[StormStrikes]

I got my 8-minute test done. They should really re-name that, LOL. It's more like Come-On-Ride-And-Find-Out-How-Weak-You-Are-While-We-Laugh-At-You test.

But I thouroughly enjoyed it. If that one test is any indication of what is to come, and provided I survive it all, I dont think I will have any troube at all doing my first century ride this spring.

TrainerRoad.com 8-Minute Test Ride & Results

[Poolie]

Tonight was my first test run with TrainerRoad. Not having a lot of time I saw the 8 Minute Test and thought I'd try it out. Only after I started pedaling did I realize it was really a 60 minute workout. I only had 30 minutes so I only did half and was ooooh so sad I didn't get to endure those two 8 minute pain humps... NOT. That will come tomorrow.

My first impression of TrainerRoad is that I LOVE IT!

[StormStrikes]

Post up what you think about it after you get it completed. I sure hated it until I got done with it and it left me wanting more. I do wish some of their workouts were a bit shorter so you could get workouts in when time is less available to do so.

Maybe we should try and design some 15 and 30 minute workouts?

[mars_yeldir]

I did the 8 min test. Pretty tough. I did the first 8 and set my sights on a 10% increase for the 2nd. Didn't happen. Guess I pushed it as far as I could both times. Sure did wear me out.

[Xela]

Originally Posted by StormStrikes

Post up what you think about it after you get it completed. I sure hated it until I got done with it and it left me wanting more. I do wish some of their workouts were a bit shorter so you could get workouts in when time is less available to do so.

Maybe we should try and design some 15 and 30 minute workouts?

Or maybe we could talk our resident coaching guru into giving us the details for a few good, short workouts that we could program in. I mean you, INTEGRATE.

[INTEGRATE]

I might have just such information. What would you guys like?

[mars_yeldir]

I wanna increase my average speed by 10 percent with little effort! Now I doubt I get it but.......... Ok I will let the serious guys take over.

[Xela]

Originally Posted by INTEGRATE

I might have just such information. What would you guys like?

Well, one of the things I am seeing is that the majority of the workouts are 1 hr plus. It would be nice to see some workout structures that can be done in less than 1 hour and still be quite effective. I think 45 minutes is a great number, but Storm seemed to indicate he would like even shorter, like 30 minutes or less.

TrainerRoad tailors the workout to your input power threshold which they called FTP. My FTP seemed to be 95% of my average power (calculated 275 watts based on 290 average) over a 20 minute max effort. They also calculated threshold heartrate which seemed to be about 90-93% of my average HR during the same test (I don't remember what my average was but it was around 182 bpm and the threshold calculated by TR was 170).

If you can tell us workout structures based on percentages of these numbers we can program our own workouts into trainer road.

As a simplistic example to show you what information we could use to do this, you might prescribe:
Warm up at 40% of FTP for 10 minutes, do a 15 minute sustained effort of 80% at a cadence of 90 RPMs, cool down for 5 minutes.

[StormStrikes]

I'd be okay with a 45 minute workout. I just like to keep the intervals obviously, though I dont mind an endurance ride on the trainer from time to time. My main goal is to push my lactic acid threshold so I can ride further before I get to that point. Right now Im hitting that point in the 50 - 60 mile range depending on the frequency and intensity of any hill climbs I have to do. I also would like to keep a baseline cadence of at least 90 rpm. I cant really explain it, but 90 rpm seems easier to hold than 80 for me.

I have a hard time getting my heart rate up on a trainer, but with TrainerRoad and their FTP type workouts it has been easier and I really like that.

[INTEGRATE]

Ok, here are my initial thoughts on a 45 min workout. You can break it up into intervals of on/off at:
:30/:30
1:00/:100
1:30/1:30

You guys get the picture. I wouldn't take them longer than 5:00 on because you want the recovery time to match the effort. You could do two 10:00/10:00's including 10 min warm up, 30:00 for the intervals, 10:00 cool down you've got 50:00 right there.

If your goal is fitness and not racing at a high level, then you can develop a decent engine by doing shorter intervals, just more of them. They hurt like hell, and you need a down/unload week about every 4-6, but you can do it.