I did my second LT field test on Friday morning. I didn't feel as motivated for this test beforehand, but as soon as I hopped on the trainer and started warming up, I got psyched up.
I put in another good effort. During the test, I knew I was doing better than I did the last time, since I didn't have to drop a gear to rest at all. The numbers backed it up. My average power was 8 Watts higher, which is better than I expected. My sprint at the end wasn't nearly as powerful as the one at the end of my last test either (about 100W lower), but I think this is probably a good thing. Heart rate numbers were virtually identical to the first test, just 1 bpm lower on average, and max HR was identical.
It will be interesting to see how this test goes next month. I didn't expect to see such a noticeable improvement after one month, we'll see if it continues.
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2 comments:
What is your testing protocol,and what device are you using for monitoring power?
I'm going to do a 30min time trial in a few weeks on my Tacx Flow trainer in the 'slope' mode which can measure average power. I used to do this ramp test that is in the Morris book but realized that I do it wrong, and that it isn't the best protocol.
8 watts is a lot of improvement. For such a short time training. Actual #s are too important, but relative change is.
I do a 30 minute time trial (on the trainer), and record average power and HR over the last 20 minutes.
The idea is that you burn through your anaerobic energy stores in the first 10 minutes, so the last 20 is a good measure of aerobic capacity.
I use a rear wheel speed pickup on a Kurt Kinetic trainer. From there, the computer basically just calculates power from speed and a pre-programmed resistance curve.
Between my warmup and the first 10 minutes of my test, I'm reasonably confident that the fluid is warmed up by the time I start taking data. This isn't always the case on my normal trainer rides. I also use the same tire, tire pressure and tighten the roller against the tire in the same way.
I'm pretty happy with the improvement, 8W probably is a lot for one month. I think it's a reflection on the fact that I'm still new to structured training, so I'm seeing big gains early on. Still, it's a nice reward for my work so far.
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