Each week I try to review and reflect on my previous week on the bike. This allows me to see how my fitness and ability is progressing on a wider timescale than day to day. For previous weekly reviews please click here.
Pretty standard really. I wanted to get outdoors this week, but with the bike in the state it is in, I need to be thankful I can ride it at all. At this stage the headset bearings seem to have completely seized up. Makes no odds to turbo riding, but I can’t wait to get it fixed up and ready to roll once more.
Not sure if that is happening this week. And if it does, it may have an impact on my riding days.
Here are last week’s rides:
- Tuesday – Low Cadence Thrills
- Wednesday – Man, What A Pain In The Ass
- Thursday – Zwift Get Rolling: Stage 2 – Two Village Loop (B)
- Saturday – MyWhoosh – Wollongong City
Overall, as I say a fairly standard week.
Things followed the usual plan of SST, then an easier ride on Wednesday, race on Thursday, followed by a climb (of sorts) on Saturday, and a ~2 hour recovery walk on Sunday.
As has been the case now for several weekends in a row, I really struggled with what was a fairly small climb on Saturday. About the only difference this week was that I did my climb on MyWhoosh, where I have the trainer difficulty set to 100%.
For race reasons I pretty much keep Zwift at ~30%.
Boy did I feel that difference. I really do need to switch that back up on Zwift when doing a climb, as it’s a complete falsehood in many ways.
I’m now coming to the end of Quarter 3 and so have got an FTP test to complete either this week, or next.
If I do it this week it will possibly mean skipping one of the harder sessions on the week. Maybe that would be the climb. I’d rather not miss the race, even though I get hammered every single time.
Speaking of racing though, I did find out some interesting things about racing this week.
But yeah, FTP test time looms.
Looking at all my stats, I think I will be pretty thrilled to get back to 245w.
I reckon, more realistically anything north of 240w is going to be a massive win for me right now.
As ever I’m not massively looking forwards to doing the FTP Test. I mean, who does?
But I am fairly confident I will give it a good show.
It’s really a case of when is best to do it?
I’m kinda thinking of holding out until I get the 105 kit fitted to the bike. That’s not just for ‘show’ reasons, but to give it a proper test and see if new kit really does make any noticable improvement to power?
Also I’m aware my components are kinda shot. My cassette is thrashed, my chain is stretched, and apparently the chain rings up front aren’t too hot either.
As best I am aware the new parts for the bike should be here tomorrow.
Then the bike needs to be taken away for the repairs / upgrades. I suspect that will take between two and three days.
Right now I’m going to continue on as usual.
SST tomorrow. Easier ride Wednesday. Race Thursday.
Then if the bike needs to go away, it can do over the weekend. I’ll do a walk on both weekend days, possibly.
Maybe if it goes Thursday I can get it back by Friday. I really don’t know.
Anyway, that’s my current plan.
It may change.
Maybe a couple of rest days ahead of the FTP Test would be no bad thing?