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Power Crank Question
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OK...I have had my Power Cranks for two weeks and have had approximately 10 sessions on them. To confirm previous posts/threads, they kick your A**. I am a 24.5mph 40ker and the power cranks make me feel like I built my endurance on a tricycle. Aside from being humbled, I can tell that my legs are being built and excercised in a way never before. I am using the PC's on my fluid trainer and following the instructions from Mr. Day as far as initial use and workouts. I am now up to about 35 min (5min high gear/low cadence; 30sec RI). My question is this....do I need to keep my base up by switching back to regular cranks and getting a good 3-4 hour ride in or will the gains made my a multi-short session workout day on PC's substitute this (3x30 min: morn, mid day, eve)? Any suggestions? Thanks for any advice given.

Daniel

"Those things that hurt, instruct." -Benjamin Franklin
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Re: Power Crank Question [textrirunner] [ In reply to ]
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Daniel,

I would have expected you to be beyond 35 minutes by now, after 10 sessions. I wouldn't worry too much about missing long sessions yet but you will eventually need to get back there and the sooner the better. I would recommend that you go to 2-3 a day workouts to further stimulate the transition and/or start using them outdoors (they are "easier" on the road than on the trainer) but don't do your first one as an out and back as you may not be able to get back.

I am sure others, who have been through what you are doing now, will have other suggestions.

Frank

--------------
Frank,
An original Ironman and the Inventor of PowerCranks
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Re: Power Crank Question [textrirunner] [ In reply to ]
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My simple view of the simple answer is: the more you are on them the better.
The longer answer: If you are concerned about losing some quad strength in your adaptation phase, go ahead and do a hard interval workout on your regular cranks once a week. I don't think this will slow your PC adaptation down, and it will allay any anxiety you may have about losing quad strength. You will soon find that you prefer riding PCs on all of your rides, because as your adaptation progresses, you can do the interval workouts on PCs anyway, and you still get all the PC training in the warmup, cooldown, and rest periods between your intervals.
Have you noticed a change in your running yet? This came first and furiously for me....the riding benefits are more subtle and slower in showing up.



Quid quid latine dictum sit altum videtur
(That which is said in Latin sounds profound)
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Re: Power Crank Question [yaquicarbo] [ In reply to ]
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Thank you for your advice. I will just do 3-day-ers for the next two weekends (I usually do a 75 miler on Saturdays). The following weekend I have a 130 miler planned which I will probably just use my regular cranks. I do not feel like I am losing any quad strength at this point. In fact I feel that I my quads/hips/and calves are getting a real shock. I don't know if this is just from being on my trainer in a large gear or not. As far as my run, I have made it to the track twice since starting PC's. Both days followed a tough PC workout earlier that day. My 800's were about 5-6 seconds off but I attribute that to muscle adaptation and fatigue. I can tell that the workouts that I am getting on my PC's are adding to my overall power which will help my run in both form and endurance.
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Re: Power Crank Question [textrirunner] [ In reply to ]
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textri. i got mine only 9 - 10 weeks from an IM, and was commited to using them fulltime for that period. to that end i simply busted out and went long right off the bat. i suffered some, but the sessions helped me to get over the hump and soon i was able to ride them as i wished, within certain boundaries such as raising my bars a bit, and not worrying about what my avg speed was on the training ride. as you say i noticed that SOMETHING was happening with my legs, and i just went with the idea that it was a good SOMETHING based on the physiologic feedback i was getting.

so, i might kinda go with mr day's notion that you go outside sooner and not later. in my case i did indeed do a big out and back or three precisely because i knew i was going to have to get back no matter what, and then made it happen even if i had to one leg it or pedal/coast or whatever. i found it to be kinda adventerous, and a ton of fun, and it helped cement the benefit of the cranks when i was totally shot, and doing some feeble limp=along pedalling style to get home and my speed/HR stayed very close to what i was doing before. so, i suggest maybetaking them long, suffering a bit, and then trying to learn from what the suffering is trying to say. maybe you are too low or your hip angle is too acute. maybe your "spin" is not so good as you thought it was. etc etc. i think PC's can teach a fellow an awful lot about pedalling thru their sometimes painful lesson, not , perhaps unlike a zen master whacking you in the head with a stick. :) in this way i think you might gain more feedback from the PC's, and may be able to incorporate it quicker into your riding.
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