Get the point!

As I mentioned in the previous blog, I did a significant amount of studying on power profiles and power training last week. Joe Friel and Dr. Andy Coggan have done some interesting work in this area.

I did the CP20 test which looks at your maximum average power for a 20 minute time trial. I don't know if it's good or bad but I was able to average 218 watts. That would be the maximum power that I can create over that period of time(20min). Now, how do you apply that to your daily training? Well, there's a simple way and I will talk about it in a later blog. However, I want to move on something else first because raw power doesn't taking into consideration all the issues a play here.

Pardon me with a bit of a tangent.
Recently, I was coaxed into playing softball for our Deeper Life Fellowship church team(www.deeperlifefellowship.com) . Against my better judgement, I played and I suffered the consequences each week. I'm still suffering from rotator cuff tendonitis. We got killed every game. But, we were out there as a ministry and we had a blast. I had the opportunity to see some really amazing athletes and some "not so" amazing.

We played a local tournament team called Boss Hogs. Each guy on the team must have been over 6 feet tall and 230 lbs, except for one guy. He was about 150 lbs and rather thin. Immediately, I was curious why this guy was on the team. They had a guy on second base when he came to the plate. So, I asked him, who's this. He replied by saying, "Watch out, be careful." He was right. I never saw the ball come by me. This 150 lb. kid hit the ball harder than any other guy on the team. In fact, he had the most home runs of the entire team. So, what's the point?.... He was able to generate more bat speed by harnessing his technique. His swing was essentially perfect. Every bit of effort was used to swing the bat. A total synchronous package.

In other sports, you hear things like skill and technique, but not so much in cycling. In cycling we hear things like mileage, heart rate, Lactic Acid threshold and such. Here's my question. Is it possible for two riders to create the same wattage and not go the same speed? Here's another one that is easier. Two swimmers in adjacent lanes. On guy looks like he's in a water fight and other is gliding through the water without making a ripple. The first guy may actually be expending more effort and therefore more wattage. But his technique is poor. He lacks effectiveness

What does it matter where you are from a sustained wattage or heart rate standpoint if you can't effectively translate that power to the pedals? We must train for technique and effectiveness as cyclists. It's the goal of most every other sport!

I know I'm leading you one. More later.