Scotty we need more power
Last week (week 4 on the training plan) was a testing week, so I had the opportunity to see if my training is resulting in more power on the bike and faster times on the run.
The results were good across the board.
For my run test, I did a 5k time trial at the Rosebowl which has a nice flat and measured 5k loop. My 5k time was 20:39, or about 6:40 per mile. That's about 10 seconds faster per mile than I did in my pre-training plan test. Obviously the run at Ironman Arizona in November is much father than a 5k, but the testing helps me set my Vdot score, and establish challenging training paces.
For my bike test, I did a warm-up ride, then did a 7.5mile climb from the base to the first peak of Little Tujunga Canyon. Prior to the start of my training plan, I averaged 223 watts, 10.3 mph, and 65 rpm cadence on the climb. Since I started my 20 week training plan, I've been using 220 watts as my Functional Threshold Power (FTP) value. Last week I improved by over 8% to average 242 watts, 11.5 mph, and 74 cadence on the same exact climb.
The bad news is, today is interval day on the bike. I had to go and re-work all of my interval numbers using the new threshold value. I'm guessing I'll sleep well tonight after riding with these new training zones today.
3 comments:
those are some kick ass times! Great to do those test weeks every few months I think - motivates us to keep on truckin' on this long year....well, I guess it's not so long anymore, only about 4 months to go!!
You don't need Scotty!
awesome song, thanks, hahahaha. My boyfriend is a base player so maybe I will see if he can put it to some good tunes - then again, he might read those lyrics and feel a twinge of recognition lol
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