The Inevitable (Performance) Decline
12-24-19, 08:23 AM
#26
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The older I get, the better I was.
On the forums, if you can't brag on how good you are, brag on how good you were. If you can't brag on that, start on how bad you hurt: I was doing 150 miles/day till rotator cuff dyslexia of the hip took me out.
On the forums, if you can't brag on how good you are, brag on how good you were. If you can't brag on that, start on how bad you hurt: I was doing 150 miles/day till rotator cuff dyslexia of the hip took me out.
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12-24-19, 11:27 AM
#27
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I've already whined in other threads about the loss of power and performance at age 74 with the decline starting almost four years ago. (I'm down nearly 25 percent in power since then.) In the Strava 70-74 class, I hate it when my PRs for that group get beaten and in most cases, I can't challenge to get it back. It especially galls me when my "speed" PRs of segments of one and one half minute duration are beaten by someone in my class by someone helped by two other riders riding with the new PR setter. (I'm a solo rider.)
If one chooses to keep track of performance it can be beneficial sometimes healthwise. At a certain point in time, my sustained HR when doing a long hard effort suddenly dropped off about 10 plus BPM literally overnight. Over the next six months, I had various tests performed on my heart such as stress treadmill, thallium scan, and echocardiograms. All the docs said my heart was fine. I said no, it is not. Finally crossed paths with a cardiologist that knew something about cycling. He heard my complaint after meeting me the first time and said it was too bad I didn't know my wattage for the period in question. I did though and told him the before and after. He said without examing me, "Oh, you have a blockage, I guarantee it." A CT Angiogram showed a 70 percent blockage in my left main coronary artery. I got it stented in mid-2017 and the heart has purred ever since and never worked better, (adjusted for age-related decline.) Now, my heart LITERALLY "complains" as it is ahead of my muscles so I can't even use its maximum potential because my muscles can't produce enough sustained physical effort to tap into the upper exercise ability or limits of my heart.
If one chooses to keep track of performance it can be beneficial sometimes healthwise. At a certain point in time, my sustained HR when doing a long hard effort suddenly dropped off about 10 plus BPM literally overnight. Over the next six months, I had various tests performed on my heart such as stress treadmill, thallium scan, and echocardiograms. All the docs said my heart was fine. I said no, it is not. Finally crossed paths with a cardiologist that knew something about cycling. He heard my complaint after meeting me the first time and said it was too bad I didn't know my wattage for the period in question. I did though and told him the before and after. He said without examing me, "Oh, you have a blockage, I guarantee it." A CT Angiogram showed a 70 percent blockage in my left main coronary artery. I got it stented in mid-2017 and the heart has purred ever since and never worked better, (adjusted for age-related decline.) Now, my heart LITERALLY "complains" as it is ahead of my muscles so I can't even use its maximum potential because my muscles can't produce enough sustained physical effort to tap into the upper exercise ability or limits of my heart.
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12-24-19, 02:46 PM
#28
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I've already whined in other threads about the loss of power and performance at age 74 with the decline starting almost four years ago. (I'm down nearly 25 percent in power since then.) In the Strava 70-74 class, I hate it when my PRs for that group get beaten and in most cases, I can't challenge to get it back. It especially galls me when my "speed" PRs of segments of one and one half minute duration are beaten by someone in my class by someone helped by two other riders riding with the new PR setter. (I'm a solo rider.)
If one chooses to keep track of performance it can be beneficial sometimes healthwise. At a certain point in time, my sustained HR when doing a long hard effort suddenly dropped off about 10 plus BPM literally overnight. Over the next six months, I had various tests performed on my heart such as stress treadmill, thallium scan, and echocardiograms. All the docs said my heart was fine. I said no, it is not. Finally crossed paths with a cardiologist that knew something about cycling. He heard my complaint after meeting me the first time and said it was too bad I didn't know my wattage for the period in question. I did though and told him the before and after. He said without examing me, "Oh, you have a blockage, I guarantee it." A CT Angiogram showed a 70 percent blockage in my left main coronary artery. I got it stented in mid-2017 and the heart has purred ever since and never worked better, (adjusted for age-related decline.) Now, my heart LITERALLY "complains" as it is ahead of my muscles so I can't even use its maximum potential because my muscles can't produce enough sustained physical effort to tap into the upper exercise ability or limits of my heart.
