Bike: January 2008 Archives
I've just started working with a chap (Robin Akers) who is doing a research programme into explosive and/or resistance training and its effect on time trial performance. He's going to be working with a number of amateur triathletes to see whether certain training regimes will improve their power capabilities and performance more than others.
The programme will last for six weeks, and I'm not sure yet what it will entail for me, because it depends which training group Robin puts me into. I may even be in the control group where I don't need to do anything other than my normal training programme (here's hoping!)
To start with, he wanted to take a 'baseline' power measurement, so he can say how much (or little) I improve over the six weeks. This was mainly what appealed to me, because I've heard a lot recently about how power-based training can be more effective than that based solely on heart-rate and HR zones. Since I didn't have any idea what my power output was, I thought it would be good to find this out, and hopefully improve it.
He worked out my baseline power by measuring my output during a 10 mile indoor time trial, using a PowerTap hub which measures power, cadence and speed. The PowerTap reported that I averaged 205 watts over the 28 minutes of the TT. This compares very poorly with some of the other people he's measured so far (I will probably be the worst!), with the best so far coming in at sub-20 minutes and with an average power of over 300 watts. But, at least now I have something to improve on!
I've previously read that a good starting point is:
average power (watts) =~ 2.5-3 * body weight (kg)
So, at 76kg, that would give me an average power output of 190-228 watts.
Today I found another formula by Jim Martin of the University of Utah, which seems more precise. You can see the details here, but basically it's:
power (watts) = 60 * Body weight (lb.) /10k run time (minutes)
Again, for me, that would give
Oh, and if anyone wants to donate a PowerTap hub to my cause, you can buy me one here.
The programme will last for six weeks, and I'm not sure yet what it will entail for me, because it depends which training group Robin puts me into. I may even be in the control group where I don't need to do anything other than my normal training programme (here's hoping!)
To start with, he wanted to take a 'baseline' power measurement, so he can say how much (or little) I improve over the six weeks. This was mainly what appealed to me, because I've heard a lot recently about how power-based training can be more effective than that based solely on heart-rate and HR zones. Since I didn't have any idea what my power output was, I thought it would be good to find this out, and hopefully improve it.
He worked out my baseline power by measuring my output during a 10 mile indoor time trial, using a PowerTap hub which measures power, cadence and speed. The PowerTap reported that I averaged 205 watts over the 28 minutes of the TT. This compares very poorly with some of the other people he's measured so far (I will probably be the worst!), with the best so far coming in at sub-20 minutes and with an average power of over 300 watts. But, at least now I have something to improve on!
I've previously read that a good starting point is:
average power (watts) =~ 2.5-3 * body weight (kg)
So, at 76kg, that would give me an average power output of 190-228 watts.
Today I found another formula by Jim Martin of the University of Utah, which seems more precise. You can see the details here, but basically it's:
power (watts) = 60 * Body weight (lb.) /10k run time (minutes)
Again, for me, that would give
power (watts) = 60 *167.55 / 52 = 193.32So at 205 watts average, I'm about on the money. I've definitely got a lot to do, and as well as improving my power I also need to improve my technique (I'm very inconsistent with my cadence and gearing over the 10miles), but hopefully by doing this programme with Robin I will be able to focus a bit more on this aspect of my training and things will start to improve.
Oh, and if anyone wants to donate a PowerTap hub to my cause, you can buy me one here.
Matthew Parris wrote a 'joke' article in the times over Christmas. At the time I read it I thought it was a dumb article just aimed at inciting some comments and laughs at other people's expense. I'm now not so sure and am grateful for the cyclists and non-cyclists that took much more serious umbridge over it and responded. The Times has now issued a (small, discreet) apology, although Matthew Parris has yet to be decapitated.
Some of the comments are fantastic fun to read, and will either make you laugh or make your blood boil. Some of them also make you appreciate just how stupid people some Times readers really are (AK from Swindon, I'm looking at you).
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/columnists/matthew_parris/article3097464.ece
Now you've read that and had a chuckle, try this one (mentioned in one of the comments)
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/europe/article1637173.ece
Some of the comments are fantastic fun to read, and will either make you laugh or make your blood boil. Some of them also make you appreciate just how stupid people some Times readers really are (AK from Swindon, I'm looking at you).
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/columnists/matthew_parris/article3097464.ece
Now you've read that and had a chuckle, try this one (mentioned in one of the comments)
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/europe/article1637173.ece
With my shiny new iPod nano I can seamlessly* download and listen to "podcasts". Anyone stuck in a cave for the last 3 years might not know what a "podcast" is. If like me, you are new to them, they're a bit like old cassette players that let you record and then playback any radio program you would want to listen to. But without the cassettes, and with random Joes broadcasting rather than John Peel.
I've been listening to The Fredcast, a frequent podcast from Dave Bernstein in Utah. Dave's an experienced cyclist offering engaging news, reviews and articles every week or two. He also sounds like a thoroughly nice chap and is great fun to listen to. You should give it a try. Go on, stand up and declare yourself as a Fred.
I've been listening to The Fredcast, a frequent podcast from Dave Bernstein in Utah. Dave's an experienced cyclist offering engaging news, reviews and articles every week or two. He also sounds like a thoroughly nice chap and is great fun to listen to. You should give it a try. Go on, stand up and declare yourself as a Fred.
