Power Meters / Powermeters (SRM, Powertap, Quarq, Ergomo, Vector, Stages, power2max, P2M, 4iii, InPower, Cinch)

Going have to follow you after this. View-tastic.

Not too sure where to post this as we don't really have a 'training' thread, but am after some advice...

Have been off the bike more or less totally for three weeks due to an injury, and think I'm good to ease back in. I was in pretty good shape before and have been doing some running in the interim to keep my base fitness up. However I will of course have lost a lot of top end bike power and leg strength.

Any tips for a bit of a training plan to get back into shape? Had been thinking about spending the next week getting my legs used to the bike again, working at around 90% of my old FTP for shorter efforts, and then working into FTP intervals and over-unders on the turbo mixed with longer endurance riding and also some shorter harder blasts out in the lanes.

I need to go back in carefully and not do any killer rides too soon, but am hoping that with some focus and determination I can get back to where I was in a month or so, which is when i go to the pyrennes for a week. I want to be in reasonable shape to enjoy dem big 'illz!

There's quite a few training threads. What you've said sounds reasonable.

Fair enough. None that I 'follow' though... so they don't count.

Am hoping three weeks isn't long enough to have declined in form too much...

Heading to the states for two weeks with work. Any saving to be had on the forum's favourite PMs?

Sorry to hear you hurt yourself. What was it?

I had a similar amount of time off not long back and it only took me 14 days to get back on track. You're much fitter, so no worries there.

Bloody tendinitis in my WRIST (no jokes please) which got worse when putting weight through my arms onto the bars. More or less cleared up now touch wood.

What did you do to get back into shape? You do turbo mostly for fitness gains right?

Am going to do an hour easyish tonight indoors, a short flat ride outdoors on Sat (probably in Regent's Park, 90mins of much reduced power or something) and then treat myself to 100km tops in Kent on sunday.

Got to go careful as have a few ankle niggles from running when i was off the bike (oh the irony) and don't want to aggravate the wrist. Then back to the turbo on weeknights next week.

Yep, a mix of tempo and sweet spot on the turbo had me back up and running pretty quick.

I just had to keep reminding myself not to do too much too soon. Something I usually fail miserably at.

No point being a hero if the damage sets you back further. Listen to body as well as look at powermeter, Confucius say.

Bloody tendinitis in my WRIST
touch wood

Sorry, had to do it. Didn't want to, thought I owed it to you.

Hope the recovery goes well!

Having said there's nothing to separate a P2M and a Quarq Riken, one of my Rikens has just developed an internal short, and drains a battery in less than an hour, even faster than the Stages PM. It's over 2 years old, so apparently it'll cost $500 for a new spider. Applying the Fuck You Sunshine policy, I'll be getting a P2M to replace it. Anyone want a broken Riken?

It's over 2 years old, so apparently it'll cost $500 for a new spider

Gee, thanks SRAM. SAG them, non?

In other news my bargain SRAM SRM has no cost me an additional £150 which brings it about inline with a new P2M. But at least I don't have to carry spare batteries around.

Oh, I forgot to mention, it's $500 plus shipping, and I'd presumably have to pay import duty and VAT on that too. So yes, P2M it is.

Actually, it seems I might just be within the two year warranty period - I bought it in July 2013. Thought it was much older than that. Doesn't time fly. Watch this space...

A quick FTP question -

I'm working through a training plan to increase FTP whilst dropping weight and want to know if I should adjust FTP as I progress. I know the figure from when I started, but as I work through it, threshold efforts are starting to feel easier and easier. The plan doesn't account for re testing.

What do others do?

Definitely retest. Maybe every 3 weeks if youre on a focused plan. No point in doing it more often at least. Then adjust as you go.

A 20min test is a great workout. So fit it into Your plan as training. Maybe 1x20 test - recovery - 1x20 sweetspot. Although to be honest I can never be arsed to do that.

I did a 20min test last night. Set a New 20min PB.Which considering it was off the back of a fastish 35km, and in terrible conditions, I'm well chuffed about.

Thought so.

And well done on the PB. I've just read your report about it and sounds brutal. I've never vomited at the end of a test.

Must try harder!

First time I've thrown up doing one. I used to thow up in rugby matches if I pushed too hard though.

I did have some out of date gels, made With fecking coconut water, before starting the effort. So it may not be totally Down to me being badass.

Don't waste time testing.
If you think your FTP has gone up then it has. Trust your instinct.
If the training plan wants efforts as a % of FTP then use a new FTP. As said, as some point you've got to raise the power. So either longer efforts or same efforts at higher power to keep increasing load.

You're in a training block so tired, your FTP test now might be the same number as your last, but if bet that means your real FTP has gone up. As FTP is when rested and ready to smash it up, not during a block when tired. So plow on, trust your judgment and just keep increasing the load for training benefit.

But if the plan Calls for a decent 20min effort. Is it not Worth just making that an FTP test? I get that you'll be a smidge fatigued. But I always try and hit intense sessions a bit bit rested anyway. Otherwise I dont get so much out of them.

Personally I look at stuff like 8 minute Climbs that I've hit hard, 20 min efforts, and of course 60 min efforts. To see if I need to adust my zones. So dont feel the need to do a specific test that often. But the more serious types around me seem to fit tests into their training scheduale. Depends what you're doing though I Guess.

The plan doesn't account for re testing.

Change the plan.

use a new FTP

Which you won't know unless you've tested it. It doesn't have to be a formal test but formal = repeatable = accurate.

Cool. The plan does increase load in 3 week blocks, then an easy (ish) week. Then another 3 week block increasing week on week.

So that increase in TSS each week is what will case adaptation, do no need to also up FTP as I go?

Sorry to sound bloody dense, as I'm sure it's just common sense, but I just want to be absolutely crystal clear.

Thanks

All of the Trainerroad plans I've seen only test FTP at the start, not throughout. Is that unusual?