Diarmuid's 6 months to CP 300W

Diarmuid

Currently 8/12/2009
Critical Power = 266W
Weight ~ 63kg

Goal 1/5/2010
Critical Power = 300W
Weight = 59Kg

Notes
That's an increase in power of 13%. Is this possible? Dunno. Time will tell. Weight wise, getting to 61kgs should be ok. 59Kgs will be tough.
I'm using GoldenCheetah (great program for the power guys but compile it from github for all the features), so I'll be using the zones indicated by it, which are derived from CP of 266W.
Zone|Description|Low|High
1|Recovery|0|146
2|Endurance|146|199
3|Tempo|199|239
4|Threshold|239|279
5|VO2max|279|319
6|Anaerobic|319|399

The Plan
Week number|Time in Z2|Time in Z3|Time in Z4|Time in Z5|Comment
50|3|3|0|0|40min High Z3
51|2|2|0|0|40min High Z3
52|0|0|0|0|No bike access. Stay off the chocs + mince pies + booze + turkey sambos
1|3|1|0|0|Back at the bike but not for full week
2|3|3.75|0|0|40min High Z3
3|3.5|4|0|0|2 x 40min High Z3
4|4|5|0|0|2 x 40min High Z3. Tough week
5|3|3|.5|0| Test & Recovery Week


The Execution
Week number|Time in Z2|Time in Z3|Time in Z4|Time in Z5|Excuses



I'll fill out the plan further, later and update this post as time progresses. (Hopefully!!)

Lumen

I assume you mean CP60 300W?

Captain Havoc

How tall are you?

Diarmuid

Lumen wrote: »

I assume you mean CP60 300W?

I was actually going to edit after posting it, to specify that, but in the end I figured no one would be that picky

Captain Havoc wrote: »

How tall are you?

170cm

amjon

What PM are you using?

Diarmuid

PowerTap

Billy Whizz

That's a massive massive increase (20%) in W/kg to be aiming for.

Your current W/kg of 4.2 would get you around in a C bunch. Not enough to be placing in races, but decent all the same. Your target 5.1W/kg would get you results in A races, no doubt about it.

No harm in setting the bar high, but this is a pretty big increase. Especially on less than 10 hours a week.

Have you had your body fat analysed? You would have to be carrying substantial amounts of body fat (>15%) to safely reduce your weight by 4kg. Even then it would be very hard to increase power simultaneously. Personally, I'd concentrate on trying to get to 300W and leave the weight where it is. That would be an outstadning achievement in itself.

Diarmuid

Billy Whizz wrote: »

That's a massive massive increase (20%) in W/kg to be aiming for.

Your current W/kg of 4.2 would get you around in a C bunch. Not enough to be placing in races, but decent all the same. Your target 5.1W/kg would get you results in A races, no doubt about it.

No harm in setting the bar high, but this is a pretty big increase. Especially on less than 10 hours a week.

Have you had your body fat analysed? You would have to be carrying substantial amounts of body fat (>15%) to safely reduce your weight by 4kg. Even then it would be very hard to increase power simultaneously. Personally, I'd concentrate on trying to get to 300W and leave the weight where it is. That would be an outstadning achievement in itself.

Thanks for the feedback Billy, you're probably right in your analysis.

With regards to the weight, I haven't got my body fat analysed but I'm pretty sure I have room to get to 61kgs relatively easily, 59 is probably a push. If I got to 61 I think I would ease off the weight loss program.

To get to 300W, I think, will be tough. However I can just make a plan, follow it, and see where that leaves me in 6 months. If I don't make it, well no harm.

One point with regards to placing in races, because I'm quite light, and Ireland is quite flat, even at 5W/kg I don't think I would do as well as you say. I would expect that absolute power will win in most races in Ireland (within reason)? What do you think?

Anyway, it's all a bit of fun. I'm not turning pro any time soon !

Billy Whizz

Diarmuid wrote: »

One point with regards to placing in races, because I'm quite light, and Ireland is quite flat, even at 5W/kg I don't think I would do as well as you say. I would expect that absolute power will win in most races in Ireland (within reason)? What do you think?

I'd agree with that assessment alright, which is why I wouldn't put too much emphasis on the weight loss. It'd certainly be in the mix at some of the hillier races though.

Diarmuid

Week 50 - 13/12/2009
Friday and Monday rest. Training the other days. Followed the plan relatively well. Strayed a bit outside the planned zones, staying inside the zones difficult on the road but relatively happy.
Week Number|Z1|Z2|Z3|Z4|Z5|Total Time
50|4.1|2.25|2|1|.25|9.5



Planned:

Diarmuid

Week 51 - 20/12/2009
Did some work each day apart from Wednesday. First turbo session in a year on Saturday. Terrible session. Motivation on the turbo not there yet:

Week Number|Z1|Z2|Z3|Z4|Z5|Total Time
50|4.1|2.25|2|1|.25|9.5
51|3.3|1.5|2.5|1|.25|8.25





Planned:

Diarmuid

Just 'cause I love graphs

Week 50:

Week 51:


Spot the unmotivated turbo session!

Thank you GoldenCheetah.

FYI: Bikescore ~ TSS and Intensity of 1 ~ 1 hour time trial