Originally Posted by
gsteinb
In the time I've had a power meter I've broken 1200 watts a number of times I can count on one hand. My highest numbers have come in races, not training. Really a function of lead out, I think, rather than will or effort...though I wouldn't discount it.
I'm an example of someone who is really good at getting 2nd place out of some fairly ridiculous sprint numbers.
Originally Posted by
globecanvas
I think I disagree. I know some guys who work as hard (and as smart) as anyone, just to tread water at their current category.
I think anyone who really earned a Cat 3 upgrade can get to Cat 2. Theoretically anyway, if not practically. Take those folks you know who are treading water in their current category. Then pay them twice their current salary to get to Cat 2. Hire a full-time coach for them, a nutritionist, and start tracking diet, hydration and sleep, then make training adjustments with no compromises regarding competing interests. You can build someone who's strong enough to dispense with the rest of the Cat 3 field physically, then work on tactics and strategy. Identify the best races in the country for their style and power profile, fly to those courses to practice the week before races.
Seems like pretty much anyone whose beat up on Cat 4s could pull that off with the Cat 3s to get to Cat 2. We'll all be somewhere along the line between total commitment and finding a couple extra hours per week and maybe dropping a few pounds.
I was a middling Cat 3 for 14 years (some of which I took off of racing), never saw a podium in that time. Then I got a power meter and changed up my training based on what I learned about myself. Started winning. Then I saw a plateau looming, decided to lose 12 lbs in 5 weeks, bumped training from ~6 hours/week to ~8 hours/week, power went up, and I was a destroyer. Dropped my bars 2cm, and stretched to accommodate. 10.1 W/kg 1' power, 4.8 W/kg FTP, and bingo. Cat 2 at 39 yo.
Then I had to reprioritize, went back down to 6 hrs/wk, and downgraded.