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Beasty’s 2012 cycling pursuits ….

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  • Administrators, Social & Fun Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 74,773 Admin ✭✭✭✭✭Beasty


    In addition to the 2 track sessions set out above, I had my first race of the season today. In addition I managed a commute, and evening training session and yesterday's road test of the new bike.

    Total distance for the week was 250km, bringing the YTD to 1,827km

    I've been suffering a bit from a head cold/virus over the past couple of days, but it doesn't seem to have slowed me down too much. Assuming no deterioration, the plan will be to do a couple of commutes and evening sessions next week, and then getting out or on the Wattbike over the weekend


  • Administrators, Social & Fun Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 74,773 Admin ✭✭✭✭✭Beasty


    The headcold has not limited my training much if at all last week. I'm still left with a bit of a cough, but am otherwise fine.

    I managed to get 3 commutes in, together with a couple of evening training spins, and rounded off with a Wattbike session this evening, for a total of 262km in just under 9 hours.

    I set a new PB for the 2k pursuit on the Wattbike, improving my previous best by just over a second - it now stands at 2m 34.49s. Hopefully I still have another 2-3 seconds in me, particularly if I manage to do a session when reasonably fresh.

    My YTD total now stands at 2,090km, which is over 500km ahead of the same stage last year (and just about in line with my average weekly target of 250km up to the end of March). Not only that, but I'm about 1.8kph faster. Quite a lot of that is down to the fact that I'm getting more time on the track and Wattbike, but I'm also benefiting from the additional work I managed to get in towards the end of 2011. In addition I'm about 6/7kg lighter than last March, which is definitely helping with the climbing - I'm now regularly averaging 20kph or more on the Ardgillan Hill Climb, whereas last year it was very much the exception rather than the rule.

    I also finding recovery easier - I'm often managing to get out for 6 or more days in succession. In previous years I would need 2-3 days recovery, but I'm now reasonably comfortable with a single day's rest.

    Next week I'm hoping to get another couple of commutes in and an evening session, before returning to Manchester on Thursday. Hopefully (weather permitting;)) I'll then be able to get some time on the new bike over the weekend


  • Administrators, Social & Fun Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 74,773 Admin ✭✭✭✭✭Beasty


    Training went pretty much to plan during the week. I got the 2 commutes in on Monday and Wednesday, plus a shortened one on Tuesday when I was dropping the car in for its service

    I pretty much TT'd the track session on Thursday, recording an average speed of 37.6kph according to the Garmin, but it was actually a bit faster as I had the wheel circumference set too short - the actual speed was around 38.4kph over 61 minutes, but it was probably around 38.8kph when the first 2 or 3 minutes of speeding/warming-up are excluded.

    I tried a 1km TT on the Wattbike on Friday, but after a good start I tailed off badly during the final couple of hundred meters to finish with a time of 1:11.69, just under half a second outside my PB. I reckon I'll improve that when I get a chance to try it when fresh though.

    Then this morning I did get a chance to get out on the new bike, and with some careful planning the Beast has managed to get her first four KOMs, so no complaints there

    Total distance for the week was 261km in a fraction over 9 hours, to leave the YTD total at 2,351km which is just under 600km more than at the same stage last year, and I'm pretty much keeping to my target of 250km per week.

    Plans for next week are another 3 commutes plus a couple of evening session, and hopefully getting another spin in over the weekend.


  • Administrators, Social & Fun Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 74,773 Admin ✭✭✭✭✭Beasty


    A week of commutes, with total distance of 275km over the 5 weekdays.

    Having only been off the bike for 3 days since 18 February, I was getting tired towards the end of the week (still managed 6 KOMs since last Sunday though;)), and have taken a rest over the past couple of days.

    YTD now stands at 2,626km at 29.7kph, putting me 640km ahead of the same stage last season.

    Next week I'll be taking it easy with a business trip to London keeping me off the bike from Tuesday morning until Thursday evening. I probably need a bit more of a rest, and will stick to a commute after hopefully a decent spin tomorrow, in advance of the start of the Vets League next Sunday (assuming I'm not put down for marshalling)


  • Administrators, Social & Fun Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 74,773 Admin ✭✭✭✭✭Beasty


    Bit of an odd week, after a longish spin on Monday, the lack of a car resulted in a 1 way commute on Tuesday, then a couple of days in London, with a commute home on Thursday evening, and back to work the following morning, picking the car back up on Friday afternoon. Then there was the vets DMS at Batterstown this morning.

