Training by power. Data, data and more data
In this article we tell you how to analyze the data of a Power meter
Today, no Triathlon News reader sounds new training by power and less after knowing as we should the features (link), its advantages, which incidentally are innumerable, with respect to other systems and especially the ability to quantify or measure quickly, accurately and real what our body is doing on top of the bicycle. But once we have the meter we see DATA, DATA AND MORE DATA.
What should I know? Are they all really as important?
What if I am a beginner in the field?
First of all we must know that the power measurement is a variable parameter whose data oscillate as can FC, perhaps with even more fluctuation and this is why it is important that we have assets on the screen. Average power of the latest 3 '' being able to do it also in long series of the average power of the last 10 ''. This data is the POWER that "we are moving" as one would say in the cyclist slang while we pedal and see instantaneously.
This is very simple, with the instant recordings that we have in the watches we would go crazy and we would know when to press or lower the rhythm in the series, therefore, first of all, SIMPLIFY, configure the screens of our watch in order not to control the training on our bike much easier.
Another fundamental information that we must see is the Average power in the last round with the idea of knowing if what we had planned to do is coming out, if what our coach or ourselves have raised in the training of the day has been fulfilled in the previous series.
It is a great driver of fatigue and our daily physical condition with respect to what was planned because if our training says one thing, our sensations are not good and in turn the power is not achieved .... Better to stop, shoot easily and when you get home reframe what might have happened.
These dates (Instant power in 3 '' and Medium Power Last turn) of what we could call "Instant Feedback" that we will see when we ride our bike to which many others can be added but, without a doubt, these 2 seem basic for us to train by power
To them we should add the classics of cadence, time / lap, distance and, of course, speed, without it we could never say: I was going through this site to 55kmh !! This is where we really scare the teammates because not everyone knows how powerful but speed ... Speed is scary! And more if we exaggerated a little and hid above that we had a gale of wind of ass.
Today in any watch we can carry 4-6 data by screen and in many of them configurable screens, like advice, configure each screen as you would do it depending on when you want to see the data (an instantaneous screen, another one with medium data, another one for series and a last with "curiosities" such as unevenness, gradients, etc.).
Power data in Pro-Tour runners
HOME ANALYSIS:
Before entering into a specific article with graphic examples and more information on this subject, it is not bad that we do a little review of what will be the most basic reference data so that, once we are at home, we get an idea of how the session of the day has gone or how intense the training has been. Let's meet them:
Medium power: It is the data most used by athletes and with what happens the same as with the Average Speed but really almost never will be the most important for the analysis. Obviously tells us the number of watts that we have averaged in the session, in the series that we look at or even in some applications directly indicates the maximum average power along the output of 5 '', 1 ', 5' and 20 ' .
Maximum power: This data is relevant because if our objective is group cycling or short distance triathlon and we like to jump from the groups we will have to see how with the prescribed training each time higher maximum values are achieved. As we saw in the previous article is not comparable between individuals since depending on our body weight, terrain, aerodynamics or position on the bike we will get one or the other.
Normalized Power: This data is crucial because what it tells us (speaking in silver to be understood by all readers) is the intensity that we could have maintained with the same metabolic cost that we used in the session, that is, having done the session to a constant power. Obviously it is based on mathematical formulas that will never be accurate to 100% but it is a good estimate to compare training sessions.
Intensity factor: This data is very very important, as long as we have previously calculated our functional power threshold and we will update it progressively. It tells us what% of our FTP (Functional Power Threshold or Maximum Average Power that we could maintain in a maximum theoretical effort of 1h duration) we have worked throughout this session. It is called with the initials FI and would be: FI = PNorm / FTP and it is a very important relationship to know how to run, for example, in LD tests.
Variability index: It is another of the data that will be very useful for us to know how constant we have been throughout a series, session or in a competition since it relates the Normalized Power (Remember the theoretical that we would have obtained with the same effort) with the real Average Power that we have obtained in the session. This data is very important when checking our FTP tests. It is named with the acronym IV and its formula would be: IV = PNorm / PMed
APPLICATIONS:
As you can guess, all these data are not analyzed by hand or we have to extract them ourselves, it would be a total backward in the XXI century, for this we have several websites that allow us to upload our workouts, analyze the power graphics, select intervals , see our best data and even calculate, estimate and provide our training areas.
Sample of Garmin Connect software and real data
To finalize this article ...
Arrived here (what have not fallen asleep before with so much data) we could not say goodbye without making a small reflection, training by power is complex because it offers a large amount of data to analyze (surely many more than most we could use and others that almost never or never we will use).
Train by power will not make us better or worse athletes than not but we will have much more data to know our body's responses to different efforts, terrains, competitions that, knowing how to analyze will bring the path closer to the goal, will make us go more direct, that we rectify on time in case of not having oriented well the planning and above all that we have real data of our performance since the power is THE ONLY WAY to quantify it.
The best way to carry it out is through a qualified trainer who knows the subject as not all of us are put into it and that makes the investment we have made in this utensil is more than amortized with a GREATER PERFORMANCE.
More articles:
J. Luis Caballero
Triathlon Coach - FTCV
Email: contact[at]behealth[point]es
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