Training without a power meter

[eeksll]

thanks for all the information so far Alex, I'll work on finding that rhythm, its what I have to do on the running track too as GPS pace fluctuates all over the place. For my intervals so far I have been doing this, it was just the test that I wanted to hit the "number".

Its just my technical brain, I like exact numbers .

If you are approaching the back end of the test duration and are managing a load that's somewhat higher than you started with, then simply extend the test by a few minutes and use that data rather than the initial few minutes.

I like this, did not think of it.

[eeksll]

FTP test Round 2, wasn't too keen on doing another test yet, but trying a new PC Application "Maximum Trainer" and only the ftp test was available before paying.

It has a zoomed in view of the graph (and a target range) as seen in the bottom of this dcrainmaker image photo. Much easier to try stay in the green range than a specific value. I couldnt find anything that could give me a rolling speed/cadence average.

The app also does splits so Strava can tell me the average, dont need to open the fit file in excel, find the 20 min interval and do an average .... (and I dont have excel at home).

As seen on the graph below, my heart rate increases from about 150 to 177 over the 20 min test interval. On the other intervals I have done 155bpm is usually about the highest, a few times I got to 160bpm. On the FTP test I blew up on, I only reached 167bpm.

[g-boaf]

FTP test Round 2, wasn't too keen on doing another test yet, but trying a new PC Application "Maximum Trainer" and only the ftp test was available before paying.

It has a zoomed in view of the graph (and a target range) as seen in the bottom of this dcrainmaker image photo. Much easier to try stay in the green range than a specific value. I couldnt find anything that could give me a rolling speed/cadence average.

The app also does splits so Strava can tell me the average, dont need to open the fit file in excel, find the 20 min interval and do an average .... (and I dont have excel at home).

As seen on the graph below, my heart rate increases from about 150 to 177 over the 20 min test interval. On the other intervals I have done 155bpm is usually about the highest, a few times I got to 160bpm. On the FTP test I blew up on, I only reached 167bpm.

What is your absolute maximum heart rate? If 177bpm is near your maximum, then the day you blew up at 167 might have been fatigue or the heart rate monitor not working right. In the image, it looks like your pacing was pretty good. You went up higher and then tried to hold that effort, it dropped a little bit but you held on.

150-177bpm over the test interval seems fairly reasonable, with the exception of the lowest HR, I'd have expected to see it start off lower.

Yesterday I was riding and had 10min at 180bpm, 30min at 175bpm. Maxed out at 190bpm, 2min were spent at 185bpm. I had a good average speed going but the wind picked up into a quite strong headwind so I absolutely killed myself to get the average speed I was aiming at. It was fun, but certainly very hard. I certainly felt pretty sick for a while after that. I had no power meter on the bike so no idea of average power, but it would have been fairly high.

[lewie15]

I'm about to buy my first power meter, but have found heart rate a good way to keep my training a bit more focused. I've done 600 km over the past two weeks, which is a lot for me so taking it easier this week. I did an easy 38 km ride this morning and kept my HR below threshold the whole way, which was the goal.

[eeksll]

What is your absolute maximum heart rate? If 177bpm is near your maximum, then the day you blew up at 167 might have been fatigue or the heart rate monitor not working right.

yeah not too sure, my guess is my maximum is a fair bit higher. My HR has always run a bit higher than the norm. But I haven't really pushed myself to the limit for a long time.

recent running race (3 months ago) average 170bpm over 1.5hrs. but from what I have read, I know that doesnt translate directly to the bike.

In the image, it looks like your pacing was pretty good. You went up higher and then tried to hold that effort, it dropped a little bit but you held on.

I did have an application pacing the effort, I felt i had more to give 5mins to the end, but couldn't spin any faster, so had to change gear.

150-177bpm over the test interval seems fairly reasonable, with the exception of the lowest HR, I'd have expected to see it start off lower.

yeah, your right, just checked, started at about 130bpm.

Few more iterations and I should work this out.

day after, my legs are feeling pretty good, maybe I didn't go hard enough

[Kronos]

Estimating power without a power meter really isn't possible. You can get a solid bike computer even a Garmin 500 series will do to start off with and you should be able to find one for less than $100. The rest is just getting the right equipment to make everything work as it should.

The short and the long of it is get a bike computer.