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

Around then.

You must be some kinda power data miner or somfin.

Pretty meaningless, but this is my PMC for 2016 so far... I had a complete break at the end of 2015, and the last few months I've just been easing back into regular but completely unstructured training.

GC doesn't automatically compute either a TSS value for either swim or run directly, but it does calculate an equivalent score called "Triscore" for all 3 sports. I've been manually entering TSS values for all workouts (S/B/R) from TrainingPeaks since January, and they correlate very well with GC's Triscore and my CTL calculated using "Triscore" is almost identical to my CTL calculated using Coggan's TSS.

A nice touch about GC is that you can add events to the PMC so you can see where I was knocked back by a slight cold, and where I ran a hilly half marathon in Sussex.

GC's definitely not perfect. It's a bit quirky, and occasionally counterintuitive and buggy but I'm increasingly impressed by it. The only two downsides are trawling for documentation on what some of the plots mean, and not being able to check data on my phone.

1 Attachment

That just tells me I'm a cronic overtrainer. I tend to blame my sleeveless expliots for my high volumes.

Did a 5 x 20 @ 90% on Monday. For no other reason than the fact that I wanted to watch the Whole of the Flanders broadcast while doing some high sweetspot. And it just happened to be a 2hr 40min Clip.

Felt gloriously empty afterwards.

Tried to do a 5 x 4 @ 110% last night and failed to hold target power. Just too fatigued. This is meant to be my main focus right now.

This is a Perfect example of how my enjoyment of training isnt actually advantageous to a desire to get stronger.

Meh.

In more powermeter related News. My P2M is in Oslo. Not totally convinced it'll get here for the weekends training in the Mountains though.

Shame as I'm gluing a replacement pave on to my climbers. So I'd have a 12-29 + powermeter vs last sessions 11-25 + HR.

(I realise these cassette Things are swapable between Wheels. But aint noone got time for that)

I find that the rTSS value really doesn't reflect my PE for a run, and the level of tiredness etc after a run that scores only 100 rTSS is equivalent to a ride that scores at least double that (in Training Peaks).

For example I scored 233 TSS for Sundays club run, after which I felt absolutely fine and went into Monday full of beans.

Yesterday I ran into work, then started to run home but abandoned after 5k as I was fucked, and scored 114.

Here's my shorter term PMC should you give a shite.

The spike a month or so ago was when I went to Tenerife. The biggest peak in ATL / crash in CTL was last august though where I hit a -105 TSB

Am trying to steadily pick up the CTL without going bonkers and without just racking up a load of junk. It's hard though when there's limited time to train and it's pants weather

1 Attachment

When I used to run i always found it way more brutal than riding and also got a low rTSS. Maybe you need to increase you threshold pace thingy in TP?

In other news, I bonked hard on a ride yesterday with about 90mins to go from home. Thankfully it was majoratively downhill on a long 2% drag (down Layham's etc from Westerham) but it was horrible.
I still feel shagged today despite eating well when back home and getting a reasonable kip. Don't think I've had a bonkover before.

That graph makes me wonder if your FTP is underestimated.

#armchairds

Impressive that you lifted your CTL so high in mallorca and have kept it more or less where it peaked!? Or were you not riding much before that?

Coz why out of interest?

I have recently boosted it after re-testing.

One issue With running TSS is the amount Your current threshold pace varies With fatigue/freshness. relative to the value set in TP.

Seems to effect the rTSS value loads.

Lots of high IF rides. Some BIG TSS rides.
And maintain a CTL of 100+ and it looks like 120 is serious.

yeah - I can see what looks like a ride near IF 1.0 and TSS of >300 around the 15th Feb

Not loads of riding before. Bit of snow biking, and as much turbo sweetspot as I could stomach. But normal Levels of running ands swimming.

I came back fecked. Started with swimming and recovery level rides (even did a couple recovery turbo sessions). I then did a fast track build. Going back to low sweetspot, through threshold, and restarting the 4min intervals. Seemed to work.

