How to know your training tolerance

More on power...

So what are the questions that you want answered? Why purchase a power meter? Once again, if you don't change your thinking about training, a power meter isn't going to be that great of a benefit other than being a source of information for a genital measuring contest.

Here are the questions that I want answered by my power meter.
How much power can I sustain for a long period of time? This would give me an indication of my aerobic power.
What is my maximum power output? This helps me with my ability to sprint.
What is my 3-5 minute power? Efforts in this range rely heavily on the lactate energy system.
How long do I need to recover after a specific exercise session?
What does my data look like when trended over days/weeks/months/years?
Am I getting faster?
If I want to race at X level, what kind of w/kg would I have to produce?
How much weight do I have to loose to be able to do that?
How much taper do I need to peak for X event? When do I start?
If I only have X hours to train, what is my intensity for duration exchange?
If I only have X number of hours to trains, can I acheive the goal I have set for my self?
Within my power band, where am I weak/strong?
What types of races should I select to emphasis my strengths?

These are just a few. Power meters and associated software can answer all of these questions.