andy: 2015年6月アーカイブ

Uchinada Team Time Trial and Road Race on Sunday.

This is one of my favorite races. A great location for a family weekend away. We stay 2 nights in a hotel right above Kanazawa station.

Race format

All races use a square 10 kilometre circuit. Pancake flat. 4 tight right angle bends.

From the start, a long wide exposed home straight. Corner no.1. A short straight. Corner no.2. The long back straight, less exposed, 2 chicanes along its length. Corner no.3. The return straight. Corner no. 4. 200m to the start/finish line.

• The TTT is 2 laps (20 km)

• The Champions Road Race is 5 laps (50 km)

Weather

Heavy rain on and off. The wind is mostly a side wind. Strong from the left on the home straight. A strong headwind on the short straight. From the right but more sheltered on the back straight. A powerful tailwind on the return straight.

Not much fun for the kids in this weather, I ride to the start...

Team Time Trial

Back ground

My 4th time to enter this.

4 rider teams. The time of the 3rd rider over the line decides it. Usually the top places are taken by serious TTT teams.

65 teams start. Our start is 3rd to last.

Me: Personally I feel I have the best form I've ever had for this race. Under the guidance of my coach the recent training (FTP intervals x 20 mins) are perfect for this event. We also tweaked the annual training plan. After a rest week, I'm fresh and ready to go.

The kit: Thanks to GS Astuto, I also have an aerobike Aero front end. Hidden brakes. Rear wheel tucked in behind the seat tube. Disc cover. Aerobars. Skinsuit. Aero helmet. Shoe covers. No excuses for not being able to compete with the top teams in full TT kit!

The team: As a team we all have good form. Training together has given us confidence we can pull something off. 45 kmph av should put us there or thereabouts.

The tactics: We talk about how to rotate on the different straights. Apart from that, we know the drill!

Race time

Line up for our 8:04 start. The heavy rain. The sidewinds. The first time to be cold on the start line in a while!

3,2,1 Go!

Lap 1.

Hayakwa san < Adachi san < Andy < Morikawa san

A slight echelon formation. Pulling off to the left. Coming round on the right. We have good speed.

A few teams are freewheeling down here after finishing their races. Screams and shouts get us through safely. You can't account for this in training.

Corner no.1. The short straight. Boom! The headwind! The speed drops dramatically. I put in a big pull to get us through this.

Corner no.2. Safely through. The back straight. Put the speed on here. It's the two long straights were time is lost or made. We are rotating well on the straights.

Through the chicanes. Not as smooth as we could be. To be able to train on this course would be a big advantage.

Corner no.3. The return straight. This is 50 kmph plus all the way. Take advantage of the wind. Corner no. 4. The ringing bell!

Lap 2.

Still together. As riders fade, their pulls become shorter. A smooth constant effort is what it is all about.

We are slowed down by another team through corner no.1. It takes a while to get reorganised. We lose Morikawa san here. Next year he'll make it to the finish!

Corner no.2. On the back straight, we are losing a bit of our rhythm. Not enough warm up? Too hard on the first lap? Adachi san and I do big pulls to keep things moving.

Corner no 3. Almost home. Rack it up over 50 kmph down the return straight. Corner no.4. 200 m to go.

Keep it tight. 3 over the line.

Goal!

Not the perfect ride. But much more organised than other teams on the road.

Will it be good enough? Wait for the results to go up...

2nd on the day! 40 plus seconds down on the winners (a team of track specialists). Got to be happy with that.

Interval

Between the 2 races is the awards ceremony.

Then time to get the bikes ready. I say bikes, but there is only one. Unscrew the aerobars. Screw on the bottle cage. Take off the disc cover. From TT machine to RR machine!

On a course like this, this bike will be advantageous.

In training I was producing 40 kmph in the drops for 20 mins (compared to 41.5 with the aero bars on). Not much slower than the TT machine.

It will be particularly advantageous if I want to be off the front Jens style...

