Back to basics for today's session on the VeloTron, some good steady sweet spot work at 88-94% of my FTP with a blood lactate test scheduled for the end of the second 20 minute period. The session went well and at the moment I do feel that I am recovering well from my training, the last 2 days have been far from easy and I felt fine today, maybe it's my altered recovery strategy.

These sessions are never actually easy as much of the time is spent up around 280W but I was pleased with my heart rate response and the session felt completely manageable throughout, I could have ridden at this load for an extended period, as one would expect when working below one's FTP.

I'm still pleased that I took a lighter week of training last week and my TSB is staying up nicely, I will post a copy of my performance management chart at the end of this week so that anyone who happens to be interested can see how my slow build up is going. I'm on target with this at present but am really hoping to be able to get my longer rides in at the weekend, ideally on Sunday as I have a potentially interesting indoor session planned for Saturday, more on that later in the week.

At the end of the second SST effort today I took a sample of blood (EEK!), and tested my blood lactate level and I was very pleased with the result which was 2.3mmol/l. Last time I took a reading after an identical session the reading was 2.6mmol/l so there certainly doesn't seem to have been a deterioration here and from this reading, supported of course by how I felt, I think things are moving in the right direction.

I'm pretty confident now that the training I have been doing has had the desired effects. My blood lactate levels for an absolute workload are now consistently lower than they used to be and this points very strongly to the suggestion that my metabolism is now more efficient and that I am relying less on carbohydrates to power higher intensity training and riding. I find it quite satisfying that my blood lactate measurement when working at around 275-285W is now at the upper limit of a normal average resting blood lactate reading. If anyone would like to read more about blood lactate and exercise, this is worth a read.

To review this session: click here.

ATL: 75.7 CTL: 72.4 TSB: -3.4