Watts at LT!?

[big fellow]

i am double that john and i can't hold 350 an hour...never could!

damn genetics....

[John979]

i am double that john and i can't hold 350 an hour...never could!

damn genetics....

319 is recent PB for 1 hour. I have not given up on 350, but get me a hypobaric chamber!

[TunedCannondaleR700]

306 watts over 36 minutes (I just turned 16)

[big fellow]

i am double that john and i can't hold 350 an hour...never could!

damn genetics....

319 is recent PB for 1 hour. I have not given up on 350, but get me a hypobaric chamber!

lol...not even a chamber can help me!!!!!!!!

[shinkansen]

65kg / 390w for 20min. My best 1 hour (FTP) is 370w. I'm in my 20's. Measured with SRM.

[big fellow]

impressive shinkansen, impressive! am envious

[Ridley]

Have had some new info about boonen: 520watts at treshold
450 watts without really stressing his lactate level

[Samu Ilonen]

Normally I ride TT's on 360-380W, by Polar and today I ride 500W intervals @ 196ppm by Taxc Basic trainer. Just started really to train for 2006'.I have Polar Power setups on TT bike and for winter bike but the trust....I must get SRM's.

[rockymtnway]

I'm no Indurain. I didn't even start racing until I was in my mid to late thirties, but gawd I love this sport!

I was 250 w @ LT measured at the Boulder Center for Sports Medicine in late September. I was pretty thick with a lousy season induced by no base (divorces suck). Regardless, I took 2nd at the state championship in sport, so plan to move up to expert with a good off season. I've already shed 7 pounds and plan to shed another 7 by the Sea Otter Classic. I'm hoping that I can get up to 287 watts to give me 4.0 watts/kg @ LT. I'm also turning 40 next year, my fourth racing season, so that gives me the advantage of being one of the youngen's in my age class, 40-49.

My prescription from my physiologist is 70% of November, December and January in zone 2, and retest February 1. If I'm up to 275 watts, then proceed to build, if not, do a single peak season with two more months of base.

I also have a top notch skills coach, Gene Hamilton, that I'll be working with again as spring approaches. With any luck, I won't have a typical first year in expert and have my arse handed to me weekly. I dream of podium finishes this year and hopefully enough hard work will get me there at least once this year. I can always hope that only four of us show up at a race and one mechanicals, right?

[John979]

I was 250 w @ LT measured at the Boulder Center for Sports Medicine in late September. I was pretty thick with a lousy season induced by no base (divorces suck). Regardless, I took 2nd at the state championship in sport, so plan to move up to expert with a good off season. I've already shed 7 pounds and plan to shed another 7 by the Sea Otter Classic. I'm hoping that I can get up to 287 watts to give me 4.0 watts/kg @ LT. I'm also turning 40 next year, my fourth racing season, so that gives me the advantage of being one of the youngen's in my age class, 40-49.

My prescription from my physiologist is 70% of November, December and January in zone 2, and retest February 1. If I'm up to 275 watts, then proceed to build, if not, do a single peak season with two more months of base.

70% Zone 2 -- what duration, does climate permit you to ride outdoors for long periods in the winter? What about the other 30%

Keep track of the dates and results of your tests. Interseason gains are much more important than intraseason gains and the timing of tests from year to year must be similar to provide a meaningful baseline.

[rockymtnway]

70% Zone 2 -- what duration, does climate permit you to ride outdoors for long periods in the winter? What about the other 30%

Keep track of the dates and results of your tests. Interseason gains are much more important than intraseason gains and the timing of tests from year to year must be similar to provide a meaningful baseline.

Total weekly duration of 8-12 hours, gradually climbing to a max of 15 hours if reality permits. I obviously also work 40/wk, am going back to school, and have a hard time committing more than 10 hours consistently to training, thus, there will always be limits to my performance. I know I don't have age or genetics on my side, just a passion for the sport.

He says a 4X5 set of intervals every week should be adequate in addition to allowing some slopping over into zone 3.

Winters here are pretty mild with at least 10 days a month above 9C in December, January, February, so that helps with the LSD rides. I also will get in quite a bit of cross country skiing in the next two to three months, as I live within an hour of great skiing. He want to see me cross training at least 70% this month, 50% in December, 30% in January, then more or less on the bike full time by February.

My first LT test was June 26 this year, the second was September 30, the next will be roughly January 30, then again April 30. My primary use right now is to know if I've built enough base to proceed to my build base, or not. I can either peak twice (April and late July) or once (July) depending on how my off season base building goes.

What's been your experience? 35 watts seems like a lot for a single season, too me. What's been your experience?

[John979]

Potential gain is highly individualized and depends upon past history. For example, those training for many years will have very small (or negligible) inter-season gains. At best, it seems 3-5% on functional threshold power is a realistic goal, more on the higher side if you have only been training a couple years. This underscores the need for accurate, repeatable measurement of power. Conversely, intra-season gains of even 25% are not unrealistic, especially if off-season intensity is low or includes extensive cross training. There is of course debate regarding the correct approach to maximizing inter-season gains with some interesting new thoughts on this topic.

PS Have you done an in-season MAP (maximal aerobic power) test? Or, do you know your approximate 4-5 minute max average power? You have been cycling enough to use these tests to gauge your potential.

[ElDuderino]

XCFisher:

The whole idea of "power at threshold" is that it is sustainable for a lengthy period of time. Goin up L'Alpe for 37mins, for instance can easily be ridden anerobic (beyond threshold) the entire way. If your true threshold is 408, and you can ride slightly above it (or even at it!) the entire way, you can beat armstrong, ullrich, merckx etc.......with one leg! Your watts/KG is on par with cycling's all-time greats.

And you're right...watts/KG isn't the only thing that matters in road racing, but in the TT discipline, and ESPECIALLY in an uphill TT, it is the ONLY thing, provided you are facing forward, and don't veer off course.

Point is: I can ride at 500 for 5 minutes. It is not my threshold. Also, if anyone cares. My lab-tested Vo2 is 58.6, with my max wattage in my most recent test being 425. Wattage at threshold was 360. I weighed 168.4lbs (76.5kg) for this test.

[John979]

XCFisher:

The whole idea of "power at threshold" is that it is sustainable for a lengthy period of time. Goin up L'Alpe for 37mins, for instance can easily be ridden anerobic (beyond threshold)

Anaerobic is not defined as "beyond threshold" and I can assure you that going up L'Alpe d'Huez (even at 37 minutes) is not only a purely aerobic endeavor but an excellent indication of functional threshold power.

[rockymtnway]

Potential gain is highly individualized and depends upon past history.
PS Have you done an in-season MAP (maximal aerobic power) test? Or, do you know your approximate 4-5 minute max average power? You have been cycling enough to use these tests to gauge your potential.

Considering 2005 was a dirge of a training year for me (bilateral hernia surgery in November of 04, filed for divorce in January 05, car accident in February and didn't even get onto a bike for a single LSD ride until mid-March, then went straight into build rather than putting up a proper base), I'd guess that I have a huge potential to improve from just setting a good base this winter. I'm a little concerned that three months isn't enough time to set a proper base, given how much I was forcing my entire season (raced up through September), but I've left myself a safety valve with the potential of doing a single peak season.

I've never even heard of a MAP test. I currently don't have a power meter, but might invest in one once I've finished the Scott project and have it all paid for. In the meantime, just basing workouts on heartrates.

I know that my last LT test took me up to 300 watts for four minutes and it was a pretty damn hard effort for me, but my HR still had room to go (I think I was at 171 with a max of 181) and I would say I wasn't quite at a max effort (although another four minutes at 325 seems like it would be questionable if it was within reach).