Workouts like this one are very difficult, not only to perform but also to know what power to target. Maximal aerobic power (MAP) and lactate threshold tests are used to collect the data necessary to tailor this workout to your specific physiology. The MAP test is included in my initial athletes setup and I also offer lactate testing at the Tucson Endurance Performance Center for an additional fee.
One may wonder why having a power meter is important? If you want to push the boundaries of your human body, you can do it without computers that is true. I just heard a great anecdote about power meters from David Glick "Why don't you just put a piece of masking tape on your bars and write "YOU SUCK" on it?" What does that mean? Well, power doesn't lie, everyone has their limits. The "you suck" comment could be relevant in comparing your power to a top pro cyclist. But that is not why they benefit amateurs like you or myself.
Sure it's fun to compare power, but the reason it's important is that it's YOUR power. It can help you ride fast, burn fat, heat acclimate, push your limits, soul search, battle inner demons, etc... better than any tool I've ever used. Sure, people have been riding bikes fast for a long time, I mean, the derailleur was invented back in 1900. I could have done the above workout on heart rate alone, that is a lovely sine wave. But if you look closely, heart rate is a little slow at responding to the effort. In that workout, 20seconds into the interval my heart-rate has flattened out matching the flatness of the power output. By working with power you have the ability to know your possible limits and improve your strengths and weaknesses.
That's enough rambling for today.
When training with power, can you use cyclop powe cal to train with power.
ReplyDeleteDC RAINMAKER does great reviews on all kinds of power meters. I would recommend reading this one... http://www.dcrainmaker.com/2012/11/cycleops-powercal-in-depth-review.html
DeleteHere are some takeaways from his article:
"It’s better for plotting progress against yourself over time."
-> so it could be useful for training in this case.
"Personally, I wouldn’t use it day to day in my training, because my training is focused and specific enough that I need to ensure my numbers are consistent and accurate from session to session and within a session at shorter intervals than the PowerCal can respond"
-> If you are competing at an elite level and need detailed workouts within 10-20w for example, this would not be useful.