Paracycling | First IP and Kilo

One final race of the year, and that is the 2nd round of the Paracycling National Track series which was in Glasgow - taking place on my birthday weekend (14th and 15th of December). This meant there 3 weekends of training between the two races. 

The idea of these 4 weeks were to increase the duration of training with the aim of doing minimum of 4 hours of training and getting closer to 8 hours a week by race week. While I could do more hours, I still want the focus to be on threshold work. 

The day after Newport, I did a double session with an hour 40minutes outside doing some technical work followed by 80minutes on the turbo to finish off the session. The technical session was probably too easy which meant that I had to adjust the end of the session to do more intense work to boost the ride’s NP. In the end, I did 17 loops of the technical 1km loop that I found (which includes dead turn left and a 500-600m climb) that I will use to hone my crit skills. The ride was deliberately slow doing Z1 with occasional efforts (as you can see with the spikes).

After doing an hour on the main technical crit-style route near me, I decided I should test out my other option which is a one-way right hander section. Where I did one big effort on the way which was just under 40 seconds at 668w (maxing at 871w).

The right-hander route is on busier roads, not that busy, but busy enough, that I felt fine if I was doing a flat out effort but not for recovery. I’ll likely look to implement it when I’m looking for a threshold crit-style session but not for general technical practice. 

On the way back I did two more efforts which included 24seconds at 712w (maxing at 849w) and 1min48seconds at 436w (439w NP). The interesting thing about the first effort was that my cadence was 73rpm but the lowest was 64rpm. I put myself in a bad situation gearing wise but still was able to continue which is always good. The final effort was to see how my 2minute power was at the end of a long weekend. The power being only 20w off my PB (even though I know I can do a lot more than that).

This was followed by a Zwift session in the evening - while the idea was to do one endurance session, I found that the weather got dark earlier than I thought. So I had a 90min session to do in the evening which I split into two different efforts. The first one was similar the outdoor ride of Z1 + Efforts - with efforts of 740w for 24 seconds, 764w for 21seconds and 18seconds at 691w. This was followed by 30minutes at what I call endurance pace which is between 250-275w (32mins at 250w, 273w NP) while doing a Zwift group ride. There were a few longer efforts and a fair bit of recovery too. In the end it took me 81mins to hit my TSS and I decided to jump off then. 

The following Tuesday was my full return into Zwift racing where I did the Zwift Racing League in the A Cat (Div2).ZRL doesn’t use the ZRS categorisation and instead uses a tweak to the traditional FTP w/kg of 4.2w/kg FTP and 5.1w/kg zMAP. Therefore I hit the mark due to my 5minute power where I can do around 420w (5.3w/kg). The caveat is that I do the majority of my training over the weekend and this will be the end of my week blocks with my rest days being Wednesday and Thursday. Therefore, I’m unlikely to hit the numbers that my PB is at, but I would likely still hit the good enough numbers to be a “A Cat” racer. Unfortunately for me, these races also include people with 5+w/kg FTPs - let alone 5w/kg for 5mins. 

ZRL has a mix of different race disciplines and this one was a points race with the first sprint after 1.6km. The first 2mins25seconds were at 415w, which isn’t a lot but my legs were still struggling from the weekend. 

The biggest issue for me was that it wasn’t consistent, but actually three different sprint efforts within those 150seconds. I barely hung on, but I did! I made it to the main climb where I got dropped immediately. It was then a solo TT effort to try and keep the duo behind me, behind me at the end. That effort being 16mins40seconds at 296w (305w NP), but perhaps the most odd thing being that I did it at 77rpm. I was on the limit the whole time and forcing myself to keep the pace up.(You can also see how cold I make the gym by opening the windows and having all the fans on).

I came out of the race happy to prove that I can do over 300w for over 30minutes even on a day with one of the worst legs I’ve felt. For context, to win the B Cat, it would have taken the same amount of power. 

The rest of the week was a bit crazy, I went to both the Action Medical Research and Rayner Foundation dinners, while trying to keep up with training. So on my way to-and-from Leeds for the Rayner Foundation dinner, I visited Derby to do two track sessions. The first session was an open Paracycling session where I aimed to ride on the track for the majority of the two hours - but was pulled off the track as a few people had been asked to do intervals. This meant that my plan had slightly changed and I focused on fatigued efforts instead. This meant riding at around threshold for around 10minutesbefore doing my kilo effort. The idea around this is that I’m decent at doing efforts fresh but need to work on doing sprint efforts while already at or near threshold. Unfortunately, the power meter bugged out again (but that is fixed for the next day).

