting factor at this point), it appears that more time in Zone 4 is on the menu. I did 60' today at 91-92% of FTP. Average HR was 168 (Max 196) about 85% of max. I was fresh having taking the last two days off the bike for the first time in several weeks. The workout was somewhat challenging, but not as difficult as I had expected. I didn't push it and just kept it steady until the end of the 60'.
My average heart rate seems really high compared to most of the other guys I ride with. Obviously part of this is lack of fitness, but is it indicative of my FTP being bumped up against my VO2 max? My LTHR is about 88.5% of my Max HR? I am trying to figure out how much VO2 max work and how much SST work to do (in relation to each other) to maximize FTP gains. I am still racing some off season crits and between them and trying to hang on to the back of the group every time the road pitches up, I am getting a fair bit of Zone 5 and some 6 work on the weekends, although it is unstructured and only measured via time in HR zone...
I know that's a mouthful of background, but just looking for someone to shed some light on how best to go forward...
Thanks for the help.
I am currently 6'0 - 190 pounds and have a few crits and a half season of Velodrome racing under my belt. I typically ride 3-4 hour group rides on the weekends that are very challenging for me to keep up with. I train mostly indoors during the week on e-motion rollers (now that track season is over) with TrainerRoad software for structure and estimated power as a power meter is not currently in my budget but believing that training with power has merit. I think the power numbers that it is giving me are at least a bit higher than reality, but as long as it is accurate relative to itself and i use it to both test and work out on it all nets out, right?
After looking for an answer to the question of whether I am better served by focusing more on trying to push or pull my FTP up (as it is definitely my limiting factor at this point), it appears that more time in Zone 4 is on the menu. I did 60' today at 91-92% of FTP. Average HR was 168 (Max 196) about 85% of max. I was fresh having taking the last two days off the bike for the first time in several weeks. The workout was somewhat challenging, but not as difficult as I had expected. I didn't push it and just kept it steady until the end of the 60'.
My average heart rate seems really high compared to most of the other guys I ride with. Obviously part of this is lack of fitness, but is it indicative of my FTP being bumped up against my VO2 max? My LTHR is about 88.5% of my Max HR? I am trying to figure out how much VO2 max work and how much SST work to do (in relation to each other) to maximize FTP gains. I am still racing some off season crits and between them and trying to hang on to the back of the group every time the road pitches up, I am getting a fair bit of Zone 5 and some 6 work on the weekends, although it is unstructured and only measured via time in HR zone...
I know that's a mouthful of background, but just looking for someone to shed some light on how best to go forward...
Thanks for the help.