Appreciate the encouragement/reassurance guys. I'm working on my mental state and adjusting my expectations to be more in line with reality, and will keep pressing forward!
Originally Posted by
tetonrider
This is one reason (a key one) why I recommend that people buy meters that can be calibrated at home. When people say "accuracy doesn't matter, only consistency matters," they miss the point.
Months and years of seeing incorrect numbers (esp if they are inflated) messes with you mentally.
Why don't you calibrate that new meter? Most Quarqs I've used or serviced differed from factory calibration either at the outset or after a short period of training; it could be that yours is reading low (though in my experience, they mostly reported on the high side).
Also, for those type of efforts, consider covering up the power. Power numbers can sometimes be a negative feedback loop, and what you wanted to achieve was a 20' maximal effort after your 1' effort (I assume, otherwise why do it?). It doesn't matter *during* the test if that 20' # is 200, 300 or 400 watts -- what matters is that it was maximal based on RPE.
I could do that, there is a calibration procedure, but I don't have any accurate enough scale/weight, and wouldn't really trust myself to do it right. It's alright, I expected it to read lower than the Stages anyway, so I don't suspect it's actually reading lower than it should be. I think it was just a combination of mismanaged expectations, combined with a bad testing scenario, and some low self esteem thrown in just for fun.
I'd always had luck with starting off at my previous test result (assuming I was expecting a slight improvement over the previous one), and then re-evaluating at 5 minutes in and bumping the pace a little if I can. I think due to the heat and thirst and 1 minute test prior, I started sputtering way earlier than usual (like the power started dipping and then jumping back up, having to constantly tell myself to pedal harder). That usually happens to me for the last 5 minutes or so. Maybe if I'd had the average power for the interval up on the screen I would have been OK, because it was higher than I thought I'd been doing anyhow. Thought I was barely hitting 305, but it was actually 315 for the 5 mins, and I was supposed to be targeting 305-310.
I've done multiple tests in one ride before, but never in hot/dry conditions. Lingering nausea after the 1 min should have tipped me off.
@
scheibo hope you heal up quick!