..to debate a topic without an opponent.. When I'm at work, I can't get into Blogger to reply to comments on anyone's blog- I can only do this from home. So I then need to resort to using my own blog as a venue, just to get a word in. To answer the latest comments:
1. You're putting words in my mouth. I do not dismiss the effectiveness of training without a power meter. As you point out, I myself did it for 20 years. FOR ME, it's a lot more fun to use one!.. and effective too!, especially when training time is limited and you want/need to optimize your workouts for maximum benefit. I do not train hard because it's fun and enjoyable. That's why I race (for fun). Successful training makes racing a lot more fun.. Do the math.
2. When I took my first 20 minute TT (as part of my first Field Test) I did not even know what the numbers meant, or how to record intervals or how to even view the average power on the readout. It was the first day I ever used the thing and I just let it run like a flight data recorder while I did the best 20 minutes I possibly could.
3. I have never aspired to be a runner or a skier.
4. I do not belilttle those who train without a power meter. If I come off that way, it's just reciprocation 'in-kind' of the attitude towards power meters, which prevails.
5. There's no shame in being dropped by you, SB. PT or organic training.. no shame.
And Ge: Not all 3 minute intervals are alike. Needless to say, you can take FT and add/subtract whatever percentage is necessary to get the desired stress/workout.
"Pain is pain. Suffer for three minutes." says a lot about your approach to training!
It might be fine and dandy for you to just hit the broad side of a barn.. for me personally, I want to hit a much smaller target because I'm looking for a very specific result from the training.
7 comments:
What words did I put in your mouth? I'm referring to this post on Ge's blog where you commented "...obviously, you cannot boost your FT (or get faster) if you do not know what your FT value is.". This is from context of a much larger statement involving the virtues of the power meter. So if one cannot get faster without knowing their FT via a PM reading, well, if that's not completely dismissing the effectiveness of training without one, I don't know what is.
For that matter, in his post, Ge went out of his way to say how great the thing was. He simply noted that it doesn't make you faster; it's the training that does (duh). From there all the alleged "bashing" of the PM was simply responding to inflated claims about how great it is.
Tout it as a motivator for you all you want. You've admitted that before you got one (and a coach), you barely trained at all. You don't have to believe me if you don't want to, but if you'd been doing the training all along, then got the coach and PM, the improvement you've seen would not have been so large. An untrained subject benefits from any training program (which was exactly what Friel said in his reply to th first comment on his recent post, just before your comment).
I know you're not the only one, but cycling is full of riders who have a grossly inflated view of their "seriousness" and who thus think they are much, much closer to their physical limits than they really are. If being all scientific makes it more interesting for you, fine, but unless you structure every aspect of your life toward perfecting performance (like keeping your body fat under 10% at all times, probably closer to 6 in season), then you're a long way from being elite enough to worry about every detail of your training.
Keep on being enthusiastic though. You have to love this to put up with assholes like me (and cycling has plenty of us!)
Thanks jason dittle for reminding me to go back and click all the ad links for Murat...
Point taken.. Thanks.. but I'm tired of this. As I've said before, I'm a lousy bike racer when left on my own to train- I have the training discipline of a herion addict, especially during those 50-60 hour weeks at work.
The combination of having a coach and a Powertap forces me [by motivating me!] to do the work which must be done to improve. I am given detailed workouts for every day, I submit the Powertap charts to coach electronically every day- there is no way to hide it if I blew off a workout.. so I do not. I do them all no matter what. I take them very seriously, regardless of my % of body fat, which is probably about 20% right now.. Yesterday I drove my in-laws to JFK and came home same day- 7-8 hours of driving.. got home at 10:30 and proceeded to do the 90 minute workout I was scheduled to do. I was tired as hell and I forced it. Lest we forget, the newest team in New England didn't appear out of thin air.. it took a large commitment of time, effort and money on my part. Let's please stop questioning how seriously I take this sport.
My diet and body fat percentage should not relegate me to anything less than what my actions say about me. Give me a break..
As much as I appreciate the clicks (it really does make a difference, thanks) I don't want to be accused of "click fraud" by Google. They can terminate my account if they believe that I put you up to it.
and yeah, I must love this sport a LOT..
;)
solobreak gets it - atmo
Murat,
I continue to be the seemingly lone supporter of the PT and proudly so!!
The powertap is a tool, and only that. Until it is in the hands of somone who learns to operate said tool, it is merely a toy.
I feel and appreciate your commitment toward learning to use this tool to its fullest potential. This has been my aim as well.
Your commitment to training and cycling is motivating and the team you assembled clearly took enormous amounts of time and energy. If I was in RI, i'd race for said team in an instant and represent with pride. Nice work, very PRO kits, too!!
Ok, who's racing Charge Pond up in Plymouth, MA next weekend... or Wells Ave. on Sunday?
I'll be doing both and hope to see some "bisikletci" heads out and crushing souls.
_keep workin, brother.
-Leo
ps- nutrition is my job, lemme know if you have any specific nutrition q's. or not.
Peace.
I have been following the comments on here regarding the use of "aids" etc. with interest and not a little amusement. Over the years I have alternated between cycling and running with varying degrees of success and these days I am definitely in the social side of things. Over the years and I am 43 now and have competed at something since I was 17 the main aid I had was my training log. This used to be a notebook with time and distance (measured from a map if need be) and lately the same thing on an excel spreadsheet which charts my steady decline....although I never used a PT I have used heart rate monitors etc. What I have found is that the more targeted your training the more useful it is. Training for training's sake is of very little benefit, it certainly does not make you faster. Training fast makes you faster but that requires rest as well so you are not burnt out and the trick is the balance irrespective of bike or running. One thing I will say though is that my best times which include a 1:20 half marathon were run when I worked in the gold mines in South Africa spending 8.5 hrs underground and receiving a full body work out on top of the running every day. I used no aids but was very structured in my training at that time, train hard and fast every second day and take it easy in between.
I guess what I am trying to say is that if the PT works for you great, but if I were you at least one day a week I would drop it and just go ride, sprint for the town limit signs, race the cars from the traffic lights (worked for me when I was expert level mountain bike racer in UK) and let your body tell you what's what, if you puke then its hard enough.
If you want to get into the psychology of training you could do no worse than get hold of a book by Prof Tim Noakes called "Lore of Running". Primarily about running but he runs the sports science research unit at Uni of Cape Town and is one of the leading authors on endurance event training.....
Leo, Andy, SB: Many thanks for weighing in.
Leo I may hit you up with some nutrition questions! What was your e-mail?
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