The following day, the plan was to downward pyramid efforts with the idea being starting at 4km and going down to Flying 200. I started with a “heat sim” workout with Derby temperatures set at around 28c and no fans, I did 223w (229w NP) for 16minutes before the track opened. The idea was to do another warm up on the track, but it turned out to be good training for scratch racing. The other riders were on their pursuit bikes with 106 and I just had to spin at around 100rpm to keep up. 

Then it was time for the flying 4km effort which I paced perfectly - 5mins42seconds at 347w. The legs were feeling the efforts from the day before and I just tried to pace it as best as I could. My cadence was high 80s which is my preferred range. The power was incredibly smooth, perhaps too smooth, given the banking on the corners.

After a small break, it was time to go back onto the track to do a flying 3km. Once again, the effort was very smooth with the cadence high 80s. The power was consistent with the 4km effort which is good but this time 4mins18seconds at 353w. Once again, a very smooth effort.

The next effort was a flying 2km but I messed up the start by clipping out on my left foot and jarring it. Not much but enough that it hurt quite a bit. That said, I went round again and started the effort but around 90seconds in the pain was too much. While I carried on for another lap or so, I decided that it would be best to pull the pin and not ruin the following week’s training plan.

Tuesday saw round 3 of the ZRL which was really lumpy - something that doesn’t suit me when I’m one of the weakest riders in the race. There were two big climbs and on the first one I got dropped by 5 seconds. I did my best to keep up, but there was no let off on the front of the peloton meaning that when the next bump in the road, I still hadn’t got back into the group and had no way of coming back. This was all within the first 10minutes of the race where I set my best 6minute power ever (363w, 393w NP) during a 10minute effort which was 355w NP (319w average). All this happened after three intense days of exercise which makes me even happier about the effort. 

After a couple mins recovery waiting for the group behind me, I finished the race doing 21minutes at 264w (289w NP) which also shows the gains I’m making. 

I finished the ride with a 50min endurance ride/cooldown (180w average, 205w NP) to get up the required 100TSS for the ride. 

This was followed by a few days of rest before starting a 10 day at home training camp. Day 1 of which was the Peterborough CycleHub Saturday shop ride. It was clearly winter and there were only six of us. It was also the alternative course which I hadn’t done or have the course for so that was also a fun day of exploring new areas. The ride was splitinto two, the first 1hour28mins where I averaged 239w with the few efforts meaning that it reached 272w NP. 

Day 2 of my “At Home Training Camp” was a Ramp Test which is where you increase your effort by 20w every minute.The idea being that your final (and best) minute represents your MAP (Maximal Aerobic Power) with FTP being around 75% of MAP. For me, it was more about practising increasing the efforts as fatigue gains. One of my weaknesses is not being able to up the power when near the limit so a Ramp Test forces me using ERG mode. The numbers were never going to be great because of the ride the day before, but I was more interested in what I could do fatigued than fresh. 

The target was to complete 400w and I did that (just) with the final score being 401w. Because it’s a fully seated effort, the strain on my ankle was very high and probably something I need to be more aware of next time I attempt a test like this. 

As part of the ramp test, I needed to, still, do an endurance session which I did on Monday morning. The ride was a pre-breakfast, heat simulation workout (no fans/windows open). The aim  was to do around 250w for an hour to get to around 65-70TSS. But after 30mins, I was feeling a bit lightheaded so slowed down to 200w before a final 10minute effort at 300w. In the end I did slightly less than the targeted 250w NP (239w NP) and finished with 58 TSS.

Tuesday was a ZRL TTT which meant that my job was to do as much as I could for around 20minutes before I would inevitably get dropped in the Esses. The team was a lot quicker than I thought which is good, but it meant that my job was to rotate in the pack while trying to stay in to provide draft for others. The 21mins30seconds I did in the group was at 312w (319w NP) which is my 3rd highest 20min average power! That says more about the type of effort it was rather than the numbers it’s self. There were a few big efforts in the ride but the majority of it was consistently around 300w rather than big 2-3minute efforts and recovery etc. Or more recently in my Zwift racing where it’s been a very intense 5-10minute effort, but nothing more.

