HOUR OF POWER!

Hi Gents..
Tomorrow shall be the return of the hour of power!

When: Tuesday 5:30pm
Where: Nandah Crit Track

- If we get enough people we can have a few sprint off and the pack chase,
- We can do 30 sprint intervals
- Sprint from back to front.
- 20-30 Min pace line 42+kph

these are just some ideas, if you have one feel free to put it up or bring it on the day.

Sounds good mate. I hope to be there, got a busy day though.

My suggestion is at some stage to have an 'Elimination race'.
I see HPRW have one on their winter calendar. I'm assuming it's the same thing as rolling around in a bunch, sprinting before the line, and dropping ONE rider per lap.

My 2c

180

Yea great idea!

ideas?

- how about race emulation (attacks off the front by 3 or more). discover the speeds we're all capable of holding to create a gap without blowing, then hold it in a tight rotating break group. Currently the training caters well for sprinting, but not attacking and holding, esp in a group of 3. Imagine the training Koiled are doing.

- If anyone wants to build crit race conditioning, then solo intervals are worth doing. everything from 30 mins to 10 seconds. Though appreciate Tues night is probably the best time to do group training.

- If we wanted to get serious, then I'd suggest we all regularly (say once every 1-2 mths) record solo intervals of 1, 2, 5, and 10 laps, and top speed in a 10 second sprint. Then we can start to identify who has what strength, and how to tactically use each member without blowing them up. This set of numbers can be used to generate an athlete "profile" like Andrew Coggan and Joe Friel do with power.

These recordings could also be used to measure whether the training you are doing is actually generating performance gains and identify other stuff like overtraining. IMHO, the greatest gains for any of us will come from
1. getting bodyfat sub 10% -> optimum nutrition
2. avoiding overtraining and fatigue -> optimum rest and sleep, and more structured intent to training.
3. better designed interval training sessions with more focus on 10sec to 5 minute intervals (the stuff most of us avoid).
4. leg and core strength, spine and lower limb flexibility, aerodynamic positioning.
5. clearer race tactics.

But....tell me I'm dreaming!!!

Well gents I have to apologise I missed the 5:30 kick off, but from what I hear we still had a few punters turn up and put in a few efforts. It was brought to my attention that people thought the 5:30 kick off was a bit late, and by all means if people want to go earlier just put it up here. I guess coming into winter and the nights are shorter we may have to revisit the time slot regardless, but the reason I made it that time in simply because its the soonest I can get there. There is no reason while we cant have 2 groups.. or even better 2hours of power!

And Bruce your Ideas are great! and another idea I had is we should be doing our race length plus 10 mins. If you want to do 40-50mins and feel great at the end, do 50-60mins, if you can train at that length then a race should be a breeze.

Look!
I just can't let the last two posts go without comment. It has to be admitted those who turned up did very little most of the time but it did get interesting late in the evening with JH and GD stirring things up. . . . what we did do was just a suggestion of what we could do once we get organised. It is so long since I have had a good workout what with rain and a crowded track on Thursday nights. I really feel the suggestions put forward by GD and BG will have us all improving out of sight and bring back a bit of interest in training. We are lucky having these guys putting these ideas out there for us. Their ideas give us a structure . . . a focus. Without them we will continue pussyfooting round and be bored silly. I know I have been so flat lately I started wondering what the hell I was doing riding a bike. But the last half-hour on Tuesday night was enough to bring back memories of what bike riding is and could be all about. If 5.30 is the earliest some of us can get to the track then we can do the training with lights. At the moment it is still light enough at 5.30. Lights would only have to be used for part of the training. Anyway, I am looking forward to next week.
Padandpencil.

GD, I read a good analysis of the energy demands for crits. It reckons you are better training in VO2max (Zone 5 3-6 minutes) and anaerobic (Zone 6 1 minute) zones. The logic is most riders sit in most of the time (tempo/threshold, Zone 3/4), but this is punctuated by shorter intense efforts of up to 5 minutes.

They say when attacking, the lead rolls over, which is similar to being in the pack.

A solo break would typically be at Threshold (Z4 8-30mins) or VO2max (Z5 3-6mins).

Keep in mind it is the higher intensity shorter stuff that is lost quickest, and needs to be trained regularly throughout race season.

Anyway, I agree Tues is probably the best night to do 55-60 minute race simulation.

One final word. Optimally structured training aims for smaller incremental increases in intensity and volume. If you increase either by too large an amount in a given period, your energy systems don't adapt efficiently. You have distress rather than stress (break down tissue, suffer fatigue and overtraining syndrome).

Hour of Power
When: Tuesday 19 March
Time: 5:30

Please feel free to start earlier, and If Im not there start with out me

I've got to pee off at 5, so will be there ~3.30 doing my own thing:
10 min warm up
intervals in laps: 5, 2, 3-5x1, 2, 5.
recovery length dependent on HR.
5 min cool down

If anyone is interested, and wants to emulate, this is a pyramid session, as part of a multi-pace periodization macrocycle, that has a long history in track and field athletics, as used by Pat Clohessy (Rob de Castella's coach). It has many benefits for Amateur Masters athletes with limited training time.