The road race

Background

Me: This pretty much always ends in a sprint. Sprinting is my weakness as a cyclist. If I'm there at the end, I won't win it!

140 starters. The speed of the group makes for a thrilling ride. More so when you try to attack it...

Team tactics: We have an ace road racer in Adachi san and an ace sprinter in Morikawa san. These are our 2 cards to play.

My role is to "nigeru". To escape.

In pro racing, if a team mate escapes, you don't have to work in the group, so your team mates can rest.

At this level, if someone escapes, it helps to keep the group together. Steady and organised. Working for the collective cause. Nobody wants to attack a group when there are riders up the road.

Predictably it is when the catch is made (or almost made) that the fireworks go off.

My plan

I decide:

• to follow any moves and join potential breakaways.

If a breakaway doesn't happen:

• to attack the group on the 1st corner of the 4th lap (20 mins to home)
  

Lots of teams are well represented. So other teams are thinking tactically too.

At the start

Wind again. Rain threatening...

Just want to get going.

3,2,1 Go!

Fast and furious down the home straight. The nervousness. Elbows. Close calls.

Like every year, I try to be near the front for the 1st corner. It is a big effort top get down the left hand side in this wind.

First through. Boom! That headwind again! I sit on the front for the short straight. I must be nuts.

Through the 2nd corner. 2 guys attack. Up the road they go. Any response?

5 more go. I jump on the back. Gestures are made. Rotations start.

One Balba guy has a team mate up the road. Soft pedalling. No time for this.

I attack them. Drop them easily.

The 2 guys up front have a big gap. I can see them gesturing each other through. Hardly a well oiled unit. I have a chance.

I look back. The group is dissappearing in the distance. Closing the gap to the 2 up front is more difficult.

Stuck in no man's land.

Keep an eye on the power. 300 to 320 W should pull them back.

As close to the bank as possible. As low on the bike as possible.

Another Balba guy joins from behind. He doesn't want to work. Stupid really. If we can bridge to his mate, the 4 of us will have a chance.

The catch is being made. But it's painfully slow. Like Luke waiting to blow up the Deathstar.

Lap 2

On the home straight. I have the 2 leaders in my sights. A little shift in pace drops the Balba guy.

I get up to the others. "Sorry to keep you waiting!".

We get into a rotation. The others are looking back a little too much for my liking. "The road ahead, that's all there is!"

They don't fancy it. They sit up before Corner no.1. The group is almost here. I keep going though. Just need to get through corners no 1 and 2 safely.

On the back straight I fall back in the group. On the back. Free wheeling on the straights. But coming out of the corners is hard. Interval training at its finest.

Lap 3

Sat on the back. Hayakawa san is controlling things on the front.

I could try to work my way up and help him.

But I stick with my plan to go on the 4th. Neck the gel. Get ready.

Lap 4

The home straight is a wide road. Everyone wants to be on the right side. Sheltered from the wind. Moving up the left side is impossible at this speed.

There is a kink in the road about 800 m before the 1st corner. The wind changes direction a little here. That will be my chance.

Still at the back. 100 riders or so to pass.

3,2,1 here we go again!

"Migi, migi migi!" I realised later that I was shouting right instead of left! No wonder one guy nearly sent me flying into a muddy ditch. Glastonbury weekend!

1st through corner no.1. Talk about deja vous. Corner No.2. Look back. About 5 on my wheel. The break is on!

Through the 1st chicane. The 2nd chicane. I'm surprised to open a little gap. Head down keep going.

Corner no.3. Look back. The stamping horses are merely ants. If only this was the 5th lap!

Down the return straight. TT mode. Corner no.4. Still a good gap. The ringing bell.

Lap 5

This is when Seb Coe used to take off. I just need to keep this effort.

I have no illusions about soloing it to the finish. The pack is moving at 42 kmph av. This is my 3rd big effort today. Just need to keep away as long as possible...

About half way down a guy comes flying past. I can just about make out "Kanazawa" written across his arse.

Too fast to jump on. But it's 50:50 that he'll crack. He has a gap. But it's not huge. The road ahead. The road ahead.

