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Sandbagging

May 6, 2009 · 8 Comments

Just in case I use some terms that might be unfamiliar to you check out the glossary.

Yesterday my training plan called for Crit Sprints, which are sprints at the 1 minute Critical Power (CP) or CP1 power level. The goal is to do these sprints on straights and corners and after the 25 second interval the recovery between each one is as long as it takes your heart rate to drop back down to zone 2. For me my best 1 min power was 516 watts that means I should be holding the 25 second sprints at 516 watts. My one minute and below power numbers are on the low side, it doesn't look like I'll be making it on the track or have a great sprint. My numbers start to rise after the one minute mark, it's like it takes me a little while to get going but once I do I can hold it.

I had no problem reaching the 516 watt range, in fact I was well over on all efforts. My heart rate while doing the intervals was not maxed out and I recovered fairly quickly. This got me thinking that maybe I needed to retest my 1 min CP. Most of the critical power numbers that make up my personal best in my power profile are from the early races this season, but that is slowly starting to change as I haven't raced in almost 2 months. My best 20 and 30 minute numbers were from 1 1/2 weeks ago when I was testing my FTP (Functional Threshold Power) and a 30 minute Time Trial I did on Saturday. Another CP test I need to do is the 5 minute test. The 5 minute test is a good indication of your VO2 max when plugged into this formula:

VO2 max= 1.8*((CP5min*6.12/Kg)+3.5)+3.5

I'll go over this in another post, so back to the 1 minute test. I went out on the Twin Creeks hill to perform a 1 minute Critical Power test. The idea is to go as hard as you can for 1 minute. At the bottom of the hill I got some momentum going, I was in my big ring, 53, and stayed in the big ring the entire effort. For the 1 minute effort I averaged 569 watts. The entire effort was very consistent with the wattage range I held, no sharp spikes and it didn't fall off at the end. For the first 40 seconds I averaged 587 watts.

Once my heart rate dropped back down to zone 1, I was going to give another effort. This time start out in the 53 and to shift down to the 39 and finish out on the 39. For the second effort I started out with higher numbers but at 44 seconds I completely died, for the first 44 seconds I was averaging 602 watts and then I lost all power and finished up with an average of 503. It was like a switch had been turned off, I was going great and then bam! It was all I could do to turn the pedals at 200 watts. Those final 16 seconds were rough, who am I kidding I still had to ride up the rest of the hill. This leads me to believe that I might have been holding back on the 1st effort so it would be prudent to test again in a month.

I think I've fallen victim to focusing a bit too much of my testing for FTP, the 20, 30 minute ranges and neglected the shorter tests. Part of my problem with the shorter tests, especially the 5 to 12 second ranges is I can't seem to hit high numbers unless I'm riding in a group or races. I've went out and tried to do a 12 second test and my numbers are nowhere near the numbers from a sprint in a race or a sprint for a city limit sign with a group. For example my best 5 second number during a test might be 980 watts and that's on a very good day, typically it might be in the 800s. But get me out in a group and fire off a sprint for whatever reason and I can go up to 1100 watts without thinking about it. On the second test I did set 20 and 30 second peak power records, but it was the first attempt that I set the 1 minute peak power on.

Tomorrow I do a 5 minute all out test on the backside of Ladera Norte to come up with my VO2 Max.

Sandbagging

Tags: Training · Power

8 responses so far ↓

  • 1 Bryan // May 6, 2009 at 1:14 AM

    The science behind this stuff is really awesome but I just don't know if I have the right attitude (?) to carry my training that far. I wouldn't need to do this kind of stuff until I've lost about a 100 pounds and then maybe my attitude would change. Not sure. Heck, I'm not sure I would need to do this stuff unless I decided to try some racing at some point. That is so far away though. I applaud you on how detailed and committed you are in your training.

  • 2 Mike // May 6, 2009 at 2:40 AM

    For me when I committed and I mean really committed to getting back in shape I knew I had to approach it like I would as if I was training for a sport. Back in 2007 when I got back on the bike at nearly 300 pounds, that goal was to get back in shape to play hockey in particular to go play in the Drop-in tournament in Rock Springs Wyoming. I approached my workouts and nutrition with that goal in mind. In the past I'd go to the gym and workout, but it lacked something and it was always too easy to stop and I would never see lasting results. Whereas for me if I do it as a by product of training for a sport I can stick with it. Maybe that's just me.

    Along the way of getting back in shape for hockey I got side tracked with the bike and switch my focus to that. For me the focus of training on the bike is what was needed to lose the weight to begin with. In fact the power meter that I got off of ebay was my reward for getting to 200 lbs. When I started riding and reading about power I set the goal that when I got to 200 pounds I would get a power meter. I suggest doing the same for you, when you get to a milestone weight maybe get yourself that new bike ;)

    Even if after this year I decide that racing isn't my thing I'll still approach my training in much the same way as I do today.

