Unfortunately there will be a temporary interruption in the updates on this page. Jesper had an accident with his bike the 28/02-2007. He got a concussion of the brain. I can not tell when he will be back, but I promise he will.
Cheers,
Anna (his girlfriend)
I have often been asked the question ‘What does 3 x (3+3) minutes VO2 max mean?´ so I thought it would be a good idea to spent a short post on it. 3x(3×3)min VO2 max means 3 times 3 minutes maximal effort with recovery periods of 3 minutes between each interval. (3min hard work, 3min recovery, 3min hard work etc.) VO2 max refers to the intensity you shall try to maintain through the intervals. It’s clear that you don’t know what your actual VO2 is, but when you have tried these intervals a couple of times you will know how to pace yourself. The important thing to remember is that you are supposed to ride as fast as you can for a period of 3 minutes (but not faster than you can repeat it a couple of times). It is not possible to use a heart rate monitor for pacing because of the delay of the heart rate but can be a good indicator of your performance afterwards. A power meter like SRM or PowerTap is very useful for such pacing. Yeah, they are expensive, but strongly recommended if you are a serious cyclist. In the recovery periods it is a good idea to do some light pedalling to remove metabolites. That will make it easier for you to make the following interval at the right intensity.
A couple of months ago I posted three quality programs for indoor cycle training. These programs are not only easy to understand they are also a very efficient way to train if you don’t have much time for training. Another advantage is that it is not necessary to use a heart rate monitor or power meter for pacing even though it certainly will be a good help for an optimal training session. I will now introduce you to two more indoor cycling programs that really rocks:
Aerobic power 3
10min warm-up
3min (semi-high intensity)
2min low intensity
8 x (3min high intensity + 2min low intensity)
5min cool down
This program gives you 24minutes at very high aerobic oxygen consumption. Your aerobic engine will love this program and you will be glad that these tough intervals are separated into short 3minutes bursts. It is though important to maintain some intensity in the recovery periods since that will help you to recover faster.
Aerobic power 4
10min warm-up
3min (semi-high intensity)
2min low intensity
4 x (6min high intensity + 4min low intensity)
5min cool down
This program also gives you 24minutes at very high aerobic oxygen consumption, but it will be tougher for you to maintain the same power outputs as in ‘Aerobic Power 3’ since the intervals are twice as long. If you compete in time trial events this program is good for pacing control training.
Yesterday Gonzalo talked about his improvements after four weeks of wattage controlled cycle training. Now I can present another rider with an even more impressive performance. Paul Skiba has made improvements that is much better than I would have expected, so I certainly understand why he is so happy. Here is the interview:
Today you have completed your critical power test for sprint power and anaerobic endurance after 4 weeks of training in the Power Meter Project. What is your reaction to your performance in these tests?
Paul Skiba: “I am a competitive person. I was competitive when I was young and strong and I’m just as competitive now though not as strong but maybe smarter.
Because I previously did all my tests indoors, I was committed to doing all my tests indoors again. I ride the majority of my winter miles indoors on a trainer or on my rollers I started searching for answers as to how I c/would better my results in these first two metrics and compete with Gonzalo. In the 5 sec sprint I knew I would be hard pressed to touch his results since I couldn’t flex the bike as much as I might in a real road sprint. I was able to tweak my form a little and put out 955 watts which is a 20.7% gain over my previous result. I’m pleased with that though its not close to what I have pulled on the road.
Apply the same thinking to the 1 min test though I thought I could be more competitive. I focused on gutting myself and going for an all time best 60 second effort. My wife provided support by counting down in 10 sec increments so I wouldn’t have to look at the clock. I was able to put out 551 watts, which is an 18% increase and with my deceasing weight dropped me in at 7.9 watts/kilo better then Gonzalo’s initial effort by .2 but short of his latest effort -darn-.”
In what way have your training been different during the Power Meter Project?
Paul Skiba: “I worked with a CTS coach previously, there testing paradigm utilizes 2 x 8 minute all out efforts, I understand only one is really considered for setting my ranges. I also used there labs for VO2 and lactate testing.
Utililizing the CTS methodology I was unable to directly connect my various efforts during training with direct results in a test or tests, Using Jesper’s system I am able to directly connect my efforts in training with a body system I’m working which will allow for better test results and make me a stronger cyclist.
The difference in what I’m doing as far as the training goes is that I’m doing more sprints then I have at this point in the past and probably a little less tempo. I’m riding my endurance miles at a little lower intensity then I did in the past since last season I cooked myself by the end of the year pouring on hard edurance efforts. “
Before we know the results from your vo2max and threshold tests: What are your conclusions so far?
Paul Skiba: “I’m extremely happy with my results. I do not anticipate anything close to the same improvment in my results for the next two tests though I will be a lot stronger. This off-season has been a fruitful one in that I’ve identified shortcomings in my nutrition and performance based psychology and taken active steps to improve both of them. All of this work along with Jesper’s workouts and structure has brought me to a point where I’m feeling fit, strong, and ready for more. I am eagerly anticipating the next phase of training.”
Here are the test results from Thomas Davis who started on the Power Meter Project last week. Due to vacation he starts a couple of weeks later than the rest of the participants.
| Critical Power Tests | 5sec | 1min | 5min | 20min | Body Weight |
| Week 1 (Watt) | 875W | 362W | 232W | 174W | 55.3kg/122lbs |
| Week 1 (Watt/kg) | 15.8W/kg | 6.6W/kg | 4.20W/kg | 3,15W/kg |
Comments from Jesper Therkildsen: Thomas is a very light rider and that explains why his performance seems low compared to some of the other riders in the project. But when you look at the watts per kilogram, you will realize that he is a strong and powerful rider. His training program for the next month will be 13 to 17 hours weekly training with focus on building a large aerobic engine. Thomas has an impressive sprint power compared to his low body weight, but I guess that the absolute power is too low to win bunch sprints but strong enough to have a chance in smaller groups or steep climb sprints. Thus, he will have to improve his VO2 max and threshold power to make him able to make winning moves (or to reduce the size of the group) before he gets to the final sprint.
