Hey Big Hammer!
No worries about the long post with multiple questions, that's what I'm here for :)
BigHammer wrote:
1.
Cadence: I am tending toward a cadence of 100 or above for all sessions. As I understand it, this will place more strain on my aerobic system than my muscular system. I find that, when I drop the cadence, lactate builds up much faster. Question: should I continue with the high cadence or am I wimping out by hiding from that lactate by maintaining a high cadence?
A higher cadence is actually more efficicent if you can manage it, so keep up the high cadence! Most people have a naturally lower cadence, and need to work to speed up their cadence through training, but it sounds like you're already there :) A higher cadence also takes a lower toll on your connective tissue and your knees, so it's really a win-win situation.
BigHammer wrote:
2.
Training: My event falls mid-week (after Christmas); I have 15.5 weeks to go. I have 5 weeks left on the Sustained Build and then an 8 weeks Specialised programme to complete - but that leaves 3.5 weeks to fill. What is the most effective way to do that?
There are a couple of things you can do to add duration to your plan. I will list a few, in no particular order, and you can choose which method works for you.
1. You can repeat 2-3 weeks of Build. For example, you could do Weeks 4-5-6-7-8, and then do a mini-block of 6-7-8.
2. If you are feeling a bit fatigued following the Build Phase of your Training, you can give yourself a bit of time to recover with a week of Traditional Base between your Build and Specialty Phases. This will allow your fatigue to drop so that you are able to tackle the Specialty Phase from a position of power.
3. You can help retain your peak by repeating Specialty Weeks 7 and 8 upon completion of the Specialty Phase. This will extend your training by 2 weeks. This is probably the least advantageous way to use your extra time, however since this time falls during the holidays, it may be nice to have a lower volume of training.
BigHammer wrote:
3.
Race Profile: The race for which I am training is hilly; a rolling course with one climb averaging 11% (only 1km, but it hurts). Should I be tweaking the Specialised programme to take account of the course?
I'm not sure I understand the nature of the course. You mention that you are planning to be a sprinter in this race, is that correct?
How much climbing does this course have total? What is the total distance? Is it a road race or a circuit race?
If that one climb is the only major climb in the race, then you will need no special considerations. In fact, a 1 km short climb will ride like a VO2 Max/ Anaerobic effort, which is the energy system you should be developing as sprinter with your standard training.
Which brings me to my next question, if you are planning on being a sprinter, is there a reason that you are using the Sustained Power Build Plan? Typically, a road sprinter will want to use at least the General Build Plan to incorporate some of that short duration, high intensity work into their training. It's totally possible that I am misundertanding the race type, so let me know!
BigHammer wrote:
4.
LTHR:
I am not a LTHR zealot; I have abandoned the concept for short intervals (anything up to 10 minutes). However, I would expect a session designed around 3x20min @95% FTP to result in a workout below OBLA, and in turn a HR below LTHR. Questions:
(a) It is possible that my FTP is set too high? Could my high fast twitch composition provide misleading results on the ramp test?
(b) Or am I simply misunderstanding the purpose of the Galena session? Is the session supposed to lead to OBLA?
The reason that we at TrainerRoad have abandoned the LTHR metric is because it can be misleading and cast doubt into the minds of our users. There are many different reasons that Heart Rate can be higher or lower than expected, which include cardiac drift, caffiene consumption, nutrition, sleep, training stress levels, life stress levels, temperature, etc. These can change almost arbitrarily, and cause a user to doubt their training. We use power based training becasue it is always consistent. It should not be possible to significantly over-test using one of the FTP Testing methods, so unless you are having a difficult time completing Threshold work, your FTP should not be too high.
As for the intentions of Galena, it is a Sweet spot workout, which is essentially a workout that that is designed to keep you as close to Threshold as possible without accumulating lactate. But, due to the inconsistencies of HR, your HR may suggest that you are accumulating lactate when really, its just too hot in the room you're training in, or you are experiencing cardiac drift.
I hope I was able to address all of your questions sufficiently, let me know there was anything I missed!
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