training, cookies and rest.

Today was a good workout. I thought I wasn't going to make it through my intervals. I did. Could've gone a little more smoothly, though.

Rode in the cold with TC on Wednesday. It was cold and wet and windy. Rode outside with Aaron on Friday. It was cold, but not wet or windy. Dropped into Coldsprints adn said hi to the usual suspects. Rode indoors easy at the Fix for an hour and a half while watching Super Troopers.

Today was hard though. After the first interval I didn't think I was going to make all 5. I did. It was a struggle, though. 2 min @ 100% (320 watts) at 90rpm. 4 minutes @ 110% (352w)at 70rpm then 2 min @ 120% (384w) for 2 minutes at 90rpm. 3 minutes rest. Repeat x 5. That 110% @ 70rpms is a damn killer. To be honest, if I try to ride them at 70 on the nose I stall out. I don't think I can push that wattage that slowly. I tend to do them more to the tune of 72-74rpm. Makes it MUCH more manageable. Possible, even.

Got my Powertap the other day. WAY harder than the Tacx Flow trainers to hold your watts. The reading interval must be way shorter. That said, the readings are a lot different, too.

To elaborate on what Timmer said ( http://timmercentral.wordpress.com/2009/01/13/power-power-power/ ) The Tacx trainers read a lot higher. I don't know what the circumstances were for his readings, but I find that the powercurve is a lot different.

Seems like the Powertap shows lower numbers at lower watts, and then catches up the tacx at my upper limit. I've never gone more than 120% for any length of time with the Powertap, but when I'm at 100%, it's about 40 watts low. 60 watts at 90%...I suppose that's a big difference, but when I'm really working it's about +/- 10 either way. I can handle that. I wonder if I really gave it if the powertap would read out higher than the Tacx.

Also noticed that the Tacx is way more solid. It seems like the Tacx reads the watt spike first and displays that, and then works back down into the target, whereas the Powertap will read the target, the spike over, the dip back down below the goal, and then inch back up to the goal wattage. OR, It could be that I just need to be better about hitting the watts and not spiking/dipping. I'll get there. Practice!

That's about all. I made cookies today, and they're great.

By the way. The Tour of California radio broadcast is bringing me back to my days listening to the Cubs and Brewers games on the radio in my youth days...