Well, after weeks of waiting, my new Mike Garcia wheels with the PowerTap SL hub finally arrived yesterday! It was good timing as well because my Fathers Day gift this year was a visit yesterday to the Human Performance Lab at a nearby university where I went in for V02Max/Threshold testing.
So, armed with the PowerTap SL, a copy of "Training and Racing with a Power Meter" and a CyclingPeaks WKO+ license, I'm ready to begin getting more serious about my training. It's all pretty exciting for this rider.
Basically, I've just finished my first full year of cycling (4200 miles since last June with 3000 miles so far this year) and hope to be able to build up to the point where I can actually do some road racing next year. Today I went out and did a two-and-a-half hour ride where I did a 20-minute best-effort, a 5-minute best-effort, a 1-minute best effort, and a couple of 15-second best efforts, interspersed with fairly easy riding. Here are my numbers:
5s: 13.61 W/kg
1m: 7.14 W/kg
5m: 4.73 W/kg
20m: 4.12 W/kg
NP60: 3.92 W/kg
Interestingly, even though I tried to take things fairly easy in between the "best efforts" I still ended up with a NP150 of 3.51 W/kg partly due to the hilly nature of the course, I suppose.
Anyway, it's obvious from the numbers that I've never worked on sprints and one-minute efforts. I'm assuming these will have to *significantly* improve in order to be able to compete--especially in criteriums (criteria?).
Incidentally, the trip to the lab yesterday was absolutely fascinating... I discovered that my maximum heart rate is 191 instead of the previously measured high of 186. I'm guessing my ability to ride while in pain is increasing as opposed to my actual heart rate. My VO2Max was measured at 60 which was higher than expected based on my age (38) and my general lack of physical activity until two years ago (I lost 65 pounds early last year). Unfortunately, my VO2Max power--at least as measured by this test in which wattage was increased by 40 every three minutes--was only about 365. Is this something I can improve with training or am I genetically limited?
Regardless, my LT (as measured by the 4 mm lactate level via a ***** to the ear every few minutes) was only 285 so that means I've got some room for improvement before I start reaching my VO2Max. (This jibes with today's 20 minute average power measurement of 305 watts, incidentally). I also found out that at just under 6'0" and 165 pounds I'm still at 14% body fat so I could theoretically get down to 155 pounds (i.e. 70kg) without too much difficulty, thereby increasing my W/kg numbers somewhat.
Anyway, I can't shower enough praise on the CyclingPeaks software and the Training with Power book. I've read it cover to cover and am on my second pass. It's really cool stuff and I can't wait to get out and start training with my power meter!!
Thanks for listening...
--Steve
So, armed with the PowerTap SL, a copy of "Training and Racing with a Power Meter" and a CyclingPeaks WKO+ license, I'm ready to begin getting more serious about my training. It's all pretty exciting for this rider.
Basically, I've just finished my first full year of cycling (4200 miles since last June with 3000 miles so far this year) and hope to be able to build up to the point where I can actually do some road racing next year. Today I went out and did a two-and-a-half hour ride where I did a 20-minute best-effort, a 5-minute best-effort, a 1-minute best effort, and a couple of 15-second best efforts, interspersed with fairly easy riding. Here are my numbers:
5s: 13.61 W/kg
1m: 7.14 W/kg
5m: 4.73 W/kg
20m: 4.12 W/kg
NP60: 3.92 W/kg
Interestingly, even though I tried to take things fairly easy in between the "best efforts" I still ended up with a NP150 of 3.51 W/kg partly due to the hilly nature of the course, I suppose.
Anyway, it's obvious from the numbers that I've never worked on sprints and one-minute efforts. I'm assuming these will have to *significantly* improve in order to be able to compete--especially in criteriums (criteria?).
Incidentally, the trip to the lab yesterday was absolutely fascinating... I discovered that my maximum heart rate is 191 instead of the previously measured high of 186. I'm guessing my ability to ride while in pain is increasing as opposed to my actual heart rate. My VO2Max was measured at 60 which was higher than expected based on my age (38) and my general lack of physical activity until two years ago (I lost 65 pounds early last year). Unfortunately, my VO2Max power--at least as measured by this test in which wattage was increased by 40 every three minutes--was only about 365. Is this something I can improve with training or am I genetically limited?
Regardless, my LT (as measured by the 4 mm lactate level via a ***** to the ear every few minutes) was only 285 so that means I've got some room for improvement before I start reaching my VO2Max. (This jibes with today's 20 minute average power measurement of 305 watts, incidentally). I also found out that at just under 6'0" and 165 pounds I'm still at 14% body fat so I could theoretically get down to 155 pounds (i.e. 70kg) without too much difficulty, thereby increasing my W/kg numbers somewhat.
Anyway, I can't shower enough praise on the CyclingPeaks software and the Training with Power book. I've read it cover to cover and am on my second pass. It's really cool stuff and I can't wait to get out and start training with my power meter!!
Thanks for listening...
--Steve