    A total distance of 210km for the week, bringing the YTD to 2,836km. That's over 700km more than at the same time last year, and over 450km more than the year before.

    Next week will be a bit more of the same, with a trips to the UK on Monday returning Tuesday and Friday returning Sunday, so time on the bike will be limited making it another rest week I guess ...


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  • Administrators, Social & Fun Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 74,773 Admin ✭✭✭✭✭Beasty


    Not quite the rest week I had anticipated. I actually managed 211km, and increased my KOM count by 6!

    Monday involved a short session on Manchester velodrome, then I managed to get out locally on Wednesday evening, when I managed my first couple of KOMs. Not only that, but I also improved my PB on the Ardgillan hill climb by 10s, dipping under 5 minutes for the first time.

    On Thursday I hooked up with some of the Swords guys on the inward commute. I should have got a 2nd place in one segment, but due to the vagaries of Strava, Staro took it despite starting ahead and finishing behind me! I was somehow relegated to 41st place. Once I left the other guys behind I managed another KOM on the N32 Eastbound just before turning off to work.

    Then last night I managed another 3 KOMs in Cornwall. Admittedly they were not the most popular of segments. Indeed I am the only one to have ridden one of them, but as it was an average 10% (peaking at around 21%), I'm happy to take it

    Having flown back into Dublin this afternoon, I then went out for a couple of hours. The hills are clearly going well for me at present, as I managed another 8 PBs on Strava segments, a 2nd best time on the ascent of Snowtown. I also improved my time on the Ardgillan Hill Climb by another 13s, with my PB now standing at 4m 45s, about 30s ahead of my best times last year. I'm certainly benefiting from the weight loss over the winter. I also menaged to hit my highest ever speed - 72.6kph coming down Snowtown towards the Naul. So all in all everything is looking good for the racing season.

    I've also now broken through the 3,000km barrier, with my YTD total now standing at 3,047km

    Next week I hope to get out tomorrow evening, followed by a couple of commutes, and maybe a quiet spin on Friday, with a view to doing the vets race at Dundalk on Sunday.


  • Administrators, Social & Fun Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 74,773 Admin ✭✭✭✭✭Beasty


    It's been a while since I posted a CP chart, so here's the one I've built up over the winter training, with the black line showing yesterday's ride:

    198743.jpg

    It doesn't tell the full story, as it does not include any data from my Wattbike sessions (which would improve the "short end" of the curve, with a maximum power of around 1,130w, and filling out the dip a bit at the 1 minute mark. It also does not include any race data (I'm waiting for the Garmin Vector to come out which I could then swap between race and track bikes) - typically this data would help fill out the long end of the chart - last year my CP was at 269w, compared with only 239w on the chart above.

    One thing it does show is my peak 5 minute power (which is pretty much the length of the Ardgillan Hill climb) is just over 370w, which is actually slightly higher than when I set my best time last year. I guess it's indicating I've lost the "right type" of weight (about 7-8kg, or 9% of my bodyweight) since then, as I seem to be maintaining pretty much the same power output. Hopefully it will also help instil a bit more confidence on the hillier race circuits.


  • Administrators, Social & Fun Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 74,773 Admin ✭✭✭✭✭Beasty


    Beasty wrote: »
    I should have got a 2nd place in one segment, but due to the vagaries of Strava, Staro took it despite starting ahead and finishing behind me! I was somehow relegated to 41st place.
    Beasty wrote: »
    filling out the dip a bit at the 1 minute mark.
    Having dropped a car off at Airside this morning I had another go at the segment that Staro robbed me of second place last week. It was only a couple of minutes into the ride, and so I was in no way warmed up, but I still managed to beat Staro's time by a second, and filled in the dip in the CP curve a bit, with a 498w 1 minute interval in achieviing it:D

    I then went on to establish my first 50+kph KOM on the N32 segment, imrpoving my average speed by 10%


  • Registered Users Posts: 31,001 ✭✭✭✭Lumen


    Your charted CP of 239W seems quite low, and your AWC of 40kJ seems quite high.

    Taken at face value this makes you an appalling TTer and a great sprinter, but I'm not sure those figures are accurate.

    I've read posts on the Wattage group from sports scientists who says that 20 is a common figure for AWC with 40 being the upper end of the range, although I've no idea what sort of cyclists they are talking about.

    From what I recall you usually commute at around 250W average. Surely you're not commuting over threshold? Unpossible.

