"The 33"-Road Bike Racing - FTP and LTHR Tests?

I'm in IT and I'll admit I love gadgets and technology and analyzing numbers

when you do your tests I was told at Training Peaks do not look at your numbers tape over them and just go all out.


is that what most do here or do they look at the numbers and get frustrated ?

I'm guilty of this with HR tests

i glance at my power and time thoughout the process. i typically have an idea of what i "should" be able to do, so if i see the number dropping i know i need to warm up the tigerblood and be a winner.

It doesn't matter w/ HR b/c it's essentially a rolling average of the last minute, and once you get it steady, it stays steady. Doing it by power is different. I have lap avg & 3" power, so i can try to modulate effort

I use the 3 second average power and use power indication as a guide so I do not over cook the front end of efforts, tests and time trials.

I also get number obsessed and had this whole plan of how to "pace" my last FTP test. . . start x watts below my last best, built to Y within a certain number of minutes, etc. However, when it came down to actually testing, I mostly went by RPE, but did glance at the power meter, trying to keep it where I thought it should be . . . just too hard for me to focus on pacing/strategy when going pretty much balls to the wall. . . .

Yes. When I'm doing an effort that does not have an upper limit, I drape my sweat towel over the pmeter and just go.

In reviewing files later on the pc, my power curves are not as smooth (spiky-er) as when I watch the display, but the averages are higher.

i have three screens set on my garmin

1 for training, which has time/distance (lap and trip), and HR, but no speed
1 for racing/general use, which all that plus speed
1 for testing which has time/distance and nothing else.

I have a range I want to be in and I take 30 seconds or so to get up to power. Once I'm there I try not to look at it unless something doesn't feel normal. GL

At least on indoor tests, I'm looking at that numbers a lot. Basically, it's 'think of something that pisses me off; look at numbers; berate self for being a wuss; repeat.' If I'm not paying attention to the numbers, I think my mind has a tendency to wander.

I'll actually map out where I want to be for each minute for the first 17 minutes - not that I actually stick to it, but it helps me visualize the ramp and not get ahead of myself too far. With the last 3 it's basically squeeze all the toothpaste out of the tube.

If I don't look at the numbers my mind wonders and I end up putting out less effort. Usually spend the first half trying to tell myself to keep going and keep the numbers around where I expect them to be. Second half is usually spent berating myself to finish strong.

Without looking at the numbers though, the tests feel so long and painful. The numbers help me stay connected to reality and what I can do rather than perception and what I feel like I can do.

i havent done much testing outside, but i imagine i would still look at the numbers, just a bit less. today i am testing vo2 max. i will totally be looking at the numbers begging the time to tick tock faster. later.