I decided to have a go at a specific cycling test profile using that Trainerroad custom workout creator.
Most of the regular ones I use have a block shape for the ups and downs, but I thought I'd do something tapered, so that I could use it to practice increasing my pedalling speed.
To my delight it works. The basic shape is firstly a short warm up - I used this after I'd already been for a spin outdoors. Then a 15 minute segment progressively increasing the required power output by 'simply' pedalling faster.
I selected an gear at the start. Number 4 on the index. I then pedalled just above the target power line. It stayed easy for the first few minutes until I reached my own threshold limit (that's the white line across the graph). I'd designed the power graph to keep going. My idea was to simply spin my way through to the top without changing gear. It worked and did noticeably drive my pedalling faster than normal. My first go with this has already created a new best average cadence.
Then a few minutes under and over my threshold power and a repeat. The second slope was a shorter steeper interval which was also okay.
Then the final shortest slope where I failed to sustain the power. I'm bouncing along at my threshold level.
I'll try it again and am already wondering how to build something like this into another type of plan.