If one chooses to keep track of performance it can be beneficial sometimes healthwise. At a certain point in time, my sustained HR when doing a long hard effort suddenly dropped off about 10 plus BPM literally overnight. Over the next six months, I had various tests performed on my heart such as stress treadmill, thallium scan, and echocardiograms. All the docs said my heart was fine. I said no, it is not. Finally crossed paths with a cardiologist that knew something about cycling. He heard my complaint after meeting me the first time and said it was too bad I didn't know my wattage for the period in question. I did though and told him the before and after. He said without examing me, "Oh, you have a blockage, I guarantee it." A CT Angiogram showed a 70 percent blockage in my left main coronary artery. I got it stented in mid-2017 and the heart has purred ever since and never worked better, (adjusted for age-related decline.) Now, my heart LITERALLY "complains" as it is ahead of my muscles so I can't even use its maximum potential because my muscles can't produce enough sustained physical effort to tap into the upper exercise ability or limits of my heart.
Could you expand on your statement of your heart being "ahead of my muscles so I can't even use its maximum potential because my muscles can't produce enough sustained physical effort to tap into the upper exercise ability or limits of my heart." I can imagine how that could be the case - just not sure how you would figure out that was the case.
dave
12-24-19, 05:19 PM
#29
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Dave, if you are interested, I have some ideas on how to get your groove back but this thread is about inevitable performance decline due to age. I have no real value to offer.
12-24-19, 08:37 PM
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dave
12-25-19, 05:28 AM
#31
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I’ve never used any of that stuff, either. I’m just going on what my body tells me and trying to respond in a way that improves how I feel when riding. I think at the heart of this discussion is the mortality we’re all well aware of at our age. It sharpens the senses and increases appreciation of what we can do today, knowing that over the horizon, “there be dragons”.
12-25-19, 10:52 AM
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What I have found is that sleep really matters and adding just 15 minutes per night is a game changer (brain causes the release of testosterone and HGH plus strengthens immune system during sleep). I suggest reading Mathew Walker's Why We Sleep. I think it is a seminal work on Sleep. If I am getting close to 8 hours of sleep per night and an afternoon nap, I can do back to back hard days no problem. If my sleep is disrupted in some way, my workout is subpar and I have much more latent fatigue.
Strength is a key metric for me. What I think happens is if one only does endurance work, strength begins to drop until there is just enough strength to meet the needs of the endurance efforts. More endurance is a net consumer of testosterone (that is probably not technically correct but it seems to feel that way). If I take time off, then I lose more strength. When I come back, power is down.
Many younger racers will argue that one does not need much strength to make constant power. By measurement, that is true. However, for us in our 7th decade, we are not flush with testosterone as we were in puberty so it takes us longer to regain strength. And I think one needs a margin of strength over what is required for power. And the margin may be significant.
The take away is if ones power is down, put in a strength block and focus on strength and adaptation in the gym and on the bike. I am in a constant state of strength and adaptation on the bike. If I reduce my time on the bike and increase my leg strength in the gym, that is a net increase in testosterone and growth hormone for me. When I need more endurance for an upcoming event, I add it.
I worked with a coach when I first started and he had a gym. He had a couple of world cup / domestic pro racers who worked out there. They were skinny guys but crazy strong. Their margin of strength over what is required for FTP was huge. They did not look like men who had monster leg strength.
You can get strength in the gym and on the bike. I do a lot of big gear work where I ride flat terrain in a 54/11 at 55 to 60 rpm at tempo power and then sprint in the big gear for 10 seconds. I do seated starts in 80 gear inches and standing starts in bigger gears. In the gym, I do single leg presses with as much weight as possible, deads, hip thrusts, box jumps (20" box) and a lot of core work.
My suggestion is a couple of months of strength work to get the legs and back as strong as possible and then add back longer endurance work. For me, I do not need a lot of endurance work to do a 2K pursuit or 20Km time trial but I need a lot of S&A to go fast.