A guy in blue is bridging from behind. I'll jump on this one. Here he is! Oh there are 2. Team mate Hayakawa san!

Seeing him up here is like having redbull injected into my eyeballs. Quick into rotation. That elbow flick that I love so much.

5,6,7 rotations. Suddenly the group are on us like a swarm of bees. A thumbs up, "Otsukare san" "Good job" from team mate Adachi san.

He's well positioned. Team mate Morikawa san tucked in behind.

My jobs done then. On the back again. Up front I can see the 3 of them up there. Looking good.

On the back straight Morikawa san's arm goes up. 3km from the finish. A puncture. His race snatched from him.

He's smiling though. "Do you want my wheel?" I joke.

From the back I watch as riders go through the last corner. Position is everything here.

Adachi san gets home in 8th. A good result.

I roll in at the back of the group. Really heavy rain now. Chat to a few guys as we roll on. Everyone has a story to tell.

Really happy with my ride. I rode aggressively for the team. I feel stronger than ever on the bike this year.

But more importantly I'm really enjoying every ride...

Our main target was the TTT and we bagged a result this time.

Next up is JCRC 70 km S class at Gunma CSC in July. Bring it on!

Last week was a rest week. All easy riding. The only hard riding was an FTP test on Wednesday (new PB) and the Uchinada TTT and RR on Sunday.

Monday: Road (2h)
Tuesday: Road (1h 30)
Wednesday: FTP test and commute (3h 40)
Thursday: rest day (commute 30 mins)
Friday: Road (1h)
Saturday: rest day
Sunday: Race (5h)

Total 14 h 30

On Thursday evening I had a skype meeting with my coach Here are the things we talked about.

FTP test analysis

• av 350 W over 20 minutes

I felt that I was confident in the data as I have seen a progression during the 3 weeks of Build 1.

The power was smooth with a last effort at 400W

New FTP value

350 × 0.95 = 332 W FTP

New power zones

Zone 1 ~185 W
Zone 2 186 ~ 251 W
Zone 3 252 ~ 301 W
Zone 4 302 ~ 351 W
Zone 5 352 ~ 401 W
Zone 6 400 W +

TTT training analysis

The data looks good. On the front, I was pulling for 1 minute at around 390 W.

VO2 intervals

I will aim for 120 ~ 125 % FTP, so 390 ~ 400 W.

I have a big aerobic base, but the VO2 intervals will use different muscles.

I will aim to do a progressive build. It is important to be able to complete the exercise sets. My first target will be 390 W. I will build on this on subsequent interval training days.

Next race

My next race will be the Gunma JCRC S class (12 laps, 70 km) on July 26th.

We talked about a race strategy. We talked about how to structure the training in Build 2 for this.

Build 2 training

With Gunma in mind, I will introduce some VO2 intervals. In the 4th rest week I will perform an FTP test midweek and race on Sunday.

• Build 2 week 1: FTP 20 mins x 2, VO2 3 mins, weekend group ride
• Build 2 week 2: 10 mins x 4, VO2 3 mins, weekend group ride
• Build 2 week 3: VO2 4 mins, VO2 3 mins, weekend group ride
• Build 2 week 4: rest, FTP test, race

Right time to test the legs at Uchinada!

This week was build 1, week 3. Lots of hard training this week. I was in contact with my coach almost daily. Getting advice and feedback.

Monday: 90 minutes in power zone 3. Interestingly HR is in zone 2. A sign of improvement? I did the ride for fun, a mid intensity endorphine burner. Any use at this stage? Not really, my coach says. A combination of hard/easy workouts is more appropriate.

Road (2 h 15)

Tuesday: Hard training. Early morning intervals. 2 × 20 mins. 330 W for the second effort. My coach senses my FTP is increasing. Later a ride for fun in the hills.

Road (3 h 45)

Wednesday: Easy training. This should be an easy day. A commute and an easy ride over Shiba Toge. I have time on my hands though.

