Hmm that’s annoying
I mentioned above that he seems to be deleting tweets after a short while. Maybe he’s trying to avoid the flame wars he used to get in on slowtwitch? He could jus do an Alan Couzens and block anyone that challenges him. 
It’s been an interesting week deep diving into LT1 and the evidence to suggest this threshold is arguably one of the most important thresholds to raise for an endurance athlete. A few times, I have come across the debate between what raises LT1 the most effectively: threshold or long slow distance training. I am not sure the literature reviews, form posts, or threads has solidified an answer for me yet. However, I keep coming back to n=1 studies (if we can even call it a study) posts like this one from outside magazine that keep me inspired to just keep trying to get in the volume I can.
I find volume on the bike difficult to achieve. Probably because I need a proper bike fit to solve a lot of issues with pain after a few hours in the saddle. I balance my training with hiking/ trail running at “easy” RPE’s and heart rates. Nonetheless, the article above was so simple. The guy hiked 8-10 hours a day and using RER as the proxy for LT1, raised his aerobic crossover point considerably. No power meters, blood lactate tests, apps or much of anything. I switch between periods of wanting to know the nitty gritty of figuring out this threshold by what ever means I can, to getting overwhelmed and just forgetting about it until I come back to the research again when I have a fresh mind. My current interpretation is to just cycle at my Zone 2 heart rate calculated by a 20 minute FTP test (%of lactate threshold hold heart rate, calculated with Friel zones) and just hoping it’s close to LT1 for me.
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Since moving to “more endurance, fewer intervals” approach here are my rough numbers, without the benefit of knowing LT1:
| Season | 19-20 | 20-21 | 21-22 (6 months) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Peak FTP for season | 268W | 268W | 272W |
| Endurance rides average power | 155W | 175W | 190W |
| Hours per week average | 6 | 7.5 | 8.5 |
Seasons start around September 1st each year, right now I’m about 50% thru 21-22 season. That first year was an ego blow, about 15-16mph on the endurance portion of the ride. This year its 18-19mph if you leave out the warmup/cooldown. Somebody like @sryke is flying by comparison. The average power on those endurance rides all have similar average HR. Both power and Efficiency Factor (EF) have been increasing year over year. This year the intensity split has been 76% low aerobic, 20% high aerobic, and 4% high intensity. Consistency and volume.
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Those are some impressive gains in power output at an endurance level. Inspiring for sure. I think for me improving Zone 2 endurance is rooted in health and metabolism first (I am a clinical exercise physiologist, rather than a sports focused exercise physiologist) and to just be able to get farther out there. Maybe some local races in the future which would dial in the training considerably. We have some inspiring rail trail networks that go on for hundreds of miles in eastern PA, so, it would be nice to crack out my first century this year hopefully. I think the endurance focus is going to be more of my plan moving forward too. I definitely don’t see myself going above sweet spot low volume plans here on TR, just adding in more Zone 2 in between those intervals. For periodization of your endurance rides, do you find that you just up the volume progressively as the season goes on? I am currently trying the sweet spot approach for base and then polarized later this season to allow myself to handle anaerobic and VO2 work. Can’t beat more endurance rides in the summer either when that time comes.
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It is a rough estimate, from a WKO report I wrote to extract the zone2 portion of rides with low IF and low VI (without having to tag them). To improve accuracy I am in the process of properly tagging past rides. And some context is missing - don’t read a lot into peak ftp because this year my season started with C19 and my ftp the first week of October was probably 190 or 200. After a quick scan of all 3 seasons, those rides are mostly in the upper half of HR-zone2.
Well I’ve just had a bit of a reality check on my estimation of LT1. I’ve been try to pin it down for almost 12 months using RPE, Xert LTP, Talk Test Alpha1 etc and had it pinned down depending on the method to 160-19W and 132-140 bpm. I decided after much internal debate to buy a lactate meter. I’ve not been able to do a full test yet but today I took a resting reading then after a 15 min gentle warm up I took a reading after 15minutes @ 140W and 125 bpm. 1.2 mmols Resting, 2.2 mmols at 140W!!! . Because of the weather I’ve spent the last 2 months on the turbo doing a ton of Z2. I know it’s only 1 reading but IF it’s correct I’ve been doing rather more Tempo than is good for me. I also potentially know why my legs feel tired all the time. I’d put that down to the fact that I’m not used to doing hour+ intervals without any easing up like I get outside.
