SBR Utopia - OPEN (Page 45)

Increasing tends to be better than holding on, but also look at the amount. How long are at 260-270? That's about 30 watts under your average, quite a bit. You're certainly developing some nice power!

Power based training is most often geared around working for x amount of time at a certain percentage of your Functional Threshold Power ("FTP").

Your FTP is the maximum number of watts ("Power") you can sustain for 1 hour.

No one likes doing 1 hour tests.

The 20 minute test allows you to estimate your FTP with some degree of accuracy.

FWIW, I base all my training off of my 20 minute test, not my estimated FTP.

The 20' test will allow you to determine your Threshold Power, ie the power you can maintain for 1hr, called your FTP

your training zones, and race pacing are then derived from your FTP

It's measured in watts. This is all power meter based training

In running speaks it's the equivalent of pace you could maintain for 1hr or about 15km, between 10k and HM pace.

For running you train and race by pace and/or hr

In cycling it's power and/or hr.  Pace does not work because hills, wind, aerodynamics....

Great answers and I appreciate you guys relating it back to running lol

So, is there a problem with just training off of PRE? Or is that just a preference? (like people training with HRM etc.)

Great answers and I appreciate you guys relating it back to running lol

So, is there a problem with just training off of PRE? Or is that just a preference? (like people training with HRM etc.)

* sorry for double posting the sh*t out of you guys. Not sure what's going on here.

X2 - very nice test.  I agree with Ben though, if you're averaging 294 for the test, it sounds like you're leaving a little too much on the table at the beginning.

All things have pros and cons to them, so it is a personal preference in which to use more. RPE tends to rather variable from day to day. Power gives a more objective measure, but it needs to be updated to stay accurate. I try to use power & HR to help tune the RPE more. I'll use a blend of all 3 and the importance of each moves around depending on what I'm doing. And switch pace for power when running.

I wasn't riding at 260-270 and then up to 29X, but was riding in the 28X-320 range, and average inched up from the 260-70 range, fairly quickly at first and then more slowly (as averages tend to do). 

I didn't do it in the coaching software, so I don't think I can view the power as it changed during the test.  It was in 3D, I saved the file, does it give that info or just raw data (for CT users)?   I suppose it would be nice to have that info

I use PRE for everything (which is why I am asking.) I see what you are saying about the day to day changes but isn't that just part of listening to your body and not chasing a number?

Yes it is, and that's why I use several things. Without HR or pace, my RPE would have me running too much in the moderate area. And that's where I get hurt. I need that other info to help keep things in check. Others can do just fine with only one.

Makes sense, thanks!

You can load the computrainer result file into Golden Cheetah or Training peaks and look at averages, normalized power......If you have trouble, I can load it for you and send you the results.

I usually have an aggressive target on my 20MP number going into the test.  Typically I will start about 5-10 watts below that number for the first 5 minutes.  Typically I will raise it close to my target # from 5-15' and try to hold that pretty steadily...the last 3 minutes is all I have left. 

This tends to work well, considering that I test somewhat often (every 8 weeks or so) so have a really good idea of my FTP number and a reasonable goal for the test which helps me pace it better.

Overall though I try to be pretty steady +/-10 watts throughout the bulk of the test increasing watts as the test progresses.

The one thing that I found when I started seriously training with power was that RPE would sometimes lie to me.    I could be doing an interval at a particular power target and my body would be telling me I was going at a particular effort level.  As the interval progressed, if I only paid attention to how hard I thought I was going, my power would start to tail off.  Having that number to chase would force me to keep the intensity up (assuming I was actually capable of it on that day).  Now that I've been doing it for a while I can maintain power numbers better based on RPE.

When my wife started using her power meter last winter, after a couple of weeks she made the comment "I used to think I was working hard on the trainer - I was wrong"    This was in the middle of following Jorge's program and just continuing on with it but using power instead of RPE for the targets.

I think RPE is great but having specific numbers to chase with the power meter can allow you to get more in tune with everything.  It certainly did for me.

Thanks, I'll see what I can do tonight and let you know if I have any issues

Arend:  I agree with you and I find the same with running.  I run train by pace almost exclusively but still taking note of HR and RPE.  During intervals, I look down at my watch to gauge my pace quite a bit and if I see that I am starting to fade I immediately pick it back up whereas HR or RPE may not give me that indication.

How do you pace your marathon race, time per mile or RPE ?

Do you not use a stopwatch/pace on the track ?

Bike fit is well outside my bailiwick Fred, my knowledge leans more toward observations on basement cleanliness and organization. But since this thread is constrained to discussions of SBR only, I will refrain. However if you post it on ST I will be more than happy to help you out. 

In all seriousness it does look a little funny - very interested to hear what the gurus have to say.