So piggy backing on the successful endevor of raising my FTP 10-15 watts http://forum.slowtwitch.com/…_reply;so=ASC;mh=100; (Final results were actually close to 45 watts or just under 20% in 12 weeks)
I am looking at specifically raising my 1:00 power for the upcoming bike racing season.
My “best” power profile is that of a classic TT’er.
0:05 power - 12.8w/kg
0:30 power - 9.9w/kg
1:00 power - 6.8w/kg
5:00 power - 5.2w/kg (my strength)
60:00 power - 3.5w/kg
I’d like to raise the first 2 numbers by about 10%. I’ll still be doing FTP work once a week for maintance until an early spring FTP focus.
I just spent 2 weeks doing a series of test sets of 8x1:00 with 2:00 rest. Most of the 1:00 intervals are 4.5w/kg.
What specific sets can I be doing to get that 1:00 power up? Would 0:30s sets be any different?
Oh - and I will only be racing one tri next year - so my training in 90-95% bike.
Are you doing crit racing or road races?
I would concentrate more on 3-5 minute power.
For 1 minute power, find a nice steep hill and hammer out of the saddle as hard and as long as possible. As a cat 1 racer, 10w/kg for 1 minute is about what you need or what has served me to never get dropped in a surge or miss a winning break.
Pretty much everything from crit to TT (cat 3). My 5 minute power keeps me in most races, but it’s the 1 minute power that is hindering me during crazy surges.
I’m looking for about 8w/kg to stay in those surges.
10 w/kg is an exaggeration, and IMO, for road races it’s often :20-1 min or maybe 2 that typically decides a race. Also worth noting that it’s not being able to make a surge once or twice but late when it really matters.
Regardless, sets with lots of :30 jumps, :15 full springs and so on will help for shorter stuff while vo2 max sets help for 3-5 min range. When I switched to bike racing from tris I had no burst or ability to jump on a move but spent a lot of time doing these types of workouts to get better. Although racing a lot, and treating some as training days, is probably the best recipe.
Yeah, I spent an entire season working on my sprint, 1 min pwr, etc. as well when “switching over.” Made a huge diff, but then lost some FTP/60 min pwr. Trying to find that happy medium. I agree the best way to increase is to get into a weekly crit series and break away often if possible. You get lots of benefits there (physiological, tactics, teamates, etc.)
you don’t need 8w/kg, even uphill to stay in cat 3 surges. now if you want to be in a break and not the field, that may be another story
not helpful advice, just info
1 minute power is extraordinarily important for success in criterium field sprints.
To the OP- what you need to do is work the level 6. “Short (30 seconds – 3 minutes), high intensity intervals designed to increase
anaerobic capacity. Nearly complete
recovery in between. Heart rate not useful
as guide to intensity due to non-steadystate nature of effort. Severe sensation of
leg effort/fatigue (my note: you should basically feel like you want to vomit), and conversation
impossible. Consecutive days of Level 6
training rarely attempted.”
example workout: "8-10 × 1 minute "
Make sure to note the “nearly complete recovery”, which probably means 3-5x the rest-interval ratio. You might be tempted to do these uphill because your power will be much higher out of the saddle going uphill. Unless you plan on doing a lot of uphill sprint finishes, I don’t recommend this.
Being a cat 1 road and track racer, I’d say one min power is very important in a field sprint. Yes the sprint itself might be for only 10 seconds but your pushing your limit for the minute beforehand to hold positioning etc.
In my experience, most cat 3 races both RR and crits will end in a sprint, unless you have someone that shouldn’t be a cat 3 and will soon upgrade anyways.
For one minute power I’d recommend getting on some group rides and just pushing the pace as hard as possible for 1 minute with full rest, be it on hills, before a sprint, or just along the way. Group rides will give you the race mentality so long as it is a hard one and even if you drop the group, people are still chasing you.
