Computrainer - Super 6 - Week 2 - SP33

The first couple weeks of the Spinervals Super 6 program is focused on building your aerobic base with a weekly higher intensity session. Today's workout was the intense session for the week and is based upon Spinervals 33 The Pain Cave.

The Super 6 plan is being offered through Training Peaks so in order to take advantage of their many features, I converted Spinervals 33 into an ERG workout to be used with the Computrainer coaching software. The workout is pretty intense and went really well until I decided to mess with the heart rate sensor and reset the entire workout. Not a good move, especially when you are in the last set.

One feature that I'm using in Training Peaks is the charting function. By exporting my workout from the coaching software, I can upload it to Training Peaks and chart my performance.

The pink color is watts and I am real consistent with the workout. During the long interval set starting about minute 21, the power is steady for the entire ninety seconds.

Computrainer and Spinervals

Last year at this time I decided to change up my training with the Performance Improvement Guarantee (PIG) plan. This year I've decided to change it up using the Spinervals Super 6 plan. To do the plan with the Computrainer is going to require a little prior planning.

For the aerobic base building sessions, I think I can either use a Spinerval DVD and manually set the resistance or I can just pick a Computrainer course and hold the target power for the duration of the workout.

I think the best way to handle the interval workouts will be to build ERG workouts. My reasoning is that interval workouts involve changing resistance quickly and sometimes within short intervals. I don't think that this will work as well with a DVD and manually changing resistance.

The plan starts, like all good plans, with an assessment of your current ability. Like the PIG, the Super 6 starts with a threshold test. I was able to hold 247 watts for the test which was a little lower than the 253 I held for my final PIG test. I'm pretty happy with that since I'm coming off a three week rest period.

Computrainer - Vittoria

My Continental trainer tire suffered a blowout last week so I replaced it with a Vittoria trainer tire and so far I'm loving it. It's a little quieter than the Continental. I ride Vittoria on the road so I'll see how it holds up on the trainer.

Computrainer - Flat Tire

Cruising along on a nice tempo ride when I feel a little vibration in the rear tire. That's not normal but I'm almost done with the tempo portion so I keep riding. A minute or two later, the vibration gets worse and then blam, thump, thump, thump. Now that's definitely not right. I jump off the trainer and smell rubber burning. That's really not right. Taking a look at the tire, there's a one inch slit in the tire.

I guess Computrainer is the closest thing to riding outside, it even has the occasional flat tire.

Computrainer 3D

A few weeks ago, I created a course map for the Evergreen Sprint Triathlon. When I rode it on my Computrainer, I thought, there is no way the course elevation and climbs are right. Well, I raced Evergreen last weekend and although the climbs might have been slightly easier, it was every bit as tough as the Computrainer course.

Computrainer - Vanishing Contest

Was it something I said? The blogging contest on the RacerMate site seems to have vanished. I wonder what happened. Several of there links seem a little dated too such as the one where you have to sign up for Coach Rob by January 29th.

Oh well, what's one to do but get on the Computrainer and ride.

Computrainer - Beating the Heat

They say if you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen but when it heats up outside, I beat the heat with my Computrainer. We've been over ninety degrees for I don't know how long and with the smoke from the fires, it's easier and safer to train indoors on the Computrainer.

Computrainer to the Rescue

Due to the Hyde Park forest fire, the bike course for Loveland Lake to Lake had to be changed. Without a chance to preride the new course, I turned to my Computrainer. Taking the turn by turn directions and Map My Tri, I created a course layout. Using Cycling Peaks Real3D, I converted the layout into a 3D file and loaded that into my Computrainer.

It's not as good as riding the course but now I have an idea on where the hills and turns are.

Computrainer - Nutrition

During my first two triathlons, my nutrition has consisted of: one gel with water prior to the swim, one gel with water on the bike and water on the run. On the run I've been getting tight calves with some cramping. As near as I can tell, I think I'm low on electrolytes. The hydration is good and the energy levels seem fine but I think the cramps are electrolytes. Reading the labels of the gels and there isn't a lot of sodium or potassium.

For this week's race, I'm going to try something a little different. I'm trying Gu Electrolyte tabs on the Computrainer. They have a lot of sodium and a lot of potassium. The drink mix hasn't bothered my stomach on the Computrainer so it might work during racing.

Life is an experiment and triathlon is the lab.

Computrainer - PIG Improvement Comparison 2

I ran the numbers for Greeley and the bike portion was right where PIG predicts. I still don't know if the 10% improvement in power translates to 10% in speed but at Greeley it was pretty close. In 2011, the bike course took 26:34 and in 2012 only 24:19 which is a 2:15 improvement. That's an improvement of 9.25%. The run also improved from a 20:01 to 19:24, an improvement of 3%.

At a time when I should be slowing due to age, I'm improving with Computrainer.

Greeley Computrainer Impact

I was talking with Chris after Greeley and he said that my run at Pelican and Greeley had been really strong and surprised a lot of people He then said that I must have worked hard on my run. My reply was that I worked on my bike hard using my Computrainer and that had made my run so much faster.

The PIG progam helped me improve my bike by two minutes and my run by forty seconds. Overall, my total time went down just over 2:20 seconds. Not too bad for a sprint triathlon.

