ethan.g75

I started riding with a power meter in June, I was borrowing a powertap from a fellow team member while he was away, and while I was saving up for a stages power meter. While riding with the powertap until mid August, I really was just riding normally, and learning little bits about my self when I got home and looked at the data. Then I got my stages (mid august) and I wanted to start training. I read training and racing with a power meter, did tests, established power and fatigue profiles, and then designed a 7 week training program (the 7th week being testing). I had it all figured out until I went out one day, a week before I planned on starting my "plan" to test out one of the workouts. It was impossible for me to stay in one %FTP range or zone for any of the intervals. I just couldn't figure out how to keep it constant. Maybe it has to do with what numbers I am looking at? Should I be looking at like 10sec aveage power or even 30sec? Do I just need to practice more?

mr_pedro

What is the number you are targeting and what is the variation you are getting?
For example, here is me doing a 10 minute interval, aiming for 280W:

chaadster

I think it can be quite difficult to do tightly targeted zone training on the road just because of all the variables, be it road surface, grade, wind, traffic and other distractions. If you consider an interval like Mr.Pedro's above, where he's whistling along at about 21mph, in 10mins he's covered roughly 3.5 miles. Depending on where you live, finding a non-variable stretch of road that long can be difficult, and even if you do find it, you've got the uncontrollable variables to deal with, e.g. wind, traffic.

Power training is best done on a stationary for these reasons, I believe.

valygrl

it takes practice, and it's a lot easier if there is no variation in the terrain. gentle to moderate uphill with steady grade is the easiest to deal with, but can be hard to find depending where you live. ROlling terrain is really tough.

Practice, and just do the best you can. using a 3 or 10 second average can help, along side the current watt reading. You'll get benefit from the training plan even if you can't execute every interval exactly perfectly, so don't get discouraged by the variability.

chaadster

Yes, important points.