vVO2max Comparator Tests 2006

If you remember at the very end of August I took a power output test to see where I was regarding my fitness.  I'd taken a "mid-season rest" and now needed to second peak for my final end of season rides.

In August I was churning out 278 watts but knew my maximum was around 300 watts and set this as an objective for October.  So I had to tailor my training to close the gap over the coming weeks.  Well here's the results of my test taken the day before I left for the Giro Lombardia cyclo.  It's not meant to impress or anything like that, it's just to give you an opportunity to see how a structured training programme can help you meet your objectives and bring rapid results when needed.

The Tests Compared
The faded lines are the six-weeks previous test and the bold lines are the test taken in early October.  You'll see from the bold green power line that there is a little waiver around 4-5 minutes and this is due to the fact I went a little too hard at 2:30 minutes and had to back off due to lactic build up.  The pink cadence line is pretty much to expectations.  I had a pretty big dip at 5:30 but re-focussed and virtually sprinted the last 30 seconds to get back on track.  Boy did that hurt!

 

The Results
The second test was a real grovel  But then aren't they all?  I'd done some long intervals, some big-power hill work and some short intense efforts.  In fact my 20 second peak wattage is now peaking at 790 watts and my absolute peak is reaching 940 watts.  I raised all my training markers in September, which is the month I usually begin to wind down.

I was delighted to be right on form and up to 299.7 watts (nearly 300!) for my final two events.  These figures clearly show the benefits of training and assessing fitness with power meters.  Would heart rate give the same results?