I think doing base and build work with high mileage is perfect if it works for you. It is always about what to do when something that has worked, no longer works or how to get to the next level. The last thing I look at is age.
Last edited by Hermes; 12-25-19 at 10:57 AM.
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12-25-19, 07:46 PM
#33
Senior Member
I do a lot of training routine experimentation on myself to see what works. I have a lot of data and experience for me that is at best anecdotal and at worst flawed.
What I have found is that sleep really matters and adding just 15 minutes per night is a game changer (brain causes the release of testosterone and HGH plus strengthens immune system during sleep). I suggest reading Mathew Walker's Why We Sleep. I think it is a seminal work on Sleep. If I am getting close to 8 hours of sleep per night and an afternoon nap, I can do back to back hard days no problem. If my sleep is disrupted in some way, my workout is subpar and I have much more latent fatigue.
Strength is a key metric for me. What I think happens is if one only does endurance work, strength begins to drop until there is just enough strength to meet the needs of the endurance efforts. More endurance is a net consumer of testosterone (that is probably not technically correct but it seems to feel that way). If I take time off, then I lose more strength. When I come back, power is down.
Many younger racers will argue that one does not need much strength to make constant power. By measurement, that is true. However, for us in our 7th decade, we are not flush with testosterone as we were in puberty so it takes us longer to regain strength. And I think one needs a margin of strength over what is required for power. And the margin may be significant.
The take away is if ones power is down, put in a strength block and focus on strength and adaptation in the gym and on the bike. I am in a constant state of strength and adaptation on the bike. If I reduce my time on the bike and increase my leg strength in the gym, that is a net increase in testosterone and growth hormone for me. When I need more endurance for an upcoming event, I add it.
I worked with a coach when I first started and he had a gym. He had a couple of world cup / domestic pro racers who worked out there. They were skinny guys but crazy strong. Their margin of strength over what is required for FTP was huge. They did not look like men who had monster leg strength.
You can get strength in the gym and on the bike. I do a lot of big gear work where I ride flat terrain in a 54/11 at 55 to 60 rpm at tempo power and then sprint in the big gear for 10 seconds. I do seated starts in 80 gear inches and standing starts in bigger gears. In the gym, I do single leg presses with as much weight as possible, deads, hip thrusts, box jumps (20" box) and a lot of core work.
My suggestion is a couple of months of strength work to get the legs and back as strong as possible and then add back longer endurance work. For me, I do not need a lot of endurance work to do a 2K pursuit or 20Km time trial but I need a lot of S&A to go fast.
I think doing base and build work with high mileage is perfect if it works for you. It is always about what to do when something that has worked, no longer works or how to get to the next level. The last thing I look at is age.
What I have found is that sleep really matters and adding just 15 minutes per night is a game changer (brain causes the release of testosterone and HGH plus strengthens immune system during sleep). I suggest reading Mathew Walker's Why We Sleep. I think it is a seminal work on Sleep. If I am getting close to 8 hours of sleep per night and an afternoon nap, I can do back to back hard days no problem. If my sleep is disrupted in some way, my workout is subpar and I have much more latent fatigue.
Strength is a key metric for me. What I think happens is if one only does endurance work, strength begins to drop until there is just enough strength to meet the needs of the endurance efforts. More endurance is a net consumer of testosterone (that is probably not technically correct but it seems to feel that way). If I take time off, then I lose more strength. When I come back, power is down.
Many younger racers will argue that one does not need much strength to make constant power. By measurement, that is true. However, for us in our 7th decade, we are not flush with testosterone as we were in puberty so it takes us longer to regain strength. And I think one needs a margin of strength over what is required for power. And the margin may be significant.
The take away is if ones power is down, put in a strength block and focus on strength and adaptation in the gym and on the bike. I am in a constant state of strength and adaptation on the bike. If I reduce my time on the bike and increase my leg strength in the gym, that is a net increase in testosterone and growth hormone for me. When I need more endurance for an upcoming event, I add it.
