For guys like Muffin Top, Paulo etc who are familiar with Power…I just took the leap and dropped the cash on an ergomo - the installation was finished this evening first ride tomorrow am. My question being how do i go about testing and setting limits for an IM? Being new to power i have asked around a fair bit and the most constant answer i have found is do a functional power test via a 1 hr TT and figure an Intensity Factor on the Ergomo of around .75…yes, no, maybe?..
Zulu, I am not Paulo or Will, but I do know a bit about racing with power (I am NO Paulo:-))
You have started down the right path with the IM and power equation…a test is good. That IF is close…but there are so many variables including run fitness, IM bike terrain, heat, wind, etc, etc.
I would start with the book (Training and Racing with a Power Meter), then search here for threads that cover proper IF ranges for long course, for threads that talk about WHAT really is a good bike split (hint : it has to do with your run split:-)), how VI is a big factor in said run split, target TSS ranges for IM bike splits, etc.
Lots and lots of great, knowledgeable folks on here have posted some good info (check for Lakerfan, Ashburn, Digittri, Rich Strauss, etc)
Good luck man.
KP
For guys like Muffin Top, Paulo etc who are familiar with Power…I just took the leap and dropped the cash on an ergomo - the installation was finished this evening first ride tomorrow am. My question being how do i go about testing and setting limits for an IM? Being new to power i have asked around a fair bit and the most constant answer i have found is do a functional power test via a 1 hr TT and figure an Intensity Factor on the Ergomo of around .75…yes, no, maybe?..
If you are just new to power, just ride with it and look at the data afterwards. The book that the previous poster mentioned is ideal. Also, you might listen toa podcast “ironman talk” episode #58 or 59… Gordo Byrn gives a good introduction on how to use a power meter for IM. Good luck and welcome to the wonderful world of power training.
The Google group on Power has been very helpful for me.
I’d definitely read Andy Coggan’s book, it has a lot of useful information…especially for a power newbie. I’m an engineer, so watts, speed CdA, etc all were familiar concepts to me 20 years ago, not so for many people.
I believe in there is a description of a ride that should get you a “power profile” of your current fitness. It included doing a number of short, medium and long intervals (5s, 30s, 1:00, 4:00, 10:00 and 20:00 plus a constant effort 1 hour ride) or something like that. This sort of ride should give you a quick rough estimate of your strengths and weaknesses. For instance, my initial profile showed very high output for very short periods, but very low 1-4min power. I could ride pretty much constant power for 2-6hrs but even my 20 min TT efforts weren’t that much higher. So far this year my shorter intervals have improved by about 20% and my 2-3hr power by >10%. My main issue is still sustainable power in the sauna here in Floriduh, but I’m working on it!
Oh, and get the display customizing software from www.ergomo.de. It RAWKS!
For sure do an FTP test. How you do it is up to you - the 1 hour TT will be quite taxing and will give you an accurate number only if you are pretty well rested going in to it, but it will keep you from overestimating your FT.
Just having the thing on your bike will be a pretty good motivator - especially toward the end of your longer workouts it can be quite hard to keep power up. Aside from that, the actual training that you do won’t change. That is, you’ll still do your longer rides, hilly rides, interval rides, etc… The difference will be that you have instant feedback, so you’ll know that that 20 minute LT interval that felt steady all the way through in fact started out at 500 watts and ended at 200. You will soon develop a much better sense of pacing, and through that pacing you will be able to ride faster overall.
I’d suggest that you do some 5 hour rides at an IF of .75 though before your IM. In my experience that will be quite a taxing workout.
if you “took the leap” doesn’t that mean you switched your grouppo over to SRAM?
With lactate threshold changing daily, how would you be able to say with confidence that your chosen number is going to keep you below threshold?
FTP doesn’t change daily. You are just either more or less tired. And hopefully, gradually getting fitter. But if you can’t do your workout at X% FTP or something reasonably close, the problem is that you are too tired, not that your FTP has decreased since yesterday.
Thanks for the response. I’m not sure I understand what you are saying. What is your definition of tired?
You know how sometimes, when you do a really hard workout, you have to take it kind of easy for a little bit afterward? That’s what I mean by tired. It is different in nature (although not in immediate effect) from being less fit.
Are you saying the ability to achieve maximum functional threshold power can change if you are tired?
Thank you for calling the Mr. Obvious show
What MuffinTop said. Except all that sillyness about the virtual concept of “being tired”, of course.
Yes. Here is a simple test:
- Go ride your bike as hard as you can for 1 hour.
- Do it again.
Or a longer term test:
- Race in a half ironman.
- Do it again the next day.
If you don’t get tired, then you can train continuously, gradually getting faster and faster 24 hours a day. Which would be awesome, but also a whole other level of commitment.
Thank all - so would you suggest an IF of .75 on race day for an IM? Or am i missing something?
In general, an IF of .75 tends to be at the top end of the okay range for many age groupers. However, it really depends on how long you’re going to be out there. A number of folks are now making recommendations based on IF and TSS scores. For example, a 5 hour ride with an IF of .75 will take much less effort than would a 6 hour ride with an IF of .75. In short, the longer the ride time, the lower the IF goal.
Hard to say exactly what IF is best right away, you’ll need to spend some time riding with power, particularly long rides, to be able to estimate IF goals with much accuracy. I wouldn’t worry so much about the IF anyway, what you really need to estabish are realistic and good limits for the specific portions of the course you’ll be racing. The watts you’ll hold on the flats would likely vary from course to course depending on how much climbing there was on the course as would the watts you’d want to produce while climbing.
Jason
Zulu,
Re-read what trukweaz wrote. Your answer is right there.
No one should recommend any IF for you without knowing more about your fitness, how long you will be out on the course for the bike and run, your bike and run fitness, etc. The range of IFs can go from the mid-to-high 60s to mid-to-high 70s (and outside those numbers for certain athletes on the extreme edges), depending on a number of factors. You will have to do some long rides and race rehearsals and analyze your files after the fact to pin down a number.
So, in brief, an IF of .75 might be perfect for you, too easy, or way too hard. It would depend on a number of factors.
An FT test is an OK but not necessary place to start. If your race is a long way off, just ride your bike, collect the data, and learn more about riding with power. If your race is close, be very careful about setting that number. It’s easy to blow it. Talk one on one with a trusted adviser.
Best of luck with your race.
This is no’s 7 for me …my cycling is pretty strong and i expect to do around 5:20 without killing myself - last two halves were 2:22 on a fast course and 2:28 on a toughish course both backed with reasonable runs (1:30 ish on a tough course)…
As others have said, you’ll want to get a feel for it. If you get your FTP exactly right (ie., don’t overestimate it, which is something that I know I am prone to doing sometimes) and you’ve done a lot of IM-specific pace work and the weather is good and you eat and drink well etc etc etc etc., then you’ll be able to pick a number before the race (.75, .72, probably not a lot more than .75) and ride a perfect race.
Best to make it something of a moving target on race day. For this, each of your long rides becomes something of a testing ground. If you keep a log with IF, NP, time, weather, what you ate, and a few remarks, you should get a really good feel for what you can do in a variety of weather conditions. Then use the meter to keep yourself under control in the first hour, and on task after that, and you should be starting the run both earlier and with fresher legs 