echappist

So it has come to the point that it would be good to know my 5 sec, 1 min, and 5min power outputs in addition to my 20min/FTP output. Coogan suggests doing all of these in one session, but I can't help thinking that those would not be my best. What do people here do for their power measuring? Do you split it up into two session in the same week or just go with Coogan?

If you split them up, do you do the 5 sec, 1min, and 5min on one day and the 20min on another or do you use another combination? Also, Coogan suggests doing two 1-min sessions. Do you guys think it's necessary to do this?

ericm979

Coggan has his reasons for the protocol. Like getting rid of most of your anaerobic capacity (AWC) before doing the longer tests.

So if you're wanting to do serious testing I'd try it. Remember that testing is training.

But I am more motivated by group rides, so I cherry pick "good" segments from my rides and accept that it's not as accurate. I think it's more important to have a consistent method to do your tests, so the results aren't skewed so much by outside factors.

El Diablo Rojo

I never do those workouts as max tests..I do them in conjunction with hard workouts. My e-wang 1m number is 32w higher than what I consider my real 1m number. The e-wang number was done when I warmed up and did an all out effort. The real number came at the end of series of hard interval workouts..something that would be more representative of how I would feel in a race.

ericm979

I think the point is to use your best numbers for each time period. Yes, you can't repeat your best 1' at the end of a race. That's what fatigue profile is for (see edition 2 of the book).

Remember the e-wang chart is to see what your comparative strengths and weaknesses are, not for seeing what cat you're supposed to be in.

mattm

You could always try testing both ways and see what happens.

El Diablo Rojo

Yeah, but most people go out and put down a big number and mentally think that's their given power for the time period. Personally I like to know what I'm really capable of under stress.

echappist

Guys, thanks for the answers.

The reason why I was entertaining doing the 20 minute separate from all the other stuff is because my training zones will be based off of the estimated FTP, but i see the merit of doing the other measurements together, and i think that's how i'll actually approach it.

carpediemracing 

I've only ever tested 20 min and my "20 second" sprint (peak, 5 sec).

I never go as hard for 20 min as I do in the test, ever, by maybe 20-30-40 watts. The rest of them I've always beaten my best "test" by a significant amount when I race. Well 1 min and 5 min. 10 min I never do either way, don't really care much about that one. It's too low to be good.

On the other hand I think I've only come within 300w of my peak in a race (1550w peak, 1250w in a race) and missed my 5 sec max by about 200-300w in race conditions.

Racer Ex 

If I do an anaerobic effort it might diminish my anaerobic capacity slightly through muscular fatigue, but it certainly doesn't get rid of "most" of it.

waterrockets 

For me, it depends on how hard of an anaerobic effort I put out. A 1' test for me, and I'm down to 85% max for the rest of that day (regardless of recovery) if I do another 1' test. The next day, about 95% 1' test.

5' tests, I can reproduce with a little more consistency. Of course, my 1' tests are pretty sensitive to random effects. A few bad pedal strokes can drop the average quite a bit, where my 5s are much more forgiving.

echappist

WR, do you find the doing of a 5' (and btw, this means 5 minutes, right?) affect your 20 minute efforts?

BikeNube

I hit a new record on the 5' power today. Then went to do a 20 minute interval that was right on target. I would say the 5 minute helped get me warmed up, if anything.

Yep

I test my 20 min repeatedly throughout the season and use 95% of that as an FTP number for training. It's probably a tad high, but I'd rather that than too low. If I happen to get a better 20 min during racing/training, I adjust based on that new number, same with 1 min and 5 min. I'll adjust any of those numbers based on new results regardless of whether they came in testing or otherwise. I don't think it can be repeated too much that FTP is STRICTLY for training and for measuring effort in races. The important part is that you be consistent and honest.

Maybe you'll disagree, but after having worked with power for 3+ seasons now, it's seems to me that you develop a pretty keen sense of when you've set your FTP correctly.

El Diablo Rojo

Other than predicting the stock market what else would you use it for?

gsteinb

I only use mine to judge myself against other people I'll never see or race against.

Nate552

**** measuring contests on the internet of course.

johnybutts

Same.

I have to get ~5-10' at FTP for my warmup for a 20' test. Usually I'll try the test (I always try to negatively split a test). Fail the test, then restart a successful test.

At least that's how I've been doing it recently.

Crash716

on paper i should be a lot faster than I am in person.

gsteinb

On paper most guys in this forum should beat me.

Racer Ex 

When Hoy was going for the Kilo record he did two attempts two days in a row and actually went faster the second day, He also said there was no way he could do two attempts on the same day.

El Diablo Rojo

Then I say we always race on paper. I'd still lose but at least it won't hurt as much.

wfrogge

That e-wang chart is useless anyways. The top and bottom suggested ranges are accurate but everything between is averages of each...

Dont worry about it

echappist

Everyone, thanks for the suggestion. I think i'm gonna lump my 5' and 20' together. The 20' is really gonna hurt afterwards, i think.

except for me

oh i know only the top & bottom of the chart is anchored. More about making sure that the zones are set up correctly for my training. Though it would be nice to hit 4w/kg. I got there last year while doing a computer stress test, but my results from November suggest i've got quite a bit to go.

El Diablo Rojo

To demonstrate how useless it is..if my power numbers don't change and all I do is lose the 6lbs I need to lose my e-wang will be upper cat 3 to low cat one depending on the time range. I don't believe any of this.

currand

I test over two days. First day is 12 sec and 1 min. Second day is 5 min and 20. The first day I'm fresh and can hit peak numbers. The second day I feel great because of the previous day's 'openers'. YMMV.