Right ST, I currently do not own a power meter, and it doesn’t look like I will be able to afford 1 in the near future. My question for you is: what is the most effective way I can train without a power meter.
What I do have: A bike, a reasonable amount of spare time, a HRM, and an abnormally high resting heart rate!
p.s. please assume I know absolutely nothing about effective training (because I don’t)
HR is best if you don’t have access to a PM. If you have a trainer with a known resistance curve, you can get pseudo-accurate power values. I’d say do a test to find your LTHR and then train based off of those zones, but others here on ST that are wiser and smarter may offer different advice.
Ahh yes, I also have a ‘tacx sirius’ turbo trainer if this helps…
What exactly would LTHR mean? lactate threshold heart rate is my best guess… and what would this mean if i’m right?
Yes. LTHR = lactate threshold heart rate. This is the HR where your body cannot clear the lactic acid faster than it’s produced, and I believe it’s characterized as the changeover between Z4 and Z5 HR? Someone correct me if I’m wrong here. As far as training, you’ll want to vary your rides so that your average HR for a ride is in different zones depending on what type of ride/training you want to accomplish. You can also do longer intervals based off of HR, but shorter intervals aren’t as accurate as the HR lags behind the power you’re putting down. Also can use RPE (rate of perceived exertion) to estimate where you are on your “power” and correlate that to your HR over time so you can identify trends. If you haven’t ridden a lot, the short answer is just to ride more and ride lots. Also would look into getting Joe Friel’s Cyclist Training Bible. It’s directed more (actually all) towards biking, but you’ll find good information in there about TT/tri prep/training and other forms of racing (i.e., crit, road races, circuits, etc.)
Just want to check, it’s generally accepted that z1 is 50-60% mhr, z2 60-70% mhr, z3 70-80% mhr, z4 80-90% mhr and z5 90-100% mhr…? These seem to be the most consistent zones when I google heart rate zones.
maybe go out ride your bike and put some ks on your legs, better than any power meter
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I think figuring out a weekly routine that allows you to consistently train week in week out is the best way.
Can you find people to ride with? preferably, people who are at least a little faster so you have to work to keep up? A local bike club is a good place to start. (Some clubs are skittish about tri-bikes on their group rides. I can’t blame them, some triathletes are dangerous in a group).
At the moment I’m riding around ~100-150 miles per week, which is steadily increasing, hopefully to around 200-250 a week… Does this seem like a reasonable amount?
I am just looking to make the most of every mile I ride…
I am just looking to make the most of every mile I ride…
Early in the game, and establishing your endurance base, you need to get away from this type of thinking. As others have said - just ride. Ride with others. Vary the effort. Enjoy it! Know that even when going “hard”, it’s mostly your aerobic system that you are working, and this is what you want to build up. Don’t get too caught up in the details, numbers, and other stuff. There tends to be a huge amount of over-think going on with this.
At the moment I’m riding around ~100-150 miles per week, which is steadily increasing, hopefully to around 200-250 a week… Does this seem like a reasonable amount?
I am just looking to make the most of every mile I ride…
does your area have a racing club? See what activities they do like club races and club time trials. That’s a great way to get a better sense for pacing and such. A club time trial or one you do on your own is a good way to check your fitness once a month or so. Do maybe 10 miles, 5 out turn around and return. Use a flat road and observe your speed, heart rate and how you feel. Just doing one all by yourself should more or less approximate your max effort sustainable for an hour.
Do some work at or above or just below that pace every week, a decent amount if you can tolerate it.
When I was in the best shape on my bike, power meters had not been invented. Even speed and heart rate are somewhat new. Remember people were riding 28 mph for 25 mile TT’s on road bikes without any of that stuff, you can too.
The old tried and true RPE (Rating of perceived exertion) works great. The trick is getting a good feel for what the real RPE levels you are after feel like. Most cyclists screw up their cycling training because they do not ride hard enough on the hard stuff or easy enough on the easy stuff. Or, they just basically use one pace (which is not fast enough) and try to improve solely by just racking up miles. Neither works very well in the long run although you can improve in the beginning just by riding more miles.
I found that a winter using TrainerRoad and virtual power helped me internalize a better feel for different power zones. That feel carried over onto the road and even though I don’t have a power meter I think I got much closer to a disciplined power based training regime after that experience.
Go here: http://Trainerroad.com
Download the software.
Sit back and reap the benefits if training with virtual power on a shoestring budget.
bike lots
never too easy
always be working a little bit
some times working real hard.
when riding around pay attention, are you coasting? stop! pedal!
Right ST, I currently do not own a power meter, and it doesn’t look like I will be able to afford 1 in the near future. My question for you is: what is the most effective way I can train without a power meter.
What I do have: A bike, a reasonable amount of spare time, a HRM, and an abnormally high resting heart rate!
p.s. please assume I know absolutely nothing about effective training (because I don’t)
bike lots
never too easy
always be working a little bit
some times working real hard.
when riding around pay attention, are you coasting? stop! pedal!
I can’t stop and pick up tools on the roadside and look at used cars for sale on lawns? That would really raise the bar on my training
You can stop but you gotta pedal right up to the tool then slam the brakes, pick up the tool, then sprint back up to speed!
hehe
bike lots
never too easy
always be working a little bit
some times working real hard.
when riding around pay attention, are you coasting? stop! pedal!
I can’t stop and pick up tools on the roadside and look at used cars for sale on lawns? That would really raise the bar on my training
I’ve trained hard one year with HRM, and now about 2 years with power.
If you have HRM you can moniter hard intervals no problem. For example last night I did a 90%ish 45 minute interval. My HR started about 150 and throughout the interval crept up to 160 at the end. So if going bo HR alone you have to account for the drift in HR over the course of the interval. And also keep in mind HR will take a few minutes to catch up to an initial effort. If doing intervals you probably shouldn’t even look at HR for the first 2 minutes.
Finally yes trainer road is a great tool. It can also teach you where your HR is at for % effort. You can use virtual power to find 100% FTP, 90% FTP, 80%, etc…all on the HRM. For example I run about 165 at 100%. I run low 150’s at 90%…etc.
So you can learn to be CLOSE with HR. Close enough for great training benefits IMO.
So far this year, I have picked up 1 screwdriver, a brand named crescent wrench and a craftsman 15mm open end box end. I pass on tarp straps and load binders - they’ve already failed once… 
Oh and according to Jack, I’ve been doing right all along… 
So far this year, I have picked up 1 screwdriver, a brand named crescent wrench and a craftsman 15mm open end box end. I pass on tarp straps and load binders - they’ve already failed once…
Oh and according to Jack, I’ve been doing right all along…
Don’t mean to be “topper” but I found a Makita sawzall with blades and carry case.
I don’t bother picking up Chinese tools or half in sockets, but have found a snap-on screwdriver and nice Bluepoint 13mm shorty gear wrench.
Used to be you’d see porn on the roads, but the internet killed that.
bike lots
never too easy
always be working a little bit
some times working real hard.
when riding around pay attention, are you coasting? stop! pedal!
Right ST, I currently do not own a power meter, and it doesn’t look like I will be able to afford 1 in the near future. My question for you is: what is the most effective way I can train without a power meter.
What I do have: A bike, a reasonable amount of spare time, a HRM, and an abnormally high resting heart rate!
p.s. please assume I know absolutely nothing about effective training (because I don’t)
Nice, especially the first two lines. Very Michael Pollan-esque.