Workout: Jan. 26, 2021
Today I did an hour-long TrainerRoad workout. It was another eye-opener. After a warm-up, I did leg isolations (i.e., pedaling with a single leg only, while the other dangles), and then the meat of the workout: cadence ladders.
If that sounds a bit scary, you’ve got the idea. They start with a higher power setting and lower cadence, and progress to slightly lower power and higher cadence. After bottoming out at the lowest power/highest cadence, it climbs back up in the opposite direction. By the end of the interval, you’re back at the original power/cadence.
Looking at the graph, it looks like a series of steps down a stair, then back up to the same level again (the steps are the top of the big columns):
The five intervals were quite challenging, but very useful. I focused on things like keeping my pedaling smooth, which is a key part of making my pedaling better. It’s something TrainerRoad emphasizes during the workout, and I can see the necessity of it.
Also did a bit of saddle shifting, moving my butt back and forth slightly on the saddle to help increase or decrease cadence. It’s another thing I haven’t ever done before.
I’m just learning how to do a lot of these things, and I’m continually surprised at how much I didn’t know about riding a bike. Things like the leg isolations are showing me how undisciplined, for instance, my left leg is compared to the right. I’m psyched about my newfound knowledge, and looking forward to putting it to use! Here are the numbers, from Strava: