Training with Motivo

A month or so ago, I was bemoaning my declining enthusiasm for training (after a few good months of winter training, by March I was missing sessions), when my racing pal Tony happened to mention an iPhone app he'd been using for turbo training, Motivo. I had a little play with the app - I don't have an iPhone, but I do have an iPad3 which runs the app - indeed, it is rather good run at 2x, since I don't need reading glasses to see what's going on! Using Motivo has really upped my training game - here are my thoughts... What is Motivo? Motivo (search for it on the App Store), also at motivo.cc, is an app/website that seeks to help cyclists to set up and follow a turbo training programme. What does it cost? An introductory 3 week membership is free. Subsequently it's £5.99 per month, with a slightly cheaper subscription of £29.99 for 6 months. The iPhone/iPad app is free. What d'you get? A varied collection of turbo training sessions, with pre-designed training programmes. The programme I tried was a three-week series of turbo sessions aimed at time triallists. You specify how many days per week you will train. How do the sessions work? You enter your FTP and heart rate data. The system sets up six training zones - you train according to those (either to heart rate or to power), and the iPhone app prompts you each time you shift intensity during the session (5 seconds warning, with a prompt as to what's coming next). There's a very clear display that shows your heart rate, power and cadence. The app records heart rate, cadence and power traces, superimposed on a diagrammatic representation of the turbo session. The screen capture below is from the Motivo App Store page.

From the top Time remaining, pause button Overview of session (higher block = higher intensity) Detailed progress, with HR, cadence and power curves Time remaining in current segment Current HR, Power and Cadence Slider scales showing target zones

What sensors are needed? I'm using the Garmin heart rate monitor and speed/cadence sensors, and a Powertap hub. All these are ANT+, and I needed to get a Wahoo dongle for my iPad. Other options are possible - see the help at the website. I'm simultaneously recording on my Garmin 500 for easy import into Golden Cheetah. Is this coaching? Not as far as I can see. You're supposed to get emails prompting you to do the turbo sessions, and analysing your progress. But I've never received such emails. On the other hand, I find that riding to the Motivo iPhone/iPad app really very motivating. The calendar view highlights missed or incomplete sessions in orange. Can you design your own turbo sessions? Yes, you can - indeed this is a strength of the system for those of us who've been round the block with turbo training over the last few years. What's the support like? If you have a question, they respond to enquiries within a couple of hours. In my experience. What would be a good addition? I think it would be neat if one could add placeholders in the calendar to show where non-training events such as races, long road rides are scheduled. Other platforms? Only iOS devices are supported just now (iOS 6.1 or greater).

"B" sample positive for Iban Mayo

cyclingnews.com reports that Iban Mayo's B sample has been retested and found to be EPO positive.', '

What's interesting here is that following the A test positive, the B tests performed in a lab in Gent were "inconclusive". The B samples have now been re-tested at the the French national anti-doping laboratory (LNDD) in Chatenay-Malabry. This lab is the focus of the Landis appeal - as far as I can tell not on the basis that the test results were wrong, but on procedural grounds - so i can see this one run and run. For my views on why EPO tests can be hard to interpret see my posting on EPO and EPO testing.

There are enough procedural uncertainties here that this story is very likely to run and run, particularly if Mayo is suspended or banned as a consequence. It's not good that these cases get prolonged while the protagonists argue the toss over procedural irregularities. Athletes have a capacity to lie over their guilt for a long time before evidence forces them to come clean - see for example the sad story of Birillo.

21/12/07 update - cyclingnews.com reports Mayo's belief in a conspiracy!

22/12/07 update - Apparently the Spanish Federation are refusing to sanction Mayo. I told you this one would run and run! The line they are taking is that the UCI are interpreting the rulebook to suit themselves rather than the rider or the sport. Presumably this is connected with the UCI's belief that the first attempt at a B-test was inconclusive rather than negative.

23/12/07 update - still running!  Apparently the UCI will refer the Spanish federation's stance to CAS.  The machinations of CAS, however, seem to take forever, so it may be some time before this issue is resolved.

Opera v Microsoft in EU

Opera tries to force IE into W3C compliance with EU complaint; Firefox's success may work against it (report at ArsTechnica) - The internet browser company Opera has filed an antitrust action against Microsoft. The complaint is about the bundling of Internet Explorer in Windows and the alleged breakage of international web standards. There's another analysis over at Groklaw, of the usual high standard.

Ars Technica's belief is that FireFox's success will undermine Opera's case somewhat- but the case seems to go beyond merely bundling IE, but the inability to remove IE should you wish to, and the well-known MS attitudes to international standards.

A UK child tries out the XO laptop

 

 A child's view of the $100 laptop - Here's a report on the BBC describing the first experiences of a UK 9 year-old child with the XO laptop from the OLPC project. I think what's striking here is the ease with which the laptop's software is explored, and all of a sudden he's communicating with kids on another continent!

 

Give me rice, but give me a laptop too

Give me rice, but give me a laptop too - A very strongly worded pro-OLPC opinion piece from Bill Thompson, a journalist and regular on the BBC World service.