The Wattage Thread
Discussion
I did a hill repeat session a month or so back 8-9 kg up and the difference in the load on my legs for the same power was massive. Over 6 mins around 40 secs slower too, multiply that up over a ride and probably the difference between being dropped and not!
edit: Rob is right if racing on the flat though you need more power but if you can do both, win, win.
edit: Rob is right if racing on the flat though you need more power but if you can do both, win, win.
Edited by nacnac on Tuesday 6th January 21:37
What do you mean by fitness, is it improving my ability to go into the red and be able to recover? Main reason for losing the weight is the event I'm doing in April is an endurance one and has a lot of climbing. Was going to give up on any ideas of racing and concentrate my training more on tempo and sub threshold stuff.
murray said:
What do you mean by fitness, is it improving my ability to go into the red and be able to recover? Main reason for losing the weight is the event I'm doing in April is an endurance one and has a lot of climbing. Was going to give up on any ideas of racing and concentrate my training more on tempo and sub threshold stuff.
If there's lots of climbing weight is the enemy!That how skinny birds with very little power breeze up hills with ease!!!
murray said:
What do you mean by fitness, is it improving my ability to go into the red and be able to recover? Main reason for losing the weight is the event I'm doing in April is an endurance one and has a lot of climbing. Was going to give up on any ideas of racing and concentrate my training more on tempo and sub threshold stuff.
Yep! Sorry didn't see your post about the endurance event. Certainly for longer climbs or lots of them or both it will help you out. Perhaps time trials might appeal? Not so much emphasis on mega on off efforts or weight (within reason)
4w/kg is going to be my target for the end of the season.
Currently a smidge under 3.5w/kg (270w/78kgs) but still a little heavy from Christmas. If I can get back below 75 kgs and push my FTP up to around 290w I shouldn't be a million miles away.
No idea if that is possible but it will be fun trying.
Currently a smidge under 3.5w/kg (270w/78kgs) but still a little heavy from Christmas. If I can get back below 75 kgs and push my FTP up to around 290w I shouldn't be a million miles away.
No idea if that is possible but it will be fun trying.
Think I've hit my FTP ceiling. Can't seem to break through 270 W so need to start working on VO2max to help 'pull'. My W/kg is OK since I'm 63kg but I have a very hilly 7-day event in July so want to increase my FTP as much as possible. No weight to lose apart from maybe 1 kg, or 2 if I want to look ill.
okgo said:
A lot of that will come down to crit circuit too. I reckon I could get round a Dunsfold aerodrome 4th cat crit with under a 200w average for the hour. But Hog Hill would be tougher due to the corners and hill.
But don't give up hope, you can improve dramatically in not long so nearly anything is possible.
Very true, when I raced there (dunsfold) one time I was able to play the "heart rate below 140 game" where you try and keep your heart rate below 140bpm for as long as you can without getting dropped. Turned out the answer was "several laps".But don't give up hope, you can improve dramatically in not long so nearly anything is possible.
Finally got around to start reading training and racing with a power meter.. About time really!
Out of interest, what sessions do you guys tend to do as a means of training? I need to start doing some more focused stuff (as at the moment it's pretty much just the commute which is 38 k a day 4 times a week, and a longer ride at the weekend, or a turbo session) but am a little lost with all of the options / routes I could go down..
Last 8 min FTP test on trainer road saw me at 287 I think it was, which was in November - need to get signed on for some fourths races once they begin after my first experience of them last year!
Out of interest, what sessions do you guys tend to do as a means of training? I need to start doing some more focused stuff (as at the moment it's pretty much just the commute which is 38 k a day 4 times a week, and a longer ride at the weekend, or a turbo session) but am a little lost with all of the options / routes I could go down..
Last 8 min FTP test on trainer road saw me at 287 I think it was, which was in November - need to get signed on for some fourths races once they begin after my first experience of them last year!
After some Irish miles and lots of Guinness I have got back into the swing of it. Ramping the efforts up and increasing duration. Compared to this time last year I'm well ahead but I'm being cautious not to fall into the trap of over training. Starting to find 300w easier and pressing 350w or so for short (1-2mins) efforts. Overall pretty chuffed. Not drinking is helping maintain/reduce weight and I just feel stronger on the bike.
One thing though. I set my FTP to 290 in trainer road and f
k me it makes me work on Sufferfest. All this time I've been taking it far too easy and the averages on a couple this week are 260/250 vs 230/220 from last year. I did push the 10/10 stuff before but I reckon I had tempo very low. I'm due for a test soon so it will be interesting to see exactly where I am, certainly nowhere near 310/315 which was the peak previously.
