Training with Power

I had my first proper training ride using a power meter today. By that I mean it was the first session where I was doing pieces with a specific power level in mind. My first impressions are:

a) it is pretty nifty; and
b) it hurts.

It is nifty because suddenly I can do my intervals independent of the conditions. Previously all my intervals have been something along the lines of XXkms at XXkm/h. However, to do intervals based on speed properly, you really need neutral conditions, ie flat road, no wind etc. Anyone who has ever ridden a bike knows that you never get those conditions. This means that you always end up doing some intervals into the wind, some with a tail wind, some up inclines etc. Once you throw in a head wind or an incline it becomes very hard to keep to your target speed and the session becomes a compromise.

With a power meter the compromise doesn't happen. With a power meter you can do intervals into the wind, with the wind, up a hill, whatever you like, it really doesn't matter. The power meter measures it all.

The value of this was really demonstrated this morning because there a pretty brisk easterly blowing all morning and I had a lot of intervals to get through. I am not sure how I would have done the session if I was basing it on speed alone. I suspect it would have been a mixture of slow intervals into the wind and fast intervals with it and trying to find a balance. With the power meter it was still a mixture of slow intervals into the wind and fast intervals with it, but I know that I was working to the same power levels in both directions. Very cool.

The hurting bit is related to working into and with the wind. When I have worked to just a target speed before, the temptation has been to plan the session so that the intervals are all downwind. Riding downwind means that I can reach the target speeds, which I probably wouldn't be able to do riding upwind. I now know just how much less power is required to ride fast with the wind compared to riding into it. Significantly less. This means that on the sessions where I have been only working with the wind I have really been short changing myself. Using the power meter means that the short cut is removed. The power meter makes it much harder to fool yourself. However, the resulting honesty is quite painful. After the intervals today I felt like I had been lifting weights for the last couple of hours.

All up I think the Garmin Vectors are going to be a great training tool.

Running tomorrow. Another longish one. It will be another test for my hamstring which still hasn't come good. I am beginning to suspect it is going to need a period of sustained rest to improve. Not sure about it, I would be lying if I said it wasn't worrying me. Kind of trying not to think about it, but might have to ask myself some tough questions about the Albany Half Ironman. Will see how I go in the morning first though.