I worked with a coach when I first started and he had a gym. He had a couple of world cup / domestic pro racers who worked out there. They were skinny guys but crazy strong. Their margin of strength over what is required for FTP was huge. They did not look like men who had monster leg strength.
You can get strength in the gym and on the bike. I do a lot of big gear work where I ride flat terrain in a 54/11 at 55 to 60 rpm at tempo power and then sprint in the big gear for 10 seconds. I do seated starts in 80 gear inches and standing starts in bigger gears. In the gym, I do single leg presses with as much weight as possible, deads, hip thrusts, box jumps (20" box) and a lot of core work.
My suggestion is a couple of months of strength work to get the legs and back as strong as possible and then add back longer endurance work. For me, I do not need a lot of endurance work to do a 2K pursuit or 20Km time trial but I need a lot of S&A to go fast.
I think doing base and build work with high mileage is perfect if it works for you. It is always about what to do when something that has worked, no longer works or how to get to the next level. The last thing I look at is age.
Just saying... … and... Yes, there are... people who can last longer, but, not many... JMO...
12-25-19, 07:50 PM
#34
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Hermes, thank you. This has more than one thing that I need "to chew on" for a while.
dave
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12-25-19, 08:47 PM
#35
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I know I am not as fast as I once was, but I refuse to dwell on it. I just do what I can, enjoy the ride, and try to maintain my fitness and health as long as I can.
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"Far and away the best prize that life offers is the chance to work hard at work worth doing." --Theodore Roosevelt
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12-25-19, 10:13 PM
#36
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Ditto, plenty of sleep or at least rest. For many years I skimped on sleep due to work and family pressures. It wasn't unusual to go for days sleeping only 2-3 hours a day/night. Now with fewer pressures and disruptions I'm getting more rest most days. It seemed to gradually help improve my fitness with the same workout routines.
And I take a bunch of supplements. But who knows how much they help, if at all. The creatine is pretty much acknowledged as helpful for short, high effort bursts. The other stuff, I dunno. Seems to help.
And I take a bunch of supplements. But who knows how much they help, if at all. The creatine is pretty much acknowledged as helpful for short, high effort bursts. The other stuff, I dunno. Seems to help.
12-25-19, 10:49 PM
#37
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12-26-19, 07:03 AM
#38
Banned.
I think the secret of my enviable improvement in my performance every year for the last five years is that I was in relatively lousy shape to begin with. The mistake a lot of you geezers made is that you were already a bit too fit as you entered geezerhood. Well, it’s too late to do anything about that now except to keep riding and enjoy it. That’s what I’m gonna do. Yeah, I know that’s easy for me to say, since I don’t have the burden of having been in much better shape when I was younger.
Anyhow, I can say with confidence that 68 is the new 67. I’ll let you all know next spring what 69 is.
Anyhow, I can say with confidence that 68 is the new 67. I’ll let you all know next spring what 69 is.
Last edited by Moishe; 12-26-19 at 10:36 AM.
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12-26-19, 12:30 PM
#39
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At a certain point in time, my sustained HR when doing a long hard effort suddenly dropped off about 10 plus BPM literally overnight. Over the next six months, I had various tests performed on my heart such as stress treadmill, thallium scan, and echocardiograms. All the docs said my heart was fine. I said no, it is not. Finally crossed paths with a cardiologist that knew something about cycling. He heard my complaint after meeting me the first time and said it was too bad I didn't know my wattage for the period in question. I did though and told him the before and after. He said without examing me, "Oh, you have a blockage, I guarantee it." A CT Angiogram showed a 70 percent blockage in my left main coronary artery. I got it stented in mid-2017 and the heart has purred ever since and never worked better, (adjusted for age-related decline.) Now, my heart LITERALLY "complains" as it is ahead of my muscles so I can't even use its maximum potential because my muscles can't produce enough sustained physical effort to tap into the upper exercise ability or limits of my heart.
That is a very interesting story - and a WHOLE lot of testing to have done yet not find a blockage (which to my uninformed mind would be a primary suspect).