Anyway. Good week.
One thing though. I set my FTP to 290 in trainer road and f
k me it makes me work on Sufferfest. All this time I've been taking it far too easy and the averages on a couple this week are 260/250 vs 230/220 from last year. I did push the 10/10 stuff before but I reckon I had tempo very low. I'm due for a test soon so it will be interesting to see exactly where I am, certainly nowhere near 310/315 which was the peak previously. Anyway. Good week.
Edited by anonymous-user on Friday 16th January 21:51
I think the difficulty of Sufferfest sessions depends on various things:
(1) Setting an accurate FTP target - if you're a bit generous and set slightly too high, sessions can be very tough at the limit
(2) Your power profile. Not everyone has the same power profile - some have very strong short-term power and than easily exceed the target power for sub-minute intervals.
Not specifically Sufferfest, but I do find quite a lot of variation in difficulty when doing TrainerRoad sessions. Did an interval session tonight and was able to increase my target power easily by 10% and up to 25% above target:
https://www.strava.com/activities/241874370
Didn't feel that bad. But then I've done VO2max sessions (4 mins at 113% FTP) which absolutely ruined me!
(1) Setting an accurate FTP target - if you're a bit generous and set slightly too high, sessions can be very tough at the limit
(2) Your power profile. Not everyone has the same power profile - some have very strong short-term power and than easily exceed the target power for sub-minute intervals.
Not specifically Sufferfest, but I do find quite a lot of variation in difficulty when doing TrainerRoad sessions. Did an interval session tonight and was able to increase my target power easily by 10% and up to 25% above target:
https://www.strava.com/activities/241874370
Didn't feel that bad. But then I've done VO2max sessions (4 mins at 113% FTP) which absolutely ruined me!
okgo said:
It's about not most people start their vo2 work I think. I had my first 4 min effort the other day and 430w - pitiful considering I managed 500w in a hill climb at end of the season. Thank god it's trainable!
Should be some good times for you this year Yonex
Yeah saw that Should be some good times for you this year Yonex
I was out with Pete Lawrence the other weekend, his training and advice was pretty inspiring. Good times, yes, that's the plan, got a bit to go yet but I think the volume of training I had to do last year to drag the power up killed me at the start of the TT season, I was always shattered and was working with negative form which I have found I am more sensitive to than most. It got into my head and even though I was never out of a mid 22 all year I was hard on myself and started to chase people who were flying. The worst one was falling apart when I was 12km into F11/10 on pace for 20 'something, power was all good then I just quit. Lost that one before I started though with some typical stty prep, forgot Garmin etc, muppet. Despite some clever guys training me I missed the opportunity to nail the difference from the 16% uplift, which should have taken me from 22:15 (Longwick) into early-mid 21's. Enjoying training at the moment, I keep a close eye on people on my list as well as working with what I already know. Target is 320-340w on a 10 this year, it really should be possible looking at the data....but data doesn't ride the bike...head right, go fast
I'm going to get back into the coaching thing but the aero issue needs sorting out now, thinking of going to a tunnel?
okgo said:
It's about not most people start their vo2 work I think. I had my first 4 min effort the other day and 430w - pitiful considering I managed 500w in a hill climb at end of the season. Thank god it's trainable!
Should be some good times for you this year Yonex
I have only done a bunch of VO2 efforts this winter just off the back of lots of Z3 and found my numbers to almost match my all time best numbers (only 5w-10w short I think)Should be some good times for you this year Yonex
So I did my first 20 min FTP test today with Sufferfest 'Rubber Glove' and a Keiser spin bike.
Result was an avg. output of 256w which given an FTP of 244w.
When mapped to zones it would appear that my Z6 is 296w.
Last year I rode over 6500 miles (and the year previously) in a mostly non structured fashion, entered a few races but certainly didn't take training for racing seriously.
I'm not sure what to make of the figures, I was hoping for higher!
I'm 90kg which is heavier than I want to be and I'm very much a diesel engine, good at taking a pull at the front and can keep going at (my) decent pace for several hours.
Do I just hammer Sufferfest three times a week?
Result was an avg. output of 256w which given an FTP of 244w.
When mapped to zones it would appear that my Z6 is 296w.
Last year I rode over 6500 miles (and the year previously) in a mostly non structured fashion, entered a few races but certainly didn't take training for racing seriously.
I'm not sure what to make of the figures, I was hoping for higher!
I'm 90kg which is heavier than I want to be and I'm very much a diesel engine, good at taking a pull at the front and can keep going at (my) decent pace for several hours.
Do I just hammer Sufferfest three times a week?
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