So since about November/December I have been doing group trainer rides at my lbs on their Elite Axiom, twice a week, as well as two decently hard spins at our local gym.
My problem is that, while I’m pushing as hard as I could for an hour or two, depending on the course, I cannot go faster, or push more watts. The watts are on the axiom, so completely relative to the system. Regardless, I continue to average 18.5-19 mph. And about a relative 235-245 watt avg.
Another thing I have noticed is that between the Axiom rides and spinning at the gym, I am never sore no matter how hard I push.
I am wondering, then, essentially what is going on. If you need more info, I’m happy to try and provide. So geniuses of Slowtwitch, try and diagnose me. Please!
have you tried doing some set intervals like 5min x 8, or 12min x 3…etc. The group rides will work as tempo rides, and gym spin’s intervals are rather inconsistent and random. You may find yourself benefiting from more specific bike intervals that target your anaerobic thresholds and stuff.
Yeah, I haven’t really done any set intervals. Are you familiar with the Real Axiom setup? That’s what I’ve been using for breaking things up. As for spinning at the gym, our instructor is a relatively fast runner turned just as fast triathlete. I know I definitely have been to worse spins. But anyway, I’ll try going in and doing some interval work on the Axiom.
it sounds like you are doing the same old thing every time and your body has adapted and you are good at doing the same old thing. So, say you average 250 axiom watts for an hour. Take that figure and do some structured intervals based on a % of that 250 number, so maybe do 4x10 mins at 110% of that number one day, maybe some 5 mins at 115%, some 20’s at 95%. For the shorter efforts recover longer, for the longer just take a little breather. See how that approach works for you.
Well, not necessarily the same thing every time. Each time we try to do a new ride, and they are all segments of the Giro d’Italia. It essentially simulates effort to ride that, and you get full shifting abilities to make it easier/harder. My speed and relative power were the same for a 17 mile ride, and a 41 mile ride with more climbing. Go figure.
seems like those are maybe sort of random workouts. You might want to consider doing some structure in your own basement, I suspect you’d get more out of it.
1st off, I don’t have a basement, I have a garage
2nd, I’ve been considering hiring a coach, which I hope will help add some more purposeful workouts.
3rd, what time did most of you feel like you “peaked”?
you mean time in life? I started racing a bike in my early 20’s and had some great seasons in my mid 40’s and still continue to hold out hope for this spring when I’m 52.
you can add some structure by reading a book or two on periodization and snooping around on the internet. I have a couple riders I bounce ideas off and we share power numbers and help each other out, that’s all the coaching I want.
when you do a shorter triathlon or time trial, what sort of speed are you averaging?
Yeah, I meant how old were you.
And for a 25.04 mile bike in an Olympic last year I avgd 18.59mph.
For my next race, a 10.55 mile sprint, it was 20.35mph.
Next race, 23.62 miles, 18.91mph.
Next race, 24.59 miles, 19.42mph.
All if those, except for the sprint, were pretty hilly.
how old are you? Part of cycling is the need for some strength in your legs, if you are still growing be patient with your body.
Getting up in the 22-23-ish mph kind of effort level on the road for a time will help you raise your speeds for those race, like intervals of 5-10 minutes more or less at that higher speed
Yeah, I’m trying to be patient, at the same time trying to push myself without injury. I’m 14 1/2. Ish. That’s why I was wanting to know when people peak.
that’s a great question. I peaked in my mid 20’s for running, but tended to overtrain and got hurt a lot, I can hardly run much now. Biking was a lot kinder and I was able to continue to improve through my 40’s, so over 20 years of good riding and even now I can ride 27 mph for a tt, as can a lot of older men on this forum I’m sure.
Your age may hold you back more in cycling now than in running. It takes a fair bit of leg strength to go fast, plus the discipline to stay in a good position and some skills to get around corners fast and all that junk. It will come for you in the next couple years, if you are light you may climb very well but be a little weak on the flats, but over time more riding at a good intensity will give you bigger, stronger legs.
Then look out world. For now have fun, do other sports, try girls, all that stuff. You have a whole life to enjoy endurance sports, trust me.
Heyyyy… Multiple times I’ve asked a question on this forum now the answer is girls…
And to build on what you say, my strength does tend to be on the hills. Although downhills suck because last I checked I was 130ish lbs so anyone I pas uphill I typically see later!
And I’ve got some appts for physical therapy for suspected plantar fasciitis. So I’m taking it easy on running, but I can swim fine and bike as previously stated, so when I get running figured out I just try to not get injured.
that injury can be a symptom of something happening beyond the bottom of your foot. You may have some strength imbalances and such.
Leave the overuse injuries for us old guys, get out of here and go XC ski race or play basketball or do some other crap for a few months.
Make sure you understand what’s going on with that injury, it’s not just a sore foot, you may need to really work foot strength, calf flexibility, hips, whatever.
Yoga is actually pretty cool. Plus you can meet girls.
Get a coach who knows how to coach teenagers. You are just beginning to develop, so your training needs will be drastically different than 99% of the people on this forum. Before you told us your age I would have said “SPRINT INTERVALS!!!” But knowing that you are still very young (in the cycling and tri world especially) makes me think you need someone better qualified than we mostly-anonymous internet lurkers.