Computrainer - Race Preparation

I'm finding that one big benefit of Computrainer is race preparation and course visualization. Prior to an event, most coaches will stress race visualization as one step in getting ready for a race. With Computrainer and the 3D software, the bike portion of a triathlon is easily visualized. During my taper before a race, I ride the bike course three or four times to learn where the turns and hills are. Which turns lead into hills, which hills have are short and steep or long and gradual. Everything helps prepare me so that when I arrive at the race, I'm already comfortable with the bike and I know where I have to make my move or the best place to react to a move.

It also works for the run but since most triathlon runs are short and flat, the benefit isn't as great.

Computrainer - Slowtwitch Discussion

An interesting discussion on Slowtwitch about the benefits of a Computrainer.

Computrainer Calorie Calculator

Perhaps one of the most overlooked numbers when training with a Computrainer is the calorie counter. Everyone knows their CP30, watts per zone, heart rates but does anyone pay attention to calories? I think more people should and I'll let you know why.

During a recent tempo ride, I decided to watch my calorie counter and determine how many calories I burned for a period of time. I recorded calories for several one minute intervals and for a couple ten minute intervals. All the intervals averaged out to thirteen calories per minute. Utilizing that information, for a thirty minute tempo ride, I would burn 390 calories and for an hour tempo, 780 calories.

Thirty and sixty minutes are important benchmarks since most triathlons I do are either twenty or forty kilometers which take under thirty or sixty minutes respectively. In a race situation, I can expect to burn at least 390 or 780 calories. Since triathlons start with a swim, by the end of the bike, I've burned at least 500 or 1000 calories.

Armed with this knowledge, at the Pelican Fest triathlon, I decided to have a gel on the bike. Even though a gel doesn't contain 500 calories, by taking on calories during the bike, I started the run with more calories available. I think this had a definite impact on my run which was one of the fastest I've had in a long time.

Without the calorie calculator, I wouldn't have know how many calories I was utililzing and would not have realized how important even during a sprint triathlon a gel was.

Someone once said that Ironman was an eating contest and I think that applies to triathlons of all distance. Consume calories when you can to maintain your speed as long as possible.

Computrainer Contest Conundrum

Marketing is always a finicky proposition at best. Will this idea increase exposure and drive sales or at least help retain current customers? How to best reach new customers? How to reward existing customers? Will the idea be so successful that we can't keep up with the new demand?

I think the Computrainer blogging contest has reached that point? Brad.sweat365 won the January round but it appears that no one has won February - May. Did the contest generate too much interest, not enough? Is the contest still on? Was it ended? Will we ever know?

Computrainer - PIG Improvement Review

The PIG training plan guarantees to improve your performance by ten - twenty percent. The improvement is based upon the amount of watts that you can produce during the CP30 test. While it may be one way to measure performance, how does it translate to performance on the road?

To determine how my improvement went, I competed in the Pelican Fest triathlon that I've done three times with a ten mile bike course. Checking my training logs, the race conditions were relatively the same so it should be a close comparison.

2009 Time: 26:29, Pace: 2:38.9, MPH: 22.66
2010 Time: 26:26, Pace: 2:38.6, MPH: 22.70
2012 Time: 25:42, Pace: 2:34.2, MPH: 23.35

2012 is a three percent improvement over 2011. While this is short of the ten percent quarantee, I think this validates the PIG program.

There is also one other impact that should be reviewed and for a triathlete that is the run. Part of the bike leg is to get to the run leg with something left. If you finish the bike and you can't run, you went too hard on the bike. The Pelican Fest triathlon has a five kilometer run which I used for comparison.

2009 Time: 19:34, Pace: 6:18
2010 Time: 20:38, Pace: 6:39
2012 Time: 19:01, Pace: 6:08

The 2012 run was approximately 8.5% faster than 2010. Reviewing my training logs again, my run training has been realatively the same as 2010 so I believe the run improvement is a result of finishing the bike with fresher legs. I think that the PIG program improved my cycling performance more than the increase at the race because I still had enough in the legs to improve the run leg by over eight percent.

If your a triathete and you haven't tried PIG, your run is suffering.

Computrainer Taper Control

One of the many advantages of using a Computrainer is the ability to enforce a taper. By setting the power for the pacer or by building an ERG workout, you can control the intensity and make sure you don't go too hard while tapering. Of course you have to do the workout but at least with the Computrainer, you'll see if you're going too hard.

Computrainer vs Rain

This morning was supposed to be a two hour endurance ride outside. I got up, look outside and the weather looked pretty promising. By the time I got dressed and out the door, it had started to rain. Time for plan C, put the bike on the Computrainer and find a nice course.

It's good to have options.

Computrainer - The Exercise Effect

One of the benefits of a Computrainer is the ability to ride and not worry about traffic and road conditions. While cycling, one has to think about cadence, balance, handling, traffic and road conditions. With the Computrainer, balance and handling are pretty much eliminated. For me that allow the chance to just clear my mind and let my mind wander where it will. This morning, I identified two risk to my project at work and a new product idea. Let's see if I can implement the product over the course of the summer.

Computrainer - PIG 2, WK2, S2 Tempo

I've been up and down with motivation for working out and it seems whenever I have trouble getting workouts in, I always try to get the tempo workouts in. Today was no different. I haven't finished week 2 yet and so it when this morning rolled around, it was tempo time. It did give me a good change to capture some biometric feedback which has started some thoughts rolling around in my mind. More on that later for now, it's time for breakfast.