Increase your Cycling Power over the winter = Faster times on 2009 (Page 12)

Yes I have one I just used it for the first time.  I still need to digest the read outs.

Joe

Evening all

My first ride today.  At the risk of sounding cocky, I figured 40 minutes, hell that will be easy.  Well I have not been on my bike in months.  I have not ran since November 5th, doctors orders.  Well by the 18 minute mark, all cockyness was gone.

I am trying to use a power meter on the Kurt trainer, since it's new to me I also threw on the HRM.  Screwed up the splits trying to push PM buttons and HRm buttons.  But this is what I got.

HRM                                             PM

Average 142                           AVG W   156

MAX        165                          MAX W    413

                                               AVS         15.7

                                               MAX S     24.6

I can say this my was whipped when I got done.  I did have to skip one of the 30" 95%-100% FT rides and spend the extra 30" sucking air.  I also learned turn on the fan, put towel or bucket on floor to spit in, get rid of the Ipod headphones and get some speakers, I can shove my bottle of water in the floor (riding in basement) and a large clock that reads out in seconds would be better then trynig toread that little meter on the bike.

Joe

Jorge,

I noticed the power program doesn't give an A or B value for the rest periods during the intervals.  Can I just assume they are the same as for the HR group?

Sorry - one more question.  Q3 for power - I add it up to 55 minutes instead of 50 minutes.

Thanks

For power meter users: 20 min test, 5 min test and how to calculate power after both tests are completed

For HRM users: 30 min test an how to calcualte LTHR

let me know if you have questions

Thanks Jorge - I'll be doing these asap.  I rode the Q2 interval today based on power, and I got it wrong I think, it was much easier than if I had done the HR intervals instead.  I didn't know my LT and just guessed at it, but the highest my HR got during the session was low zone 2.

The one question I do have.  Because I'll only be doing these rides on the trainer, and there won't be any outside factors (i.e. wind), should I expect that my HR would be somewhat lower in comparison to riding outside for the same power output - or should it matter?

This is what my ride looked like this morning (no HR data, but it was low).

(Week 1 Q2.jpg)

Question - how much time (hours, days) should we have in between the 20min and 5min tests?

Thanks again Jorge

fwiw, I learned how to program my garmin today for Q2 and it was so much nicer focusing on cadence or speed during the sprint intervals rather than staring at the seconds slowly tick by, and I could watch tv during the recovery intervals and wu and cd.   It beeped at me a lot about my hr being too high or too low, but I tuned it out and tried to focus on RPE.  Definitely worth the time to set it up.

Thanks so much Jorge!  I can already see a difference in my speed on the trainer.

No questions, but ugh, this sounds miserable. 

(I know, I know someone say it: "HTFU"

Well, I did Q2 today, i think I felt better and it was a little easier for me than Q1.  Either way I'm just using my perceived exertion to follow the workout.  I think I'm a having a little more fun just winging the work out zones, but still following the trend of the workout.

Andy,

Did Q2 last night.  I messed up on setting my watch so my interval recoveries were 30 seconds instead of 1 minute, but I made it through!  I did the workout using RPE. 

I think I will like using RPE, and since my HRM is just about dead, I may just buy a Timex watch and set my intervals on that.  Just not 100% sure I want to leave HR yet.  I have used it for so many years, but I do see the lag effect when doing the intervals.  RPE is pretty much instant and I imagine Power would be instant.  If I save money now on the HRM, maybe I can buy a power meter when I start training for IM in 2010. 

I am just so wired with HR, HR on the bike computer, cadence, Ipods for running, etc. Is it all necessary?!  It's not like I will be an elite triathlete.  I am just trying to stay healthy, continue to improve, and have fun as I march into my 50's!

I did my Q2 session and legs felt a tad better but I am still very much out of shape. Since I don’t know yet what my power zones are with my current fitness I've been doing the sessions by RPE and using the power meter to give me an idea of where I am. Early in the year I was around 260-265 watts FTP but now it is probably 15-20 watts lower.

Anyway some random thoughts I had while riding that I want to share:

·          It is a good idea to use an old used tired on the trainer, that way you won’t be wasting your nice tires.
·          Before every ride, make sure to inflate your back tire at the optimal PSI recommend on it. i.e. I ride an old Michelin Pro so I set it up at 110 PSI
·          Always set up your trainer at the same resistance this will allow you to do your sessions under the same conditions. This is particular important for those using only RPE. i.e. I use the Kurt Kinetic rock & roll and I recorded how many turns I use to tight the knob using the current tire and tire pressure.
·          Remember to have some sort of cooling system (a fan, a window, etc) if riding inside, otherwise the heat will just make the session harder.
·          Remember to have plenty of fluids handy, you will most likely drink more inside than outside due to the heat.
·          Get a towel handy not only for the sweat but also to cover your bars/stem so the sweat doesn’t corrode the screws
·          As the threshold intervals get longer make sure to fuel properly before the session (1-2 hrs); doing this session will deplete your glycogen storage
·          After threshold intervals make sure to refuel so you are ready to train the next day

Enjoy!