Addressing the requirements for 1 minute power, I’m pretty sure I max out at 11-12 watts/kg for 1 minute and that earned me a silver at nationals in the kilo (usually a race just over a minute), it also beats a lot of professionals in a sprint, so 10 watts/kg seems a bit excessive simply not to get dropped. 7-8 watts/kg should get you along fine in the cat 3s, don’t sweat it.
So what did you end up doing from that thread to raise your FTP?
2x20’s with 2 min. rest…over and over and over. I spent 6 weeks away from normal “group riding” in august/september and worked soley on 2x20’s. I still had a recovery ride and/or longer group ride in - but the main work was the intervals.
maybe i am bizarre, but my 1 min power of ~ 7.2w/kg is more than adequte to stay in the field of a 1,2 crit. however, the shorter sprint power sucks, such that if i am not off the front in a break, i won’t be in the top 10 or even 15 if field is over 60. (20 min power is 4.8, so you can guess where i do better, 60 (4.33))
holding position is more how comfortable you are with the ebb and flow of those around you. not comfortable… moving back, confident…staying put or moving up.
last 1,2 crit i did was last spring when sick(100+ field) was a field sprint, i was not involved. the avg power for me for the 50min was 3.2w/kg, finished in field. i was at the front for 1.5 laps, but had even less zip than usual due to bad chest cold.
did a smaller crit this past fall, hit 8w/kg every other lap for about 10s. never close to gettting dropped until teh rain hit and people started dropping off in front of me. closed teh gap and finished near the front.
maybe i am bizarre, but my 1 min power of ~ 7.2w/kg is more than adequte to stay in the field of a 1,2 crit. however, the shorter sprint power sucks, such that if i am not off the front in a break, i won’t be in the top 10 or even 15 if field is over 60. (20 min power is 4.8, so you can guess where i do better, 60 (4.33))
Interesting - my 20min power is not that much better than 60min? Has your 20min power always been higher in relation to 60? Or do you specifically train this power?
last 1,2 crit i did was last spring when sick(100+ field) was a field sprint, i was not involved. the avg power for me for the 50min was 3.2w/kg, finished in field. i was at the front for 1.5 laps, but had even less zip than usual due to bad chest cold.
Hmmm…In my last crit, I made the podium in the 3’s, but had to output ~3.7w/kg for the 50minutes. The course was pretty technical so surges were a’plenty.
the surges in the crits i quoted were always on the uphill side. after 2-3 laps of that, everyone that is going to be dropped by it has been, yet they persist.
I don’t know why anybody else hasn’t mentioned this but your 30s power is rediculously high compared to your 1 min power. This seems very odd to me, have you tested your 1 min power accurately and to the same metrics as the 30s power? are you getting out of the saddle for the 30s but your 1min is seated the whole time? I would also say 5.2w/kg is not that spectacular for cat 3 and 3.5w/kg is insufficient (even for a sprinter) in cat 3. I would focus on your FTP right now. What was your FTP before the training, 3w/kg? I would try to get your FTP to 4.5w/kg, manage your weight (if that is an issue) and not even worry about your anaerobic power because your 30s power is pretty good.
I don’t know why anybody else hasn’t mentioned this but your 30s power is rediculously high compared to your 1 min power.
Yeah…hmmm…typo! That’s supposed to be 5s power - which based on info I have seen puts me as a decent cat 5! 30s power is right around 10w/kg.
I would also say 5.2w/kg is not that spectacular for cat 3 and 3.5w/kg is insufficient (even for a sprinter) in cat 3.
Based on recent results - that 3.5w/kg will probably net me a low 57min 40k (I’m pretty aero) which is a decent pace here in the midwest. 4.5…that would be nice! I’m always called upon to “drive the train” on the team in a and rarely get a clear shot of the finish line unless I’ve blown up the field. IMO, the increased 0:30/1:00 power will help me more in crits. I don’t have as many issues in RR’s.