  • 3 Bryan // May 6, 2009 at 3:41 AM

    Thanks Mike. I never knew that was how you got into cycling. I respect you even more now. I am in almost the exact same boat you were except my motivation to lose the weight is strictly health related.

    I wrote a post several weeks ago about getting serious with my cycling because I felt that I just wasn't giving it the time it deserved if I was going to lose the weight and improve my health. Since then I have made significant changes in my diet and riding that are helping.

    I agree with you that using the tools helps provide the motivation. Right now those tools are tracking my food and riding more. I'm still working on my diet because I have some hard spots to deal with (weekends, late dinners, travel, etc.). I'm riding more, and joined a group to ride with, but think that I need to make a more rigid riding schedule. I still need to 'ride lots' but need more focus on each day as to what I'm doing. Right now the only day that I know exactly what I'm going to do is hill repeat days on Wednesdays because I need the hill work.

    I like the idea of setting a goal and getting a reward. I've talked about that before with regards to my bike. My bike is old but it gets the job done right now. In the end, though, I would like to have a nicer, more modern, bike. I'm not embarrassed about mine even though everyone I ride with has much nicer stuff but a more modern bike would have benefits. It would be lighter, more reliable and safer. Not to mention easier to buy parts for. The problem is that I just don't think I deserve a nice bike right now (never mind that I can't afford one). I lugged my current bike around for 15 years with the intent of riding it more but it never happened. I figure that I'm making it earn its keep now. Setting a goal of looking into a new bike when I reach 200 pounds sounds good to me.

    I meant to ask this before but do you think investing in The Cyclists Training Bible by Joe Friel would be a good buy for me at this stage of my cycling? Or should I wait and purchase a heart rate monitor? This was going to be a future post on my blog (it still can be) about what I need to invest in next for my cycling.

  • 4 Mike // May 6, 2009 at 5:01 AM

    Yes by all means get the Cyclists Training Bible and start setting up your workouts now even if you don't have a Heart Rate monitor. This will help you set up your training plan and get you motivated and hopefully keep you consistent. It will help you understand what workouts will help stress different areas for better outcomes. Then when you do get a heart rate monitor you will be that much further ahead. Before I got my heart rate monitor I read as many training books as I could find, I would also recommend Chris Charmichael's training books as well. That's what I followed initially and got a heart rate monitor for my training.

    One other thing to look at that worked well for me with my PowerTap goal. I had about 50 pounds to lose when I set that goal so it just wasn't a short term goal that happened in a few months. This gave me time to save up for it. But where it helped was say I wanted to eat something bad or while I was out traveling or what not. I would associate the cost with if I bought a calorie rich food compared to holding out for something healthier and cheaper that would be taking away from my goal fund. This helped me keep up my healthy life style and made me think I was banking money for when I reached my goal.

  • 5 Bryan // May 6, 2009 at 7:26 AM

    Then I'll make picking that up a priority. Good advice on the Power Tap goal. I've got about 70 pounds to go so it's not going to happen for a while. Plenty of time to save. Thanks.

  • 6 Randy // May 6, 2009 at 7:52 AM

    Mike, sorry to have missed you -- I did the Volente Loop yesterday (counterclockwise) and also the Twin Creeks Hill. I chose to attack it differently from you, I slowed and stayed in the saddle the whole way up, trying to regulate my breathing and heart rate to as slow as possible, focusing on my pedaling to get as much power from each cycle. Basically trying to be more efficient in the climb. Not sure if there is any merit to this approach but I did it anyway.

    Btw, I think I am finally going to have to break down and get this book you've mentioned.

    @Bryan, per your post above, I'd recommend not skimping on the new bike. I struggled with the decision of buying a new bike for the past year, but I think I made up my mind to get one a few months ago while on a group ride with Mike (trying to keep up with Mike!). I talked to someone at the LBS and we discussed how I had hit a technical wall in my training based on the bike (per my fitness level, he said my old, aluminum specialized was basically "resistance training" for me). In fact, I actually thought about whether I deserved or was good enough to even ride the bike I got. But, I got it and have been able to train longer and better since the purchase. Just something to consider!

  • 7 331miles // May 6, 2009 at 8:09 AM

    Mike -- I have the SAME problem with individual effort. When I'm alone, I can't reach nearly the same speeds / efforts that I do in a group (independent of drafting). It's obviously mental.

    What about asking a stronger cyclist to be a rabbit for you when you measure your thresholds? If they measured at the same time, perhaps you'd push yourself harder trying to catch them?

  • 8 Bryan // May 6, 2009 at 8:49 AM

    @Randy: Thanks for the advice. I hadn't thought of it like that but that may be a good point. I know sometimes I wish I had more than a seven speed cassette in the back to help with the hills but I'm just making due with what I've got. Right now though I don't think it's holding me back. I've got tons of room for improvement in my fitness and I think my old bike can still help with that. Besides, the funds just aren't there right now.

    @331miles: That sounds like a great idea to use a rabbit.

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