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Could also be an off sample or you might make a lot of lactate.
Try another test with at least two higher levels. (Base, 145, 165, 185). I would do 8-10 min steps and include a long warm up as well.
For the sample, make sure it’s a nice blood bubble and that the test strip only touches the blood.
FWIW…. Before doing your first full run tests, it is a good idea to do a few shorter practice runs. Think of it as good preparation to get good data and not wasted strips.
Have fun and good luck!
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Yes, sounds like an off sample. Probably have touched the skin. Have you wiped away the first drop? Always take from a second drop.
There is a learning curve with this. It took me a while to get consistent readings. If a value is obviously too high the strip got contaminated by touching the skin or getting sweat on it. And always sample a second drop.
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One thing I forgot to mention is HRV and RHR. In the process of switching to a more endurance, fewer intervals approach, my HRV is now actively moving in response to recovery and hard blocks. Before it was constantly between 10-20, with a few excursions up to 25. Now its fluctuating between 20-80. And RHR has dropped 10bpm. The primary change in my life was switching to more endurance. Can’t be definitive on cause&effect, but the training approach appears to be the reason.
Doing more volume with extra Z2? Or less intervals in the form of sst/FTP?
Ime, contaminated drops produce an error message or a reading that is several mmol different.
Best thing for @carytb to try is several points below that power level to get at least 3 points below lt1. Start at super easy power level and only move uo in power gradually.
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Look at the sample two weeks in this FasCat plan: Sweet Spot Part 2 – FasCat Coaching
Or look at the weeks in Time Crunched Cyclist book (I’ve got the 3rd edition).
Same pattern as Coach Tim Cusick’s full season masters plan that I bought.
Essentially it’s having two key endurance workouts per week, and two key interval days, and 8-12 hours per week total.
I am in a 4week block of 4 endurance days and 2 interval days (14-15h). Then 1 recovery week…
Should I waste my time with this one?
How badly do you want to know? I did a deep dive on dfa a1. In the end I basically triangulated my LT1 with a1, the talk test, and Seiler’s 60-70% of HRmax. They were all in the same ballpark.
Did you compare to LT1 from actual blood lactate testing?
Not sure what the following refers to…
What, if it’s worth a listen, which was the question?
Or did you mean my LT1?
Bruce Rogers is very knowledgeable. I think he’s worth the time. I was just trying to convey that I spent hours listening to dfa a1 podcasts, reading blogs, and did the test and it just agreed with the other methods I tried. It was a fun project but it didn’t really lead me anywhere magical. And DFA a1 is still experimental. Some physiologists don’t even believe that LT1 is a physiological marker.
I assume you were replying to me. No, I’ve never done lactate testing. As I said, DFA a1 triangulated pretty well with the ISM talk test and Seiler’s percent of HRmax recommendation.
I’m not sure if lactate testing would reveal much and unless I’m buying own meter and doing regular tests. I’m not sure a single test helps much. (Actually I’m thinking of buying a Moxy monitor as it can reveal similar information in real time and it’s a one time cost that doesn’t require $1 test strips.
One thing I think is that people are often doing the DFA a1 test backwards. They are going by power in steps to cross DFA a1. I think the way to go is by HR. My power at DFA a1 can vary quite a bit based on freshness but it tracks pretty accurately with HR whether I’m fresh or fatigued. All I need to know is my “LT1” HR for low intensity rides.
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Agree. This has been my experience as well. And also why I don’t say or think “power at AeT any more than I say power at VO2max”. There is a range, no doubt, but in this context I usually want to get a sense of strain, not stress/output.
I think he estimates 60-70% of HR Reserve, not HRmax, right?