Hard training. I decide to bring the VO2 max intervals forward a day. Overconfidence is a bad thing!

The first interval is the unknown: as hard as you can for 3 minutes. Then hit 95% of this power for as many 3 minute intervals as you can.

I can't get the power out for subsequent efforts. Not ready I guess. The coach reaffirms this. 100TSS before the intervals even started. Too hard on the first interval too. Lessons learned.

Road (5 h)

Thursday: Hard training. Feel surprisingly good in the morning. FTP intervals. 3 × 15 mins. A solid 320 W for each effort. Really happy with those. My coach too.

Later a zone 1 ride to Teradomari for an ice cream.

Road (4 h 30)

Friday: Easy training. Including last Sunday's TTT training, I have 5 consecutive days of hard training in my legs. Small ring recovery ride today.

Road (1 h 30)

Saturday: Hard training. TTT training no. 2. We are going good. Faster than last year. Really smooth too. 4 guys on form. Quietly confident with one week to go.

Laps 6,7 and 8

90 minutes solo after the group training. Zone 1 recovery.

Road (3 h)

Sunday: Recovery ride. An hour in the small chain ring. Back home everyone is still sleeping. Quick shower. Rare chance for a post ride nap!

Road (1 h)

toal 21 h (17.5 target), 930 TSS

Next week is a rest week. I'll rest before a midweek FTP test. Then rest again before Sunday's TTT and RR.

Loving the focus in my training this year!

Last week was build 1 week 2. Like the previous week, the focus is 2 interval sessions. In addition I will do a TTT practice at the weekend.

After the event at Yahiko Keirin my basic plan is:

Monday: recovery

Tuesday: intervals

Wednesday: recovery

Thursday: intervals

Friday: recovery

Saturday: TTT

Sunday: rest

Hard day, easy day, hard day, easy day...

However, rain on Tuesday and Friday brings the two interval sessions together on Wednesday and Thursday. Minimum recovery between sessions makes for very hard training.

My facebook on Thursday post:

昨日と今日もインターバルトレーニングをしました。昨日は20分x2、今日は15分x3のインターバルでした。ターゲットは95%FTP。一時間でそんなハードトレーニングができるのは勉強になりました。来週ははじめてVO2maxインターバルする予定です。楽しみかな!?

Yesterday and today I did interval training. Yesterday 20 mins x 2, today 15 mins x 3. The target is 95% FTP (a pace of roughly 305W, 170 HR, 40 kmph). I came to realize that you can do hard training like this in just an hour on the road. Next week I'll do some VO2 max intervals for the first time. Not sure if I'm looking forward to it or not!

www.tokyocyclingcoach.com

Friday is easy and Saturday off. Ready in time for TTT on Sunday morning.

The TTT looks good. We seem faster this year. Averaging around 44 kmph.

One more TTT training next weekend. Uchinada TTT and RR on the 28th ...

Monday: Road 2 h 30, Rollers 1 h

Tuesday: commute 30 mins, rollers 1 h

Wednesday: intervals, z 3 isonobe, commuting, 4 h

Thursday: intervals 2 h 40

Friday: Road 1h, rollers 30 mins

Saturday: rest day

Sunday: TTT practice (2h) post ride (2h)

total (17h / 17.5 h target)

A skype meeting with my coach last night. Really insightful as always. I'm really grateful for all his time, observations and advice.

Here are the notes I made:

Track meeting power data

We analysed the power data from Sunday's track meeting.

My main goal was the 2 km TT. The data looked good for this event. An initial surge was followed by a constant effort once up to speed.

Interval session power data

We also analysed the data from last week's interval sessions.

Tuesday 2 × 20 mins

1. 312 W, 75 rpm. The HR built to the last 5 mins when it plateaued.

2. 322 W, 72 rpm, 168 HR av. The IF for this interval was 1:03 so it was actually above FTP.

Thursday 3 × 15 mins

1. 313 W, 76 rpm, 167 HR

1. 317 W, 74 rpm, 169 HR

1. 323 W, 72 rpm, 171 HR

There are a number of interesting relationships here. Increases in power are accompanied by increases in HR.