    Maybe this suggests that your 10-20 minute efforts are submaximal. Your best efforts follow the theoretical CP curve all the way past the hour. Unless your pain system has an off switch I'd expect it to fall off long before that (mine does anyway).


  • Administrators, Social & Fun Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 74,773 Admin ✭✭✭✭✭Beasty


    That's just the CP curve over the winter. I occasionally get up to 250w for the commute, but that would usually be over the summer (although checking back I have been not far off 250w for some of the winter commutes).

    The long end of the curve was established in one of the Xmas races, when I was dropped from a group of 5 with a few km to go, but before that shared the workload with morana and a couple of other lads. I think it would have been quite a bit higher if I'd had a PM on the new bike's debut in the "ladies" race at Dundalk

    I've been focussed on the short end more recently, and have pushed it up a bit, which hopefully means I am improving as a sprinter, but more importantly as a pursuiter (which for me is a 2m 40s or so event). I think the long end of the curve will head back up when I start doing some TTs again (the TT bike does at least have a PM). In particular my maximum 20 minute efforts have always been in 10m TTs (I think I was up to about 290w on the road bike with aerobars, and a little less, just under 280w, with the TT bike last year)


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  • Registered Users Posts: 31,001 ✭✭✭✭Lumen


    Ah, OK. Doesn't that mean you should do the seasons xml thing or create season-specific rider profiles in GC? Mixing data up from different time periods is bad.


  • Administrators, Social & Fun Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 74,773 Admin ✭✭✭✭✭Beasty


    I'm not mixing seasons - the underlying data just goes back to October 2011, and the "best" line is all from rides since 7 December


  • Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators Posts: 11,667 Mod ✭✭✭✭RobFowl


    This discussion is going a long way to dissuade me from buying the new Garmin power meter......


  • Registered Users Posts: 31,001 ✭✭✭✭Lumen


    Beasty wrote: »
    I'm not mixing seasons - the underlying data just goes back to October 2011, and the "best" line is all from rides since 7 December

    Ah right, sorry I misread your post.

    What I find problematic about the CP curve in GP is that (a) it gives you two numbers which ought to be extremely useful (CP and AWC) but they're totally dependent on accurate maximal test data without which they are completely misleading, and (b) there's no obvious way to see progress over time except by switching seasons or rider profiles.

    The Metrics view, and specifically the Aerobic Power chart with Weeks selected and 1/5/10/20/30/60 Peak Power plotted, seems to give a better indication of training progress and encourages a good regular training mix. Which I don't have, and so that chart just mocks me silently and objectively, which (RowFowl) seems to be the main outcome of buying a power meter - documenting one's mediocrity. :pac:


  • Administrators, Social & Fun Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 74,773 Admin ✭✭✭✭✭Beasty


    You can skim through the individual rides (black lines) using the CP chart, but I agree it's difficult to see the progress over time.

    What I found useful were some of your previous comments about AWC. I see that as showing what I have in reserve when operating on or near the CP line. I actually suspect the CP line should be a bit higher and AWC a bit lower, but that only really comes out when I am pushing myself to the limit, which is typically in the Swords League (which are CPs rather than DMSs, and where I will push hard throughout the race)

    ... it's a pity the PM battery died today, but I should still have some interesting commute data to upload to Strava later on, even recognising the effect of the tailwind;)


  • Registered Users Posts: 31,001 ✭✭✭✭Lumen


    Beasty wrote: »
    I see that as showing what I have in reserve when operating on or near the CP line

    That's the theory. I actually went to the bother of tracking my "reserve AWC" on a second-by-second basis with a spreadsheet using some race data, and found that I didn't get close to zero despite being completely destroyed at the end of the race, which means either the model is wrong, the inputs were wrong or I need to HTFU.

    Would be interesting to see "reserve AWC" in real time on a head unit, as long as the viewing angle was very small. :)


  • Administrators, Social & Fun Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 74,773 Admin ✭✭✭✭✭Beasty


    A bit of a tailwind this morning - average speed on the inward commute was 38.1kph, compared with a previous best of 35.5kph - an improvement of 2m 23s. Icing on the cake was 7 KOMs:D


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 2,365 ✭✭✭Lusk Doyle


    Lumen wrote: »
    Ah right, sorry I misread your post.

    Two English men unable to understand each other. It must be a North / South thing!