I followed this by finishing off the race effort so I counted as a finisher which took me 26mins at 240w before doing another 20minute block at threshold. That effort being 19minutes at 294w (299w NP).

I took two rest days which were followed by a Zwift group ride (also known as an unofficial race) on the Volcano Climb After Party - essentially with 3 laps of flat/bumpy course followed by the Volcano climb. I did this ride without fans or windows open to try to simulate the velodrome and was expecting to overheat like on the Monday - however I was completely fine. The effort was split into two, the lead onto the climb and the climb. The first section took 51mins30seconds where I did 261w (277w NP) followed by the Volcano climb. 

The climb its self was a lot flatter than I thought and I paced it too conservatively as a result. I also was close to an hour so I got to the hour by doing 8min45second effort at 325w (331w NP) to finish the total effort as 1hour24seconds at 270w (287w NP). The hour effort being my 4th highest average power for an hour (again, more relating to the efforts I do than raw power) which is always good news. 

Saturday meant it was the normal Saturday Peterborough CycleHub ride where there were only four of us. The weather meant that it wasn’t a quick ride, but I hit all my power targets. The mid ride effort consisted of 75seconds at 404w (409w) and 100seconds at 333w (343w NP) before I sat in the wheel ahead of the sprint. The leadout being set at 46kph before my 20second sprint at 738w (maxing at 904w) as I accelerated to 55.7kph! I, then, sat up for Nick who lead me out before doing another 100second effort at 413w) to win the KOM after the sprint. I also got over the top of the final climb for the first time - helped by it not being a full on attack. I, then, got paced back by Dan to the shop. 

The following day was a 100km ride on Zwift due to the storm. The idea was do it without fans or windows open to get use to the velodrome feel. What I didn’t realise when I joined the ride was once the fast riders who start 12minutes catch up, then it is a free-for-all. So the first two hours were very organised with 2.5w/kg (approx 200w) on the flat and 3.2w/kg (approx 250w) on the uphill. 

Then after 2 hours, the race started straight up the Forward KOM in Watopia. 2minutes at 383w was all I had and I missed the race-winning split. I was part of the second group where I was clearly the strongest. This goes back to the idea that when I’m fatigued I can’t get the high watts but I can sustain a lot. Including the 2minute attack, I did 291w (302w NP) for 32minutes to finish the ride.

That means that the total ride was 2hours40mins at 230w (245w NP) which is a new record for me. I think 250w for 3 hours is certainly possible, but not with the pacing plan I did on this ride! There is also the whole thing of how I dealt with my ankle being in pain the whole ride (and before it). That’s as much of a big step (arguably bigger) than the ride it’s self. 

The “At Home Training Camp” had finished and it was time to rest up ahead of the Scottish Nationals which paracycling for the IP (4km) on the Saturday and Kilo (1km) and Scratch Race (10km). That was 11 days, which I did over 13hourstraining (11 on the bike, 2 S&C). 

I was feeling good about where I am on the bike, I moved from 100.8 to 104.2 ahead of the weekend with the idea that if I have a slightly higher gear than everyone else, then I wouldn’t have a problem when they go over 100rpm - unfortunately, everyone moved up their gearing.

So how did each event go?

The IP was the first event and, in theory, it is my best event. 4-6minute efforts (VO2/MAP) efforts are where I’ve always been strongest. That all being said, it was my first time doing it so there were low expectations and I deliberately didn’tbring my pursuit bars. I had done around 5min42second effort on a flying attempt in Derby where the power was only at 350w so I was hoping that I could do a 5min30second. 

There were a few things that could go wrong (and did slightly)…

1. First time using the Start Gate properly.

2. First time using the gears

3. Travel day (7 hours in the car the day before)

So how did it go? Well… I fell out the starting gate. The 15second to 5second on the countdown is so slow, but then it feels like it speeds up. I didn’t get myself in a good position and didn’t go on the buzzer. I was so scared about going before the beep, that I just didn’t really go. Luckily, if you fall then you can have another go.

On the second attempt, I changed a few things. I moved the foot higher to try and gain more leverage and I went on the buzzer. The timing was still horrible and the power wasn’t there but I got going which is the main thing. 

