Tag: CompuTrainer

CompuTrainer’s Coaching Software versus 3D Software: Assessing value for interval training

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The CompuTrainer comes with three software options for loading rides: 3D software, Coaching Software, and the Real Course Video. Each of these packages has advantages and disadvantages for the particular type of workout you want to complete on the CompuTrainer. My “everyday” training is done using either the 3D software or the Coaching Software, saving my Lake Placid RCV for “special” occasions :). So, I thought I’d offer up my thoughts about the relative advantages of the two packages, specifically with respect to interval training. Until last week, I followed the prescription in the Performance Improvement Gurantee (PIG) program, and …

2 out of 3 ain’t bad: NJ Devilman race report

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I almost scratched this race because I knew I shouldn’t run at race pace to ensure full recovery from Boston.  I could claim to take it easy on the run portion, but let’s face it, I wouldn’t. Usually, I get out on the course and the competitor in me makes instant revisions to my “take it easy” plans. Boston itself is a case in point of this pattern. Given my tendencies to ignore intelligent thinking while racing, I figured the smart thing to do would be to skip the race altogether. After all, I couldn’t start a race knowing I …

Getting back to normal

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I’ve come to the conclusion that the Boston Marathon bears a similarity to Thanksgiving dinner: lots of preparation and anticipation – and then it’s over in a flash, and life gets back to normal. With less than 13 weeks to go until Ironman Lake Placid, normal can only mean one thing: swimming, eating, biking, eating, and running, followed by eating and sleeping, which is then followed by swimming, eating, biking, eating, and running. But, the formula is not as easy as all that since recovery from a marathon is just as important (more important?) as preparation for a marathon. So, …

You spin my wheel *the right way* round: Using the Spin Scan Analyzer

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In my maybe-not-so-humble opinion, I’ve had a successful 7 weeks of cycling, both on the CompuTrainer (CT) and on the Road. I’ve steadily increased my average watts across all types of rides. During my first three weeks with the CompuTrainer, from February 19-March 13, I averaged 159.9 watts on all of my rides combined. During the past four weeks (March 14-April 9), that average has risen to 170.7 watts (2.9 watts/kilogram). After the Boston Marathon (April 18th), I plan to do another FTP test to mark improvement in my power threshold. Stay posted for that number coming soon! I’ve taken …

Making goals believable: Sampling the Quassy HalfRev Course

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I might be a desperate masochist, but those Rev3 folks are sadists. The Quassy HalfRev course is proof enough. Cold temperatures drove me indoors for this week’s long ride, scheduled to be a 3 hour session. Hmmm. 3 hours on the trainer – that’s just a touch less than a half iron distance course for me. My mind immediately went to Quassy, which we will do for the first time this summer in Middlebury, CT on June 5th. One of the best aspects of having a CompuTrainer, versus a standard trainer, is being able to download and “ride” almost any …

The cheating metal man might have a point

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Do you see the metal man, thinking he’s all cool and fast and sleek with his uber aerodynamic silvery slick suit? Start screen on the CompuTrainer 3D software. This is how a virtual ride begins. He’s a cheater. That’s right, I said it. He. Cheats. The rider to the left is a representation of me. I’m not a cheater. I don’t have a cool metal suit. I’m vulnerable to metal man’s cheating ways. If you don’t have a CompuTrainer, you may be wondering who this silvery swindler is. He’s the pacer included in the 3D software package that comes with …

Moving from “how far?” to “how fast?”: Part 1

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On Thursday, I received a text from my friend Courtney, “Did another 6 on Monday in 52 minutes. How do u increase speed for longer runs?” I’ve been helping Courtney, along with friends Wendy, Kelly, and Joanna, train for the Atlantic City April Fool’s 11k Run, which will be held on April 3. Most of them had never run that far before (11k = 6.83 miles). Their big question: Will I be able to run this far? I knew they could, so I offered up some tips and tricks to guide their training and boost their confidence. I created a …

Power Meters: Nice to have or necessary?

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The CompuTrainer comes with a PIG (performance improvement guarantee) plan that suggests effort levels based on the results of the FT test, which I took last week. With results in hand, I set to the task of recalibrating my cycling efforts. I had a tempo ride scheduled for Wednesday, and to gauge my effort, I followed the PIG guidelines for a tempo ride, which recommend holding 85% of FT power for 45 minutes. For me, this translated into 187 watts for the main set of the workout. Okay, let’s do this, I thought. I did my warm-up and got into …

Test anxiety: Finding my functional threshold power

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On Wednesday, I took my first ever “functional threshold power” test. The FTP is a 30-minute test, using my CompuTrainer, which is designed to measure the average wattage (or power) I can maintain while cycling for 30 minutes (CP30). The above image illustrates the results of this test. (Side note: I don’t have a polar heart rate strap yet, required for CompuTrainer HRM, so the HR data is below, imported from my Garmin HRM file.) Fitness tests are not new to me. I rowed crew in high school, and we had regular tests of our fitness on the ergometers (rowing …

Welcome to full scale geekdom

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It was Friday, and I awoke like a kid on Christmas morning – or like a triathlete about to receive her first CompuTrainer. You know, same thing… Having checked the UPS tracking information, I knew it “out for delivery,” which caused me to keep checking the front door to see if it had arrived. (Hmmm, obsess much?) Around 3 p.m., I heard a rustling on the front porch. It was Jolly Ol’ Saint UPS delivery driver. I walked to the door, and what to my wondering eyes did appear: the CompuTrainer. “It’s here! It’s here!” This exclamation was complimented by …