JB's Adventure Blog: Cape Epic Power

Here's a Power-Tap file from Saturday's Cape Epic training ride.

It's always interesting how power files and their graphs seem to tell a different story than the words I would use to summarize a ride (see previous post). That's the real beauty of using a power meter: they give you a subjective look at what's really going on. This allows you to cater your training to improve your weaknesses, versus overlooking aspects of your training that you may perceive to be strong. For instance, one of my weaknesses used to be the ability to recover after really hard anaerobic efforts and come back to a high steady state of work.

Early in this ride, my goal was to do a lactate-overload interval, in which I rode five minutes close to max, dumping tons of lactate into the system. Then I held a steady effort with some 20-second 460-watt surges every 2 minutes. (Tough to see in this screenshot due to the 1-minute smoothing of the data.) Then, after about 20 minutes of this, I continued with some steady high tempo. The other goal of this was to pre-fatigue and really test the muscular endurance. Later in the ride you'll see a lot of the power fluctuations that make mountain biking a challenge to your aerobic and muscular endurance. Highlighted is a 2,000-foot climb that we hit almost 5 hours into the ride. There were many stream crossings that you may be able to pick out. (While you're looking at the data, can you spot where we rode near some power lines?)

The remainder of the ride was tempo as we raced the sunset home. A solid workout, but I do not recommend going all-out up the first hill of a seven hour ride. It makes for a long day!

JB

Labels: Power, Training

posted by Jeremiah Bishop # 11:12 AM

Comments:

Nice post.

# posted by

RickySilk : 1:12 PM

Lately been think alot about the hours needed to race pro. Is a five hour ride your regular daily outing?

# posted by

Hilton Meyer : 3:02 PM

No, but going long keeps you strong!
The key I think is limiting your longest rides to what you can do in style. If you can't hold a solid high endurace pace, pull the plug so you're not getting into the junk miles zone. Unless its fall of course! In the base period I will do 3 rides a week around that length.
Happy training!
Thanks for the note,
JB

# posted by

Jeremiah Bishop : 6:07 PM

Jeremiah,
Are you going to be riding a hard tail or full suspension?? And, why? I am racing too... and struggling with the decision. Is it enough to save 3lbs to give up the comfort?
Jim

# posted by

Jim : 2:18 PM

Hey Jim. The race is a toss up for me. But you if you can spare a few seconds early in the race it may bring you a few minutes later.

If your not sure ride a light duali you'll have more fun!

Good luck JB

# posted by

Jeremiah Bishop : 7:11 PM

a power meter would be an objective look at your training...you watching me ride away from you would be you looking at the training subjectively, thinking "well, he's holding onto a truck, so I'm probably getting a better workout.

# posted by

jsager : 11:24 AM

Cape Epic Power

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