Increases in power are achieved with heavier gears (reduced cadence).

The HR was slow to build in the first interval. I think this is due the lack of a specific warm up (ie. raise the HR a few times similar to a race/FTP warm up)

In general, the 2 days of intervals look really good. Good steady efforts. I was fatigued at the end of each session.

VO2 max intervals

Next week (build week 3) I will try some VO2 max intervals. It is the first time to try these kind of intervals.

I will do 3 mins on / 5 mins off intervals on the same steady grade.

Interval no.1 will be as hard as possible. A steady effort in the saddle. I will observe the average lap power at the end.

For the following intervals, I will aim for this average lap power.

I will stop the intervals after a 5% drop off in power.

We envisage 5 to 9 intervals will be possible.

After a set of 3 intervals, I will take a longer 10 minute rest interval.

For subsequent VO2 interval sessions, we will be able to use power data to data from this session to deteremine a power to aim for.

It's June already. Half of this year's racing is done. The 2nd is yet to come. Motivated? Always motivated!

The Niigata track championship on Sunday.

A full day of racing. The track racers are competing for the chance to represent Niigata prefecture.

I enter the "challenge" class. A mix of road riders and novice track cyclists.

I enter 4 events:

• 250 m flying TT
• 1 km TT
• 2 km TT
• 4 km scratch race

the training

I'm preparing for the 20 km TTT at Uchinada on June 28th. My training has been focussed on hard 15 minute and 20 minute TTs in preparation for this.

These short track events require explosiveness. Of the 4 events, the 2 km TT is my best chance.

Although this is not a priority event for me, I structured last week's training to be ready for it.

the equipment

I'm set up on a new aero Astuto frame. I'm comfortable with the position. In training I've been doing 40 kmph plus over 10 km. With a few more aero touches, I'm confident I can go faster.

The wheels are Astuto too. A 60 mm TT special on the front. I'm pleased to see track expert Sagara san on the same wheel.

The 50 mm Astuto wheel on the back has a disc cover to give the bike a proper TT feel.

www.gsastuto.com

In addition, I have a Specialized aerohelmet - given to me by Hayakwa san, like Boardman and Obree we are!

I also have a Team Fins skinsuit. No shoe covers are allowed.

No computers allowed on the track either. I stuff the garmin in my pocket. No visible data, but we can analyse it later.

the track

Yahiko's beautiful Keirin track. Smooth concrete. A 400 m loop. Steep banks at each end.

Open air. Mt. Yahiko is the backdrop. It's not air pressure you have to worry about in this velodrome. Strong winds all day. And hot by the afternoon...

A family day out. Late to the start. These all day affairs are great for the single cyclist. But with the family I want limit dead time as much as possible.

Race 1: 250 m flying TT

I'm happy to skip this one. "No, you have to do them all".

The race is well under way. My start time is put to last place, after the women and juniors. Some old bloke puffing on a ciggy (lots of these in a Keirin stadium) must be thinking "bloody 'ell he's a big lad for age 12!"

Pin on the numbers. No time to warm up.

"What's this race all about then?"

Niigata's JCA chief Gompei san explains the format.

"One neutral lap. On the second lap accelerate down the bank. The time starts with 200 m to go. Hammer the last 200 m to the line."

3,2,1 Go!

Like a kid at the fair. Straight to the best ride. Straight up the bank in this case.

I'd forgotten how steep the bank is. The exhilaration of cycling is right here.

So when to put the speed on? I pedal round the first lap like Mary Poppins. Wave to the kids.

Into the second lap. Up the bank. Down the bank. Like coming over the top on a roller coaster.

Full gas. 53 × 11. Into the 200 m race zone. Still accelerating. Not a good sign.

In all these events the advice is the same.

"Go as hard as you can as quick as you can" then "Gaman (endure) as long as you can..."