Could you expand on your statement of your heart being "ahead of my muscles so I can't even use its maximum potential because my muscles can't produce enough sustained physical effort to tap into the upper exercise ability or limits of my heart." I can imagine how that could be the case - just not sure how you would figure out that was the case.
dave
Could you expand on your statement of your heart being "ahead of my muscles so I can't even use its maximum potential because my muscles can't produce enough sustained physical effort to tap into the upper exercise ability or limits of my heart." I can imagine how that could be the case - just not sure how you would figure out that was the case.
dave
Now with the loss of a natural ability to put out the same power even though my heart is operating normally my power level only raises my sustained HR up the climb at 88 or 89 percent sometimes lower. I rarely am able to go HR anaerobic now.
12-26-19, 12:52 PM
#40
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DOB 1958. I don't think I have anything to add that is new. I have had several epics in my life where I took cycling seriously for a while then slacked off. However I've always had some sort of exercise program and I'm not currently cycling to lose weight.
I've been on it for about a year now. I'm amazed at just how hard this time around it is for me to get any kind of endurance. I'm putting in 100+ miles/week and it's like I have no power at all!
Anyway, my plan is to force the issue and work on climbing in particular. I've committed to a century in the spring. This will be my first. I'm afraid to slack off any because I don't want to start all over again.
I've been on it for about a year now. I'm amazed at just how hard this time around it is for me to get any kind of endurance. I'm putting in 100+ miles/week and it's like I have no power at all!
Anyway, my plan is to force the issue and work on climbing in particular. I've committed to a century in the spring. This will be my first. I'm afraid to slack off any because I don't want to start all over again.
12-26-19, 01:51 PM
#41
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DOB 1945. The first knuckle I noticed in my decline was at 63. Then the decline was fairly straight-line until 70, when there was another knuckle. I sense another one coming on maybe this year or the next. My training methodology didn't change, but my recovery did, which had something to do with the decline, but mostly it's just that nothing works as well as it used to. So far, among my aging riding buddies I'm doing the best, at least no afib, injuries, or loss of desire. My gear-inches on a local 2500' climb are down from 35 in my late 50s to 23 this year. So that's what we have to look forward to. At least I'm still at it and feeling good.
As one ages, one's HR goes down. My MHR now is 141. LTHR maybe 134. If you're panting, you're anaerobic. When you start panting, that's your new LTHR. If you can't go hard enough to pant, you're just out of shape. One has to substitute training for natural ability.
Oh yes. Week off is way too much. 3 days is my limit or I start losing it.
As one ages, one's HR goes down. My MHR now is 141. LTHR maybe 134. If you're panting, you're anaerobic. When you start panting, that's your new LTHR. If you can't go hard enough to pant, you're just out of shape. One has to substitute training for natural ability.
Oh yes. Week off is way too much. 3 days is my limit or I start losing it.
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Last edited by Carbonfiberboy; 12-26-19 at 01:55 PM.
12-27-19, 06:39 PM
#42
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I've talked about this topic here before. For me (YOB 1961) the declines haven't happened yet, but I do fear their approach, particularly as I want to have strength and endurance to enjoy distance and challenges when I retire. For this reason, I fear chronic orthopedic pain as much as I fear lack of strength.
My performance is still pretty good, but I was just off the bike for 2 months (for orthopedic reasons, see above), and wow, I did lose a lot of power. It's coming back and I expect it all to come back with hard work, but when I talk to my younger riding friends, I am reminded that they don't lose as much fitness when they, for whatever reason, take a break, and that they come back quicker.
I agree with the folks posting above about working hard helping to keep the performance losses at bay. They are, eventually, inevitable, but if you want to keep up strength, speed, and endurance, train hard. If that's not your thing, well go for the smiles or whatever else floats your boat. Just keep pedaling.
I'm sure Hermes is right about strength. I have hemmed and hawed about weight training for years. I need to get with the program.
Not totally on topic, but the other dayI was riding with a younger racing friend - early 30s - and talking about some of the things that hold me back - gastrointestinal problems and vitamin deficiencies, orthopedic problems. Not wishing to be such a downer, I noted that whatever the challenges, I'm still in great shape compared to my age cohort (58) who don't ride.
Silly guy. He asked, "how much of that do you attribute to riding?" (meaning my overall health compared to the general population my age)
"All of it.", I replied.
