kudude

I've got WKO+ running under wine in Ubuntu

edit: for full disclosure I download data from my ptap using gc. Some might call this a bastardization. don't care

kudude

couple of things: a 400+ TSS day? did you go into a coma later?

2) for the developers, I think MY own personal BS/day might be off the charts

isadorah

so if you are able to calculate the TSS for a workout, you could enter that number in the BikeScore line, possibly leaving the distance or time fields blank and it would be able to calculate/handle non-cycling workouts?

MDcatV

thanks. most likely some type of "user error". those are common when i'm the "user".

ericm979

Yep. It'll just use what you put in. The BikeScore number displayed when you fill in distance or time is an estimate based on your power files from the last 30 days; you can override it. The 30 days is configurable. WKO has a similar manual entry although it doesn't estimate your TSS for you (at least with 2.2). WKO let you put in workout type; GC doesn't.


I've had a number of 400+ TSS days. It takes me at least 6-7 hours and a lot of climbing to hit that.

gsteinb

This conversation is the reason I don't have a pm. We just talked about some of this stuff at breakfast and I'm pretty sure I'm going to cancel the order and just go about business as usual. Not sure I see the upside to making things this complicated. It's like you all are talking another language to me.

SpongeDad

BF heresy.

On a more practical level, do you have a coach? Even if you're not into the data, a coach might be / should be.

gsteinb

Yes (my kid's new catch phrase). The issue seems to be how to get what relevant data we "need"(meaning what isadorah is going to cull from the srm, and other workouts-- for instance the hardest thing I'll likely do each week is race on the track meaning no data) and send. What does she need? What us relevant? Important?

ridethecliche

Dude, just play with it for a bit and learn the terminology. You're a smart guy and there's no reason for you to eschew the weird words when they will reap you good benefits in the short and more importantly, long term.

gsteinb

are you drinking again?

gsteinb

Useful is:

You need a software package that allows you to track _________, ______________, and _______________. Of the options available for mac these work: ________________ and _________________.

It's also helpful to be able to do __________________. But only WKO+ does that.

or

In order to track these parameters ______________, _________________ and ___________________. To do that on a mac you need to run two pieces of software ______________ and ____________. For the same money you can run WKO+ on emulation software.

Or even:

I don't know anything about mac software but I use ___________ on windows and I like it because it allows me to track these things: ______________, _______________, and _________________.


'Just do it' is for Lance Armstrong Nike commercials. Two things, and an attitude so mired in cliche as to be useless.

Gluteus

Hey gsteinb,

If you have been using a HRM to train, an easy first step would be to continue your training plan, but using Power zones rather than HR zones. That would give you the chance to get familiar with the equipment and the lingo. Since you can simultaneously see your HR, you'll be surprised to see how much more variable it is, compared to power.

That's how I did the transition.
It's heresy to say this here, but I don't think the WKO+ is essential to get the benefits from a PM. You know the principles, you would be using a much better metric to keep track of your progress.

Sorry for the intrusion.

gsteinb

no intrusion. thanks

ericm979

FTP (functional threshold power) is your average power for an all out 1 hour TT. It's a measure of your aerobic power. Everything else is based on FTP- 100 TSS points is the amount of stress you'd accumulate doing that 1 hr TT. (BikeScore is GoldenCheetah's TSS, consider it to be the same). Since you can measure stress you can now see what effect that has on you. For me the most important thing is seeing when I am working too hard and accumulating too much stress. I tend to just keep riding when its better that I rest. The other values (LTS, STS, SB) are ways of seeing how the stress level is changing.


I highly recommend the Coggan and Allen Training and Racing with a Power Meter book. It's got all this stuff in it and a lot more. My normal recommendation is to read the book before you get the PM. If you finish it excited about the stuff you can do with a PM, go buy one. If you get bored and put it down, then don't bother with the PM. A certain amount of understanding and geeking out over data is needed to get much out of the PM. If you're not willing to do that then it's just a very expensive bike computer. There
is nothing wrong with that, not everyone is a data dweeb with an interest in exercise physiology. And being one isn't required to be fast or to enjoy riding. Some of the guys I ride with won't even use a bike computer or HRM and they're faster than I am.

Grumpy McTrumpy

this might come as a surprise, but I think you might be making the right decision in not going down the power route. I think powermeters are great, provided that you go "all in" and use them as a primary training tool. same with the software. I use it with religious devotion and it has helped me immensely in the short time I have been using it.

However, you clearly already have a program for success that shows clear and definite results.

I think there are many ways to become successful at something. Some trombonists did this by method books and teachers. I did it by years of ear playing, improvisation and doing every gig I could.

isadorah

if i am not mistaken, the idea is to use the powermeter to develop a training program for him to come back from the recent battle with the pavement.

gsteinb

Well also there are guys faster than me who swear by them, so there's that too. So beyond the immediate need there is a viable long term use.

Grumpy McTrumpy

ok then...

my personal preference, in simple terms:

I don't like PC (I am also a mac person) but I have a 10 year old one running WKO (and nothing else) because:

it's the best for helping track the training loads I put on myself, and the rest periods I mix in, and (hopefully) helps with planning peaks and avoiding overtraining.

it is also very good for analyzing critical power levels for efforts of 5 minutes, or 20 minutes, or one hour (all of which matter to me a lot)

if you get the SRM, it's nice to have the SRM software as well, so you might consider parallels for that purpose too.

I have also used Golden Cheetah and PowerAgent. WKO is better. Enough better that it was worth dealing with my old pc again. of course you could just buy an old pc like mine for the purpose, but parallels/vmware/whatever should work.

edit: have also tried raceday as well. WKO better

ridethecliche

I think the performance manager is the best part of the equation as you can track your training status so to speak. This is what makes WKO+ awesome.

Golden Cheetah, from what I've seen, has pretty much all the same metrics, except that they're called different things. As long as you just 'convert' the terminology, you'll know what you, and everyone else, are talking about.

CTL, TSB, and ATL are helpful. I don't know the acronyms for the GC stuff, but as Kensuf pointed out, their version of the performance manager works for peaking and such.

Read some stuff on phys farm's website and blog. You can figure it out.

Truth be told, if you really do want to get the most out of it, I don't understand why it's an issue to deal with windows just for your data. You're not doing anything else with it, and wko+ is the gold standard for a reason. A reason that's worth dealing with windows for.

isadorah

Running Windows isn't the issue, we can easily put parallels onto the computer. The hang-up seems to be not being able to input non-cycling workouts. For those that use wko+ how do you track/address your non-cycling activities?

Greg180

I use a combination of WKO+ and Training Peaks. I'm into data and these provide every form of metric. (and they tell me I suck at this sport)

These were the two programs that were recommended by a coach and friend. He has collaborated with Friel and has been both a director sportif and a cat 1 racer for over 13 years.

Sorry i should have stipulated that Training Peaks is great for non cycling related activities.

ridethecliche

You could easily put in the non cycling workout as the cycling equivalent perhaps?

Trainingpeaks tracks everything methinks.

gsteinb

Wow. It's like I don't even know you.

Racer Ex 

WKO lets you enter manual workouts for a variety of sports, if you're tracking training load you can input it as a bike workout and estimate the equivalent bike workout. I do that in the winter when I cross country ski.


Originally Posted by isadorah
Running Windows isn't the issue, we can easily put parallels onto the computer.
Don't start with her. I'll come over and punch you in the shoulder.

gsteinb

Then I'd get to buy you dinner