Once I got up to speed, it was about maintaining the power. I was feeling aero - I was not. The biggest challenge I hadwas that the gearing wasn’t too small but I just never felt that I got over the gear. That awkward cadence of I can hold this but it’s not as efficient or as fast as I can go. It was also the first time I was being told my splits and while I didn’t reallyknow what they meant pacing wise, I knew I just had to be consistent. I think I was especially for a first time. I gave it my all and that’s all you can ask for in the first race and in the end I did a 5:41.545. 

And this is what I mean by I’m not aero… One of the reasons I wanted to my dad to take photos was because I’d get immediate feedback on my position - as well as really great photos of the event. I look like I’m out for a cafe ride. 

While I didn't hit the 5min30second target, I was still really happy with the ride. I wasn't actually that far off everyone else and, therefore, went into the next day with a lot of optimism.

Having done the IP the day before, it was time for the Kilo and Scratch Race. I learnt a lot of lessons from the IP but the main ones were to swap my start foot in the start gate from right leg to left leg and get more aero. It’s a lot easier to say get more aero for a sub90second effort, but I could have held it for the IP. The new aero position also isn’t as efficient as it can be - but that’s for another day. Using the same logic that a flying kilo on bad legs is the same as kilo on race day, thenI was targeting around 85seconds. The target also aligned with my kilo time from the IP.

So how did it go? First of all, I got my best start I’ve ever done! Not that quick compared to others, but still good for me.The second thing was that I was much more aero. The legs weren’t great though and I felt like I died after 750m. The final lap was the longest lap of my life, well felt like it. I don’t have all my data and it’s difficult to workout which section I’mmissing - I should have worn a HR monitor which would have helped. That said, I think I’m missing the first 15 seconds or so of data. Even if we presume that the power started higher and dropped, I was nowhere near what I can potentially do - which is around of 650-700w, but that would be on fresh legs. That said, the power was a bit disappointing. 

That all said I still beat my target by over 2 seconds and did a 1:22.687. You can also see the difference in the position from the IP to the Kilo in the photos.

The final race of the weekend and a change of tactics from Newport. The idea was that I never do any turns on the front of the lead group. In the end, I think I did a turn or two just because it was more convenient than going to the top of the track, but it was never an effort on the front. The goal of the race was to survive until the final attacks which was very ambitious given what happened in Newport and how far behind I was in both the IP and Kilo. My hope was that equipment played a big part in the time gaps and that my legs felt better in the second event having not felt 100% during the kilo.

And that is what happened! While the power meter didn’t work for the race which is annoying, which again means no detailed analysis. I can still give a quick summary… The first 10 laps were interesting because it was difficult occasionally, but I felt relatively good. I had marked all the moves and took no time on the front of the lead group. Anytime I got to second-wheel, I moved up before I got to the front. I did have a few moments in the wind following moves though. The gearing of 104 is good, but it wasn’t high enough for me to sprint properly on. The tactics, then,expanded for the next 10 laps or so, with Ben trying to make a move and Charlie blocking him up the track. The pace was more stop-start as everyone took their turns to attack. With 20 laps to go (or so), Ben got his attack going and it split the group with four riders off the front and me (and Josh) slightly off the back. It was a weird moment where the pace in the lead group wasn’t quick enough that I was holding the gap but I knew if I was to close the gap I’d go into the red. I was expecting Ben (who looked back many times) to sit up but he didn’t. In the end, he finally did and my patient approach paid off. Myself and Josh were on the back of the group and with 10 laps to go, Josh went off the front and got quite a gap ahead of Derek who just closely dragged him back before he made his own move with just over 4 laps to go. It was quiteinteresting because I think if Derek attacked the corner rather than the straight, he might have gone solo. However, because he went on the straight I could get out of the saddle to get up to speed to catch up. Once I caught Derek, I was on my limit though and when the counter-attacks happened I was off the back with Fin, Charlie and Derek off the front. In the end, Josh and Ben went past me too as I couldn’t go any quicker. So I finished 6th which I was delighted with. 

I ticked off all my objectives for race and generally for the weekend. I was absolutely delighted crossing the line knowingthat I am in a place where I can contend in the future. It also gives me hope that for the National Championships for the Kilo and Individual Pursuit. Adding a pursuit set up, looking potentially at new wheels, tyres and a few other marginal gains. I’d also hope to have much better legs than I did for either of the events. Obviously with the pursuit set up, I should go much quicker anyway but I will hopefully smash the times of both the IP and Kilo.