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 2,365 ✭✭✭Lusk Doyle


    Beasty wrote: »
    A bit of a tailwind this morning - average speed on the inward commute was 38.1kph, compared with a previous best of 35.5kph - an improvement of 2m 23s. Icing on the cake was 7 KOMs:D

    Like athletics, records with wind assistance over 1.1 mph do not count. Keep trying!


  • Administrators, Social & Fun Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 74,773 Admin ✭✭✭✭✭Beasty


    Lusk Doyle wrote: »
    Like athletics, records with wind assistance over 1.1 mph do not count. Keep trying!
    ... well that's pretty much blown your chances of ever getting another one at a speed of over 0.2kph then ...;)


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  • Administrators, Social & Fun Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 74,773 Admin ✭✭✭✭✭Beasty


    Just as a follow-up to the CP discussion, the one place I have been almost all-out for an hour is on the track. Just looking at the rides I have done solo (admitedly with other riders on the track), I've typically averaged 38-39kph, and a pretty accurate estimate of my power can be made using the bike calculator

    Assuming no benefit from drafting, at 38kph on the drops I would be putting out 270w and at 39kph 290w or so.

    Clearly I do get some benefit from drafting, as I would typically be overtaking other riders every 10 laps or so, but this is probably countered by the fact I would be on the hoods for part of the time (increasing the power requirement to maintain speed by around 20%), and needed to move up the track to overtake other riders. In addition, although my HR does drift up when on the track, I've typically averaged around 165 bpm, which is a bit less than I have done over the hour when really pushing it (around 173bpm), suggesting I was not quite all-out (indeed on a couple of the rides I am thinking about I felt I was relatively comfortable until picking up the pace for the last few laps). Hence I do think my "true" CP is a bit higher than that currently showing on the CP curve

    Of course, I still need to deliver actual results to prove it ...


  • Administrators, Social & Fun Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 74,773 Admin ✭✭✭✭✭Beasty


    So after getting out on Monday evening, I had commutes on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, and another local spin on Friday, before today's vets race at Dundalk. A total of 290km, bringing the YTD to 3,337km at 29.5kph (about 750km ahead of the same stage last year)

    Unfortunately the Garmin switched itself off during the vets race, losing the first 10km of data. During that time I had managed to bridge over to a break, but shortly after I had got there the guys who had initiated it had pretty much lost interest and sat up. I then dawdled towards the back of a big bunch (probably 50+ again) for a lot of the race, until about 20km to go when, inspired by RobFowl, I made a break of my own. It was a relatively flat and there were already a couple of riders clear. I passed the first one who showed no inclination to get on my wheel. Tne second one stuck for a short while, but I was pushing it at 45-50kph (with a tail-wind), and he soon dropped off. I stayed well clear for 6-7km, but was still in sight of the bunch on the straight and wide road. I believe one of my club-mates helped organise the chase and I sat up with about 12km to go

    I still felt quite strong for the sprint, but no-one seemed to know where the finishing line was, and by the time we saw it there was probably only a couple of hundred metres to go. There was no space to get through so I simply rolled in at the back. All in all I was happy with my performance - it was the first time I've been involved in any breaks in vets races, and still felt strong throughout

    Next week I'll be trying to get out tomorrow (or may spend some time on the Wattbike if the weather is too miserable), then aim to do a couple of commutes. I may then try my first ever open race - the Brendon Carroll Memorial on Friday, part of the Stamullen weekend, then I'll be looking to do another vets race at Batterstown on Sunday.


  • Administrators, Social & Fun Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 74,773 Admin ✭✭✭✭✭Beasty


    Following last Sunday's race in Dundalk I managed a couple of KOMs on Monday, then commutes on Tuesday and Wednesday, before the open race debut on Friday evening.

    A nice northerly when I was heading to Airside to pick the car up on Saturday delivered another 3 KOMs. I guess I was feeling the effects of Friday and Saturday in the first couple of laps of this morning's vets race, but I hung in and was a little surprised to get myself involved in the sprint at the end

    Total distance for the week was 303km, which is my highest weekly total of the year so far, bringing the YTD distance to 3,640km - over 1,000km ahead of the same stage last year and 500km more than the year before. Average speed is holding up at 29.6kph

    Next week I'm hoping to see the full benefit of the 7-8kg weight loss since the same time last year in the Swords Hill Climb on Wednesday, then I'm planninf to dust off the TT bike on Sunday for a vets 25 miler at Batterstown. I'm also planning to intersperse a couple of commutes, although weekly distance is likely to be down as I ease off a bit ahead of the TTs.


