Is this Power Profile unusual? Will the 5s come down with more training?

[vladav]

Hello,

Wanting to enter a few races for the first time, I started on a 600h/year training plan (J. Friel) and stopped at the base 2 phase when professional worklife got way out of hand (Nov 11).

Stopped riding completely Nov 11 to Jan 3. Then gradual increase in rides until started training again with purchase of PT 2.4 on Feb 2.

After a month, I'm perplexed at the power profile:
5s 16.14 w/kg (Cat3ish)
1m 5.83 w/kg (Untrained)
5m 3.33 w/kg (Cat5ish)
FT 2.15 w/kg (Untrained)

173 lbs, 65.5" tall (Racing weight should be 155 to 160.) (Was @ 163 early Nov)

Not doing any specific workouts yet, just doing what I feel like doing (ie. Group Rides, ME, Force, Endurance.) No intervals.

The sprinting 5s figure shows I'm in grazing the cat 3 range even with my extra pounds around the waist. Taking that down to 160 puts me firmly in that range.

So now to the Q: Will improving the other power ranges bring the 5s down significantly?


Thanks,
Dave

 

[Piotr]

Hello,

Wanting to enter a few races for the first time, I started on a 600h/year training plan (J. Friel) and stopped at the base 2 phase when professional worklife got way out of hand (Nov 11).

Stopped riding completely Nov 11 to Jan 3. Then gradual increase in rides until started training again with purchase of PT 2.4 on Feb 2.

After a month, I'm perplexed at the power profile:
5s 16.14 w/kg (Cat3ish)
1m 5.83 w/kg (Untrained)
5m 3.33 w/kg (Cat5ish)
FT 2.15 w/kg (Untrained)

173 lbs (Racing weight should be 155 to 160.) (Was @ 163 early Nov)

Not doing any specific workouts yet, just doing what I feel like doing (ie. Group Rides, ME, Force, Endurance.) No intervals.

The sprinting 5s figure shows I'm in grazing the cat 3 range even with my extra pounds around the waist. Taking that down to 160 puts me firmly in that range.

So now to the Q: Will improving the other power ranges bring the 5s down significantly?


Thanks,
Dave

If you haven't done a lot of training yet, training shouldn't bring any numbers down. The only way is up. There may be an instance that if a cyclist concentrates on one aspect of riding, eg. time-trialing, the 5s may go down as a result of not spending enough time sprinting. My guess is that you haven't seen your best 5s yet, so other training should not "detrain" your sprint.

 

[bikeguy]

No it won't bring it down, unless you lose a lot of weight. Since you're already pretty lean, that's unlikely. Your numbers should improve across the board as you train more, as long as you throw in a few sprints.

-bikeguy

 

[vladav]

No it won't bring it down, unless you lose a lot of weight. Since you're already pretty lean, that's unlikely. Your numbers should improve across the board as you train more, as long as you throw in a few sprints.

-bikeguy

I'm not lean yet. I'm 28.75yrs now, and 65.5"tall. (At 19yrs I was 160lbs & 8%bf.)

Dave

 

[frenchyge]

Those numbers are not unusual. Neuromuscular power is more a function of body type than training, so untrained individuals can have 5sec numbers as good as, or better, than high level cyclists who have been training for years.

Anyone off the street is likely to have a high 5sec power, the trick is to keep putting out those watts for hours at a time.

 

[vladav]

Thanks All. Replies most helpful.

Dave

 

[Alex Simmons]

Those numbers are not unusual. Neuromuscular power is more a function of body type than training, so untrained individuals can have 5sec numbers as good as, or better, than high level cyclists who have been training for years.

Anyone off the street is likely to have a high 5sec power, the trick is to keep putting out those watts for hours at a time.

And to add to that, NMP is also heavily influenced by how fresh you are (as well as how you train it). I came off a bad sickness last year with 3 weeks off the bike and on day 2 back riding I set a new 5 sec max power.

 

[Steve_B]

Neuromuscular power and FTP are usually anti-correlated so your best sprint power might come when you've had some time off and worst after a period of lots of FTP training. I always have my best sprints in the late winter before I have too much FTP under my belt.

 

[vladav]

Thanks! (soaking it all up)

Anyone off the street is likely to have a high 5sec power, the trick is to keep putting out those watts for hours at a time.

(Yeah I'd love to put out 1400 watts for hours at a time )

Neuromuscular power and FTP are usually anti-correlated so your best sprint power might come when you've had some time off and worst after a period of lots of FTP training. I always have my best sprints in the late winter before I have too much FTP under my belt.

That sounds about right - my sprints 'felt' weak when racking up the mileage. (Pre-PM training)