Power software

Power software

Postby CCS » 17 Aug 2015 09:00

OK, so now that I've got the power.....

What do I do with it?
Currently taking the approach suggested by Ewan over on Strava (i.e. pretty much ignoring it, and just gathering some baseline data - so Saturday's race was done on feel as usual, but now have some useful metrics to start looking at).
Also, have a book to read to try and understand more about what to do with it (thanks, Ian).
So.... when I want to look at the numbers, where is the best place?
Current options:
- Strava - found this quite handy analysing the race - e.g. I can see that my second outbound leg was a good 20w down on power whereas the second return leg was pretty much the same as the first (why... headwind vs. tailwind?... feeling a bit sick (actually no - that was the whole race)... tired... etc). OK, so all a bit unscientific - but useful for being able to compare parts of rides, particularly as the whole of Surrey is massively littered with handy segments and link it back to the real world.
- Training Peaks - currently use this as my main repository of training data - but only have the freebie version, as the premium version seems to be £££ - it it worth investing?
- Endomondo - have largely stopped using this, as my laptop threw a wobbly about talking to it, and having so many places that my data is going anyway, i couldn't be bothered to look into fixing it
- Golden Cheetah - freebie; know one of the developers, so have a target for all my dumb questions; looks complicated!
- something entirely different?

Thoughts?

At least I have a good FTP test from Saturday for real rather than virtual power - though the TrainerRoad app on my phone was trying to be far too clever for its own good, and refused to use virtual power when it could see a perfectly good power meter in front of it... not even sure how it decided it was mine, and didn't belong to the bloke parked next to me... so probably need to now adjust the targets on all my turbo sessions.
So much to think about....

Damn - I also realise that I will need to standardise pedals between bikes - otherwise, swapping over cranks will be a pain in the proverbial...
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Re: Power software

Postby Jack Hughes » 17 Aug 2015 09:46

Definitely gather data and not worry about it too much.

Coach should understand what to do and set future plans based around power.

It's just a lot more meaningful than heart rate and time for measuring effort.


It also means that you can start to get measures of training effort and load that are less random. TSS and CTL being the main ones.

But first you need to establish your current training load before making adjustment s

Wk04 is the only new thing.

But Strava and golden cheetah are good starting
Points.

Training peaks is, in theory, a bit more like wko. It should show you TSS and CTL. Useful
If the coach is using that.

Training and racing with a power meter is the main thing to read.

I have that book, training peaks for a while, strava and wko3+
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Re: Power software

Postby IanM » 17 Aug 2015 09:58

WKO4 is not worth the money (at the moment, IMO - see my training log posts on it for more). Strava's power stuff is rudimentary - useful for analysing against segments, or against fellow competitors, but not necessarily for detailed analysis of intervals, etc.

Golden Cheetah is very good once you've got some idea what you're doing. Have a read of this - https://github.com/GoldenCheetah/Golden ... sers-Guide - and the main page - http://www.goldencheetah.org/ - and watch the videos, that'll get you started.

Training Peaks is possibly worth looking at - from what I've seen it allows useful customisation of charts, but then GC's got that too (albeit slightly clunkier).

Jack Hughes wrote:Training and racing with a power meter is the main thing to read.


I've sent Clare the Friel book - it's an easier introduction into training with power - TARWAPM is quite a bit heavier to start with.

CCS wrote:so probably need to now adjust the targets on all my turbo sessions.
So much to think about....


Yes, although bear in mind that not many people have the same RPE:Power for Road and Turbo. I can't put out the same power on the turbo that I would on the road, but there are others who have it the other way around. So you'll either need to do an FTP test on the turbo too (if you're sufficiently masochistic), or just play it by ear and adjust accordingly if you find prescribed power intervals too hard/too easy. IIRC you still do regular turbo sessions so are more turbo adapted than I am, so hopefully the gap for you isn't too big.

And as for so much to think about - Ewan's right, just collect data for the rest of this season, and don't worry too much about training with power. I can bring my laptop to Stone Wheelers and show you how I use GC if that helps.
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Re: Power software

Postby IanM » 17 Aug 2015 10:01

IanM wrote:
Jack Hughes wrote:Training and racing with a power meter is the main thing to read.


I've sent Clare the Friel book - it's an easier introduction into training with power - TARWAPM is quite a bit heavier to start with.


Oh, one thing I forgot to mention with the Friel book - re initial base phase, my personal belief is that loads of Z2 over winter is not a great way of pushing FTP, especially on the relatively low hours that I do. Consensus on TTF is the same - a recent thread suggested that tempo over winter is a much better idea. Just wanted to point this out, although if you're carrying on with coaching over winter I'd expect you to get plenty of quality sessions, rather than sit on the turbo for hours on end bored out of your mind.
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Re: Power software

Postby Sir Jibbenstein » 17 Aug 2015 10:09

I have training peaks premium through my coach and like it and the charts. Discounts for BTF and BC members make it not too bad. I'll subscribe myself when I stop getting coached.
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Re: Power software

Postby Jack Hughes » 17 Aug 2015 10:14

I was on the point of renewing my TP membership (had it in 2010) when I remembered that I don't actually do any training or racing.

But if I did...
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Re: Power software

Postby CCS » 17 Aug 2015 10:33

Thanks all - loads to ponder!

Horror - have just realised that standardising on pedals between my bikes also means standardising on shoes!!! :shock: I may have to now designate shoes 'summer' and winter' rather than 'road' and 'TT' :shock: :shock: Still, I guess it means I will never again have that troublesome moment when I can't clip in on the turbo, before I realise that I have taken the wrong shoes down to the man shed :lol:
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Re: Power software

Postby Jack Hughes » 17 Aug 2015 10:48

CCS wrote:Thanks all - loads to ponder!

Horror - have just realised that standardising on pedals between my bikes also means standardising on shoes!!! :shock: I may have to now designate shoes 'the ones I've got' and 'the ones I'm about to buy' rather than 'road' and 'TT' :shock: :shock: Still, I guess it means I will never again have that troublesome moment when I can't clip in on the turbo, before I realise that I have taken the wrong shoes down to the man shed :lol:



FTFY
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Re: Power software

Postby CCS » 17 Aug 2015 11:49

:lol:
No new shoes here (well, not for the bike anyway) - just power, pedals, and economy baked beans for quite some time....
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Re: Power software

Postby Jack Hughes » 17 Aug 2015 12:22

CCS wrote::lol:
No new shoes here (well, not for the bike anyway) - just power, pedals, and economy baked beans for quite some time....


I'm sure there is an intricate connection between those three. But I am struggling to spot it.

I shall await the publication of your seminal work "Training and Racing with Economy Baked Beans"
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