I’ve been a CycleOps power user since I was first introduced to it by my Coach Chuckie V in 2008.  Since then, we’ve been using power to evaluate all of my training bouts and the occasional race.  We use the data daily and evaluate what needs to be changed or tweaked for the next session.  If I’m unable to hold a sustained wattage that I have in the past, the workout is either decreased or skipped all together.  This allows us to look at  training without any emotional attachment.  Comparing Heart Rate to Power and perceived effort level helps determine if the workout is worthwhile to do or, skip and wait another day.

Having this data allows me to track changes and see the trends in my training.  It continues to teach me how my body responds to different heart rates and how much energy is required to sustain a certain wattage.  It provides me goals in training and helps with focus. Going ‘hard’ is very arbitrary.  When I use Powertap, I’m given a solid read-out on how my body is responding to a given workload.

Typically, I log average heart-rate, average power output and my perceived effort level over a set distance or time interval and often on the same course/route to accurately compare data.  The basic trend you want to see when tracking numbers is an overall increase in wattage with lower heart rate. A 1-3 hour “power” test does the trick. I either set a specific HR-cap or power wattage, and then compare this data to previous tests. 

There are a lot of variables that need to be considered when looking at past numbers.  Most notably is whether you weigh more now than you have in the past, and where/when the data was taken (at altitude, warm or cold weather, same route etc).   Typically, I log average heart rate, average power output and my perceived effort level over a set distance or time interval, and most often, on the same course/route to accurately compare data.  The basic trend you want to see when tracking numbers is an overall increase in wattage with lower heart rate. A 1-3 hour “power” test does the trick. I either set a certain HR-cap or power wattage and compare the data to previous tests. 

The biggest benefit with using power in training is having the data to prove the you’re actually improving.  When I first started using power, my power levels were quite low at my sub-maximal heart rate.  Now that I have a few years of data, I’m able to see if I’m back to a level of fitness where I saw high wattage output with a lower heart-rate by looking back at previous tests.  I wouldn’t ride a bike without one.