messing around with the IP

[Bob S.]

With 8 weeks left before the one possible “ergatta” of the season for me, and with a bench mark 2k TT completed, I dug into the IP to come up with a training schedule for that period. I wanted a 3 day a week schedule, but that comes only with a level 2 designation, so I plugged in level 4 and asked for 8 weeks at 6 days a week. I took just the last 4 weeks of that schedule and converted it to what I wanted, 8 weeks at three days a week.

The next step was to redo the recommended paces. My previous experience with the IP taught me that the recommended paces would not get my HR up into the range, so I kicked the first 3 up a notch each.

The recommended ranges are as follows:

UT2 2:48-2:33
UT1 2:33-2:25
AT 2:25-2:19
TR 2:19-2:07
AN 2:07-2:03

Another problem is that the TR range is out of line with the others, being much too broad. In wattages it is about double the other ranges. I don’t see the point of this, so I divided it in two, using the slower half for the AT and retaining the faster half for the TR. That gives me this set:

UT2 2:33-2:25
UT1 2:25-2:19
AT 2:19-2:12
TR 2:12-2:07
AN 2:07-2:03

This is much the same set as I used last year, but then I was on a much longer schedule.

So I start on it tomorrow with a 2X20’UT1. Except – I don’t see the point in breaking up a perfectly good 40’ piece into 2 short pieces, so I will probably do it without the break.

For warm ups and cool downs, I generally stick to the short end of those recommended: 5’, 8’, 10’, 12’, and 15’.

Bob S.

[Cyclist2]

I noticed that the IP paces recommended were a little slow to get my HR in their zones also, but the way I fudged that was to input a lower current 2K time. For example, the last 2K test I did was around 7:20, but I input 7:10 into the IP and now if I row at the faster paces of each zone, it works out just right. Except during the 8X1'R2' AN piece I did today, my HR never even got close to their zone - just not enough time for it to catch up - and I was definitely going at my max and faster than their pace range! Maybe I'll have to drop the input 2K time again (or maybe I'm stronger than I think )

[Bob S.]

I noticed that the IP paces recommended were a little slow to get my HR in their zones also, but the way I fudged that was to input a lower current 2K time.

Yeah, and an other way to do it is to diddle around with the HR max. My resting HR is fairly well set, 54. I have seen it lower, but the 54 is the most consistent value. My original max guesstimate was 160, which I had seen on occasion some time ago, but, a couple of years ago, I dropped it to 155 which was consistent with what had been recorded in all-out 2k time trials. I am still using the 155. I suppose that it would make sense to drop it a bit now that I am older.

I still can't figure out why it dropped to at the end of my 2k time trial last Saturday. It topped out at 143 by 1200-1300m and then gradually dropped, getting down to 120 in the last 100m. This is in spite of the fact that my average pacing in the last half of the trial was almost 2s faster than in the first half.

Bob S.

[wgr]

Yeah, and an other way to do it is to diddle around with the HR max. My resting HR is fairly well set, 54. I have seen it lower, but the 54 is the most consistent value. My original max guesstimate was 160, which I had seen on occasion some time ago, but, a couple of years ago, I dropped it to 155 which was consistent with what had been recorded in all-out 2k time trials. I am still using the 155. I suppose that it would make sense to drop it a bit now that I am older.

I still can't figure out why it dropped to at the end of my 2k time trial last Saturday. It topped out at 143 by 1200-1300m and then gradually dropped, getting down to 120 in the last 100m. This is in spite of the fact that my average pacing in the last half of the trial was almost 2s faster than in the first half.

Bob S.

That is quite a big drop, going from 143 to 120. I find my heart rate drops a little, during warmups, as the body warms up, but that's going at a warmup pace. Apart from some medical condition, that would need to get checked out, the only other explanation is that your chest strap was too loose and at your max exertion level doesn't keep in constant contact with the skin, resulting in erroneous heart rate measurement. That happens to me fairly regularly. Also, the battery in the strap or monitor may be going. I hope it's your chest strap adjustment or battery.

Please keep us posted on what the solution was.

Walter