  • Administrators, Social & Fun Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 74,773 Admin ✭✭✭✭✭Beasty


    I managed the couple of commutes, and did a PB in the Swords Hill climb on Wednesday. I couldn't make the vets TT this morning so did the Peter Bidwell Memorial open race last night.

    That gave me chance to get back on the Wattbike for the first time in around 6 weeks tonight. I managed ti improve my 2,000m pursuit time by 3s, bringing it down to 2m 31.5s, and putting me in 12th place in the Wattbike Rankings. As I've said previously this does not properly reflect what I would do on the track - getting up to speed would probably add another 4-5s, and I did not do it in aero position. Still 395w for 2 and a half minutes is a PB, and the sort of power output I normally only get near when out of the saddle on a hill climb.

    Total distance for the week was 230km, bringing YTD to 3,869km

    Next week, I'm hoping to get out tomorrow evening, and then it should be to Garristown for the Swords League race on Wednesday. Hopefully it will then be a commute on Thursday and resting up for the vets race on Sunday


  • Administrators, Social & Fun Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 74,773 Admin ✭✭✭✭✭Beasty


    With the cancellation of the Swords League race on Wednesday, I managed an evening spin on Monday and a couple of commutes before today's vets race for a weekly total of 218km, with 7 KOMs established:D. That means I've done 1,103km during April, only 3km behind my highest monthly total with a day to go. A far cry from when I started this cycling mularky 3 and a half years ago with a target of riding 1,000 miles in 6 months

    YTD now stands at 4,087km, over 800 km ahead of the same stage last year and 400km more than the year before

    Hopefully I'll get a commute in tomorrow, then the Swords League on Wednesday followed by at least 1 more commute. Not sure if I'll get to race over the weekend - if not I'll probably be out in the evenings


  • Administrators, Social & Fun Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 74,773 Admin ✭✭✭✭✭Beasty


    Commutes on Monday, Thursday and Friday, Swords League on Wednesday and out for a local spin today - total distance for the week 243km, bringing YTD to 4,330km at 29.7kph.

    Next week is expected to see next to feck-all on the bike and it will probably be a couple of weeks before I do another update.


  • Administrators, Social & Fun Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 74,773 Admin ✭✭✭✭✭Beasty


    ... to the Swords League

    I've already commented on last night's race in the Swords League thread. I turned up to find I had retained my position in a reduced (in size) Group 3. I had raced the night before, and know that on the hilly circuits I have struggled to keep with Group 2 in the past, so fully expected the hiding I got. I was hoping my weight loss since last year would help, and we did go a lot faster on the first lap than I have done on that course before, averaging around 40kph until we hit the hill. Anyway, I guess it makes it an easy decision to opt for Wednesday track league racing when we do these hilly circuits again.

    Turning now to the previous night, and the vets 40km DMS on the Mullagh course in Batterstown. I had just got off a ferry earlier in the day, and it was touch and go a to whether I'd get to sign-on in time. I managed to get there in time and took my place in the middle race in Group 3 up against the faster Group 4 (although some of the guys in that group seem to have managed to get themselves in the slower Group 2 in the Swords League!). 27 were in the race, and we set off into a headwind, turning to go up the Mullagh. The first lap was quite straightforward with all attempted breaks being quickly closed down. I expected someone to have a dig 2nd time up the Mullagh and made sure I was well placed to react. As it was about half a dozen of us got away and I thought we may stay clear, but the remainder of the group did manage to get back on before we turned towards Batterstown.

    A few of the Dublin Wheelers guys tried to control the race - 1 of them getting away and the other sitting up at the front of the bunch. However they were forced to react when a Bray guy attacked and the group came back together with perhaps 2-3km to go.

    Into the final straight, and the pace begins to pick up. I'm over towards the white line but there's traffic coming in the other direction, restricting overtaking opportunities. The headwind meant we were not going particularly fast and when the road cleared I made my move, moving up to the front and then putting the hammer down. I could feel riders on either side, and the one on the inside was gaining a little. One final push though kept him at bay, and I held on to cross the line first - my first ever road race victory.

    And here's the evidence:

    235171.jpg


  • Registered Users Posts: 14,317 ✭✭✭✭Raam


    Great stuff, Beasty, well done! That will inspire massive confidence.


  • Registered Users Posts: 4,833 ✭✭✭niceonetom


    That's awesome, Beasty. Well done!


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  • Registered Users Posts: 296 ✭✭Staro


    It was only a matter of time when that new bike got you first across the line. Well done & hopefully the first of many?


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