Originally Posted by
rivers
I've just ordered a 4iiii power meter from Merlin in hopes of streamlining/focusing any structured training during this lockdown period. Prior to this, I was out most days (commuting and leisure), and I would basically just ride. Nothing too structured or focused, other than increasingly longer rides targeted at my big ride of the year. With the lockdown, and all of my targeted rides cancelled or postponed, and long rides outside not the best of ideas at the minute, I signed up to Zwift and enrolled on their Build me Up 12 week training plan to keep me going and hopefully make me a stronger ride. I'm now in the second week of the plan, and decided to buy a power meter to help with it. My current set-up is a classic trainer with speed/cadence sensors and a HRM. When the power meter arrives, should I re-do the FTP test on Zwift?
Anything else I need to keep in mind while using it?
Thanks
Congrats on getting a PM. I think you will like it a lot.
Since you already did an FTP test on Zwift, I would redo it. It is great training and it will serve as a starting point. Plus, it will take away one variable which is, what is my power FTP. You know how you felt after your previous Zwift FTP test.
Read Racing and Training with a Power Meter and do some searches on FTP testing and training. There is a lot of interesting articles. Since you will know your FTP, the theory and practice of power training will make more sense. It is not that hard to understand and execute.
What I found when I started training with power was that I was not generating as much force on the pedals over time as I thought I was. Heart rate and level of effort are okay but not great for determining pedal force. If there is an analogy, it would be that in the gym, I would bench press whatever, 100 pounds. I know it is 100 pounds and the force required to lift the weight remains the same. As I do more reps and sets, fatigue causes the level of effort to feel like it increases when in fact it is the weight is the same. I swear someone is adding weight.
On the bike and during a structured interval, fatigue caused my brain to think that I was continuing to make MORE force as time progressed but in fact, the force was DECREASING. Like the weight in the gym, power is a true measure of force.
As an added benefit, over time, my brain recalibrated and today, I am much better a riding a level of effort interval and can pretty accurately, know what my power is and not have it decline.
So how does that benefit my training? I work harder with more effort at the end of the interval when it counts the most. Good luck.