My performance is still pretty good, but I was just off the bike for 2 months (for orthopedic reasons, see above), and wow, I did lose a lot of power. It's coming back and I expect it all to come back with hard work, but when I talk to my younger riding friends, I am reminded that they don't lose as much fitness when they, for whatever reason, take a break, and that they come back quicker.
I agree with the folks posting above about working hard helping to keep the performance losses at bay. They are, eventually, inevitable, but if you want to keep up strength, speed, and endurance, train hard. If that's not your thing, well go for the smiles or whatever else floats your boat. Just keep pedaling.
I'm sure Hermes is right about strength. I have hemmed and hawed about weight training for years. I need to get with the program.
Not totally on topic, but the other dayI was riding with a younger racing friend - early 30s - and talking about some of the things that hold me back - gastrointestinal problems and vitamin deficiencies, orthopedic problems. Not wishing to be such a downer, I noted that whatever the challenges, I'm still in great shape compared to my age cohort (58) who don't ride.
Silly guy. He asked, "how much of that do you attribute to riding?" (meaning my overall health compared to the general population my age)
"All of it.", I replied.
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12-27-19, 06:48 PM
#43
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BTW, you are correct about strength training. And I am perpetually planning 'to get started someday'. I need to change that status.
dave
12-27-19, 09:24 PM
#44
Banned.
“I agree with the folks posting above about working hard helping to keep the performance losses at bay. They are, eventually, inevitable, but if you want to keep up strength, speed, and endurance, train hard. If that's not your thing, well go for the smiles or whatever else floats your boat. Just keep pedaling.”
Yes, performance losses are indeed, eventually, inevitable. Ultimately, they are fatal. The key to this losing battle is to have fun with it. If nothing else, it’ll float your boat longer.
I suppose that we all fall into one of two categories: those who go gentle into that good night, and those who rage, rage against the dying of the light. Each has its own style of road biking. Both end up in the same place.
Yes, performance losses are indeed, eventually, inevitable. Ultimately, they are fatal. The key to this losing battle is to have fun with it. If nothing else, it’ll float your boat longer.
I suppose that we all fall into one of two categories: those who go gentle into that good night, and those who rage, rage against the dying of the light. Each has its own style of road biking. Both end up in the same place.
Last edited by Moishe; 12-28-19 at 02:52 PM.
Likes For Moishe:
12-29-19, 08:50 PM
#45
Junior Member
“I agree with the folks posting above about working hard helping to keep the performance losses at bay. They are, eventually, inevitable, but if you want to keep up strength, speed, and endurance, train hard. If that's not your thing, well go for the smiles or whatever else floats your boat. Just keep pedaling.”
Yes, performance losses are indeed, eventually, inevitable. Ultimately, they are fatal. The key to this losing battle is to have fun with it. If nothing else, it’ll float your boat longer.
I suppose that we all fall into one of two categories: those who go gentle into that good night, and those who rage, rage against the dying of the light. Each has its own style of road biking. Both end up in the same place.
Yes, performance losses are indeed, eventually, inevitable. Ultimately, they are fatal. The key to this losing battle is to have fun with it. If nothing else, it’ll float your boat longer.
I suppose that we all fall into one of two categories: those who go gentle into that good night, and those who rage, rage against the dying of the light. Each has its own style of road biking. Both end up in the same place.
12-30-19, 12:09 PM
#46
just another gosling
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Everett, WA
Posts: 19,516
Bikes: CoMo Speedster 2003, Trek 5200, CAAD 9, Fred 2004
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I do a lot of training routine experimentation on myself to see what works. I have a lot of data and experience for me that is at best anecdotal and at worst flawed.
What I have found is that sleep really matters and adding just 15 minutes per night is a game changer (brain causes the release of testosterone and HGH plus strengthens immune system during sleep). I suggest reading Mathew Walker's Why We Sleep. I think it is a seminal work on Sleep. If I am getting close to 8 hours of sleep per night and an afternoon nap, I can do back to back hard days no problem. If my sleep is disrupted in some way, my workout is subpar and I have much more latent fatigue.