• Result: 11th. 14.7 secs / 49 kmph

• (winner: 12.9 secs, 56 kmph)

Never was a sprinter! This supports field tests we've done on the road. If I did this event again, I'd go full gas from much further out.

My coach's analysis: Average power was 670 W over 16s.

Race 2: 1 km TT

Should do better in this one. Essentially a 1 min plus all out interval.

Warm up on the Keirin rollers. I love these. How I'd love to have a garage with a few of these lined up. We could make toast all day long...

I ask a few track friends for advice. It's universal.

"Half a lap full gas. Out of the saddle. Till your eyes pop out.... Gaman."

Sure enough all the guys on a fixed gear start like this.

The one advantage of being on a road bike (shifting is allowed) is that you can start in an easier gear.

The start is not as explosive, but you can build to speed and the damage is less.

I practice my start. The starting gear. The sequence and timing of gear changes.

I'm called to the start. A standing start. An official holds my saddle.

3,2,1 Go!

The gear is heavy. But not too heavy. Shift gradually. In the saddle by 1/4 of a lap. Onto the aerobars.

The wind is coming straight down the home straight. I'm in the 53 × 11 here. A much heavier gear than a track cyclist, but I know how to best get my power out.

On the back straight it's a headwind. Shift up to 53 × 12.

Repeat this for the 2.5 lap duration. Momentum is lost here. My line around the bank is not so good either. Every second counts.

Still it's an all out effort. So different to an FTP effort. Gasping for air. I can hear the kids shouting from the stands and my "ha ha ha ha" breathing...

The winner does 1:17, Hayakawa san does 1:19, 3rd to 8th (me) do 1:20

• Result: 8th. 1:20.91 secs / 44.5 kmph

• (winner: 1:17.53, 46.4 kmph)

Every second counts in track racing!

Coach: You started out at 970 W. Dropping to 600 W after 20 s. The last 40 s at around 500 W.

Interval

There is an interval between afternoon races. We head to Yahiko shrine. A picnic lunch. Feed the Koi Carp. Take the ropeway (cyclists never take the stairs) to the top of the mountain...

Back to the races...

Race 3: 2 km TT

This is my focus. The previous 2 races have got me ready for this. I know how to ride it.

Warm up on the rollers again. Practice the start again. I'm going to keep in one gear this time.

Track friends suggest "a 15, 14 if you're feeling good".

I know my plan. I'm going to keep it in the 53 × 12. The Grinderman!

5 laps of the track. Two riders set off at each side of the track.

I watch the other riders.

The Club Spirits winner of the 1km is fast. Good TT position on a track TT bike. He's a huge guy. More Chris Hoy than Chris Froome. We wonder if he can hold it for 2 km. He looks to be fading towards the end.

Next up Hayakawa san. Quick into the saddle. Master of the TT. Really fluid on his TT machine. He looks like Bradley Wiggins doing the hour record. Solid till the end.

My turn. An old guy with an old style Keirin helmet starts at the the other side of the track.

"Catch the Egg Man!" cries Mark from the stands. I Am The Walrus, goo goo goo choo!

3,2,1 Go!

Up to speed quickly. Onto the bars. This feels good. The gear just right.

Hammer time. Counting off the laps. On a 400 m track the laps come quickly. It's easy to keep motivated.

I have the Egg Man in sight. Catch him in front of the kids. How they love it!

The ringing bell. The last lap. Can't go much harder. But I'm not fading either. Constant. Unrelenting. Pain....

Here comes the line! Argggggh! All over!

That was a good ride. The perfect 2 minutes!? I'm confident. Waiting for the results to go up.

• Result: 1st 2:43 / 44 kmph

Coach: The power data supports your ride sensations. A start at 800 W. Dropping to 600, then 400 after the first 1/3. Once up to speed, the last 2/3 at a steady 400W.

I feel I could go longer at this intensity. It's interesting to see all other riders lose speed as the distance increases (comparing the 2km to the 1km) but mine is almost the same. I'm keen to try some longer events. 4, 10 or even 30 km would be fun.