Mainly I was just Lucky though.

That 15 Feb ride was a piece of PM twattery unfortunately :-(

@skinny the high IF rides are probably turbo, where i could do a 50-60min session at IF of around .93

However, I have realised that in general i can ride at around 90% threshold for 3 hours or so, but my ability to hold outputs much above 110% is pathetic, and my very very top end is laughable.

The result of which results in some big TSS outdoor chugs, but if you put me into a sprint or anything involving lots of huge high output digs lasting less than a minute or so, I'd be about an hour off the pace

I have realised that in general i can ride at around 90% threshold for 3 hours or so

That's what having a high CTL does. The more you train, to more you can train.

@Smallfurry and @jim1985

Those charts turn me green with envy. The highest I've ever managed to get my CTL is 88! I just don't see how it's possible when trying to juggle work and family life.

So in a race. When everyone goes hard at the very first selective Climb. You drop off the front Group, and end up in a mid Group. Which feels suitably tough for 30 - 60mins. Then you realise you've got a lot more in the tank then those around you. The pace is such that Group Ahead is now Beyond bridging without help. So you're kinda stuck. At the 60 - 90min mark you're basically bored.

This is describes every one of my races for the last 2 years. I've taken to stopping repeatedly during the last part of the race. Have a wizz, eat a gel in Comfort. Then Chase Down my Group.

This year I will fecking kill myself to make selection. If that doesnt happen. At the point were I feel recovered, and nicely warmed up, in my middle Group. I'm going to fecking kill myself attempting to bridge.

Really wont make a notable difference to my placing. Might even crack and get passed by the mid groupers. Just want my races to be more positive.

(for 'race' read 'sportive')

I'm hovering around 92. So cant really do any kinda building. I too have to juggle. But I also hit a point where fatigue ruins training.

Might hit 100 as the Nights get uber long here. I may be diadvantaged during Winter. But in the summer I can head out for 5 hour ride at 5pm and still be in descent light as I riding home.

Yeah, I find these 100+ CTL numbers hard to fathom too. Essentially it averages out to the equivalent of a 25mile TT at race effort every day.

You work very hard and are a good dad / husband.

I do not work very hard and am single.

And @Smallfurry that perfectly describes my 'races' (*sportives).

Or: first climb, leaders put in a big dig and drop me. Chug up the mountain at my own reasonable pace and cut the gap a tiny bit. Descend into valley maybe getting near the leaders after the climb.
The leaders get together in the valley and I'm not yet fully caught up.
Chug along valley on me todd while they vanish up the road in a nice group til the next climb.
etc etc.
Sliding down the positioning as the day goes on. Good times.

My FTP is set to 280w. Which is likely a couple watts too high, as its last years mid season Level.

My Threshold run pace is set way too high, as its pre injury. Should really reduce it. But was hoping to get back to where I was pretty soon.

My threshold swim pace is spot on.

I dont log commuting, or my everyday riding as transport (I dont own a car).

If anything my numbers are too low.

Not that it means anything other than the fact that I overtrain. I am an expert at fitting in sessions. I finished work at 4:15 yesterday. Sprinted home on the bike. Did a 5 x 4 session. Showered. Put gym kit on. Ran to my ex's for 5:30. To be With my eldest son while she was out With the youngest. Then when she got back at 7:15, I went directly to the gym for 60mins weights. Plan was to run there and back (5km each way). But running would have been stupid even by my standards.

Sportives are srs business!

Thank you, that's a lovely thing to say.

Still, I'd trade it all in for an extra 50 watts! ;-)

3 hours at 90% is great. Do you know what your 5 minute power is and how does it compare to your FTP?

My main sportive this year is Nordfjord ritt. I need to work out exactly how hard I can attack the first Climb. So I'm going to head out there at some point and test it. This is where the powermeter really earns its keep.

I dont really fancey having to Chase anything Down on the flat section. The main Climb is a bitch. So I'd just fall off again if I've had to work too hard.

Its all about making the selection on the first Climb.

1 Attachment