Strength is a key metric for me. What I think happens is if one only does endurance work, strength begins to drop until there is just enough strength to meet the needs of the endurance efforts. More endurance is a net consumer of testosterone (that is probably not technically correct but it seems to feel that way). If I take time off, then I lose more strength. When I come back, power is down.
Many younger racers will argue that one does not need much strength to make constant power. By measurement, that is true. However, for us in our 7th decade, we are not flush with testosterone as we were in puberty so it takes us longer to regain strength. And I think one needs a margin of strength over what is required for power. And the margin may be significant.
The take away is if ones power is down, put in a strength block and focus on strength and adaptation in the gym and on the bike. I am in a constant state of strength and adaptation on the bike. If I reduce my time on the bike and increase my leg strength in the gym, that is a net increase in testosterone and growth hormone for me. When I need more endurance for an upcoming event, I add it.
I worked with a coach when I first started and he had a gym. He had a couple of world cup / domestic pro racers who worked out there. They were skinny guys but crazy strong. Their margin of strength over what is required for FTP was huge. They did not look like men who had monster leg strength.
You can get strength in the gym and on the bike. I do a lot of big gear work where I ride flat terrain in a 54/11 at 55 to 60 rpm at tempo power and then sprint in the big gear for 10 seconds. I do seated starts in 80 gear inches and standing starts in bigger gears. In the gym, I do single leg presses with as much weight as possible, deads, hip thrusts, box jumps (20" box) and a lot of core work.
My suggestion is a couple of months of strength work to get the legs and back as strong as possible and then add back longer endurance work. For me, I do not need a lot of endurance work to do a 2K pursuit or 20Km time trial but I need a lot of S&A to go fast.
I think doing base and build work with high mileage is perfect if it works for you. It is always about what to do when something that has worked, no longer works or how to get to the next level. The last thing I look at is age.
What I have found is that sleep really matters and adding just 15 minutes per night is a game changer (brain causes the release of testosterone and HGH plus strengthens immune system during sleep). I suggest reading Mathew Walker's Why We Sleep. I think it is a seminal work on Sleep. If I am getting close to 8 hours of sleep per night and an afternoon nap, I can do back to back hard days no problem. If my sleep is disrupted in some way, my workout is subpar and I have much more latent fatigue.
Strength is a key metric for me. What I think happens is if one only does endurance work, strength begins to drop until there is just enough strength to meet the needs of the endurance efforts. More endurance is a net consumer of testosterone (that is probably not technically correct but it seems to feel that way). If I take time off, then I lose more strength. When I come back, power is down.
Many younger racers will argue that one does not need much strength to make constant power. By measurement, that is true. However, for us in our 7th decade, we are not flush with testosterone as we were in puberty so it takes us longer to regain strength. And I think one needs a margin of strength over what is required for power. And the margin may be significant.
The take away is if ones power is down, put in a strength block and focus on strength and adaptation in the gym and on the bike. I am in a constant state of strength and adaptation on the bike. If I reduce my time on the bike and increase my leg strength in the gym, that is a net increase in testosterone and growth hormone for me. When I need more endurance for an upcoming event, I add it.
I worked with a coach when I first started and he had a gym. He had a couple of world cup / domestic pro racers who worked out there. They were skinny guys but crazy strong. Their margin of strength over what is required for FTP was huge. They did not look like men who had monster leg strength.
You can get strength in the gym and on the bike. I do a lot of big gear work where I ride flat terrain in a 54/11 at 55 to 60 rpm at tempo power and then sprint in the big gear for 10 seconds. I do seated starts in 80 gear inches and standing starts in bigger gears. In the gym, I do single leg presses with as much weight as possible, deads, hip thrusts, box jumps (20" box) and a lot of core work.
My suggestion is a couple of months of strength work to get the legs and back as strong as possible and then add back longer endurance work. For me, I do not need a lot of endurance work to do a 2K pursuit or 20Km time trial but I need a lot of S&A to go fast.
I think doing base and build work with high mileage is perfect if it works for you. It is always about what to do when something that has worked, no longer works or how to get to the next level. The last thing I look at is age.
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