Fedofsky Friday

Fedofsky Friday

Every Friday, Elizabeth Fedofsky, a top age-group triathlete and national champ, drops in to answer your training questions and to brighten our day with her witty wisdom.

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1) I’m a Cat 5 racer looking to improve my splits on the bike. I’ve been using heart rate monitor but nearly everyone has a power meter. I would like to get one, but considering the cost, don’t know if it would net me that big of a return on my investment. Are they worth it?  
– Mark

This past weekend, I attended a clinic all about power-based training.  There is no easy, short, or inexpensive answer to this question but I will try.

Power-based training is another approach to reaching your goals.  It seems that training with power is more specific and reliable than heart.  Simply put, a watt is a watt is a watt.  While there are many factors that influence heart rate, watts seem more consistent and reliable overall.  However, training with a power meter alone will not make you fast.  Rather, meaningful workouts planned at just the right time may help you to improve (and get faster) over time.  Your understanding of the workouts, the timing, and willingness to work within the correct power zones will create improvement over time – not the power meter itself.

With that said, a power meter is a costly investment and alone will not make you fast.  If you are willing to pay for the high tech piece of equipment and willing to put the time into learning how to train with power and how to interpret your power data both after each ride and over time, then it is a worthy investment.  Programs like Cycling Peaks make power-based training a bit easier to interpret – but again, use of that program is another cost when you train with power.

There are many power meters