CCS wrote:Join the club!
I have found the good old turbo / Trainer Road combination really useful - their 40km TT programme was really helpful in giving me session to target. That way, you can use FTP as a measure of progress. I did try doing some more targeted sessions on the road, but to be honest, around here, there is so much traffic, and are so many inconveniences like road junctions / traffic lights that I found I could never really hold consistent efforts. I therefore use road rides for fun / endurance; evening 10s more for a measure of progress, and getting used to putting in some more consistent efforts on the bike, and the turbo for the real, measurable efforts.
Works for me anyway!
+1
This is where a good training log is useful.
You look back and see where you made the advances and where you plateaued.
Remember you are not an elite who can train whenever you want, so results are not shown in a perfect curve. After a lay off your body is like a rusty bike chain, it works but isn't efficient, you use the chain, oil and lube it and it becomes more efficient, stop for a bit and it lose its flexibility, so try not to expect miracles.
As mentioned, find a metric, hill, uphill, downhill, straight etc and take measurements.
I don't use power, I doubt I ever will TBH,
The saying practice makes perfect is wrong.
Imperfect practice makes imperfect permanent.
Try different techniques on the specific sections, and see where your results are better, it may mean a few sessions are spent experimenting, but, if it finds a better technique it is worth it.
Compare where you lose ground on your competition,, and that may be a good place to start, perhaps.
Extinction is the rule. Survival is the exception.