Race 4: scratch race 8 riders, 5 km (1 neutral + 10 race laps)

The last race of the day. Our category is split into 2 races. Track cyclists. Road cyclists.

We watch the track cyclists' race. The Club Spirits rider rips the race apart. Only 1 rider can hold his wheel. And he can't match his finishing speed.

Hayakawa san and I are confident we can do the same. If we ride like we do in training, we should be able to 1-2 finish.

Hayakawa san is the lead starter. The remaining 7 start up on the bank. Clinging onto the fence.

We are given the instructions:

1 neutral lap. 10 race laps. Hands in the drops at all times. No braking.

3,2,1 Go!

I tuck in behind Hayakwa san. We complete the first lap. The pistol fires. Race on!

The speed increases. We rotate through and off. Half a lap each. Rotations are made by drifting right up the bank. Drop back down. Slot in behind.

Riders shuffle as 1 or 2 are dropped. I'm 3rd man now behind Hayakwa san. The guy in the middle can follow wheels but he's not strong enough to keep the pace. His turn on the front. The pace drops dramatically. No breaking. A rider clips my back wheel. Bike hits tarmac.

I think they'll stop the race. But we carry on. 3 more laps?

Push harder now. Drop the remaining riders. 3 of us are left off the front now.

The ringing bell. The last lap. I go full gas. Confident Hayakawa san can hold my wheel. Confident the other guy can't.

The home straight. Put it all out now. Can Hayakawa san come round? Here he comes! Neck and neck! Half a wheel over the line!

• Result: 2nd

That was fun. Shame about the guy who crashed.

Coach: As you would expect, the power data is full of spikes. On the front. Bridging gaps. And the max effort for the last lap.

What a great day at Yahiko Keirin! Some rice and edamame are our prizes. The next event is in October. Looking forward to it already!

The plan this week was to do 2 hard interval sessions. Riding at 95 to 100 % FTP, which is roughly equivalent to Lactate Threshold Heart Rate.

These efforts are aimed to increase my FTP. They are specific to my target races this year. They are also similar to the effort which will be required for the Uchinada TTT at the end of this month.

The plan was Monday/Wednesday. But a power meter battery failure on Monday shifted it to Tuesday/Thursday.

Tuesday: 20 mins x 2
Thursday: 15 mins x 3

These efforts take it out of you. Between interval days is all easy riding. With an eye on a track meeting at Yahiko on Sunday, I am also looking not to overdo it.

Just an easy roller ride on Wednesday. On Friday I ignore the asaren alarm clock. 2.5 more heavenly hours in bed... A rest day on Saturday... Ready to race on Sunday...

Monday's training: Road (zone 3 × 40 mins)3h 30,
Tuesday's training: Road (intervals) 2h 30
Wednesday's training: Rollers (zone 1) 1 h
Thursday's training: Road (intervals, zone 1) 3h 30 mins
Friday's training: Road 1 h, Rollers 1 h
Saturday's training: Rest
Sunday's training: Yahiko Keirin

total: 15h

After a long and progressive build up to Tokyo~Itoigawa, it feels strange to be in a base week again.

It also seems so long since I did any kind of "hard training". However, I've learned not to fear fitness loss.

Last week was mostly zone 2. Listening to my body. Waiting waiting.

Later in the week as I became to feel fully recovered, I did some intervals, 3 × 15 mins at 95% FTP.

95% FTP x 3 strava data

My coach commented that these were very "solid efforts". These kinds of workout will be the core of the next 3 weeks of "Build".

I also hope to ride the track at Yahiko on June 7th, so I did some specific training for that.

• Monday's training: Road (2 km TT prac) 3h
• Tuesday's training: Road (TT position, zone 2) 2h
• Wednesday's training: Road (Mt Ogami tempo pace) 4h
• Thursday's training: Rest (commute only) 30 mins
• Friday's training: Road (FTP 95% intervals) 4h 30
• Saturday's training: Rest
• Sunday's training: Rollers (speed intervals) 1h 15

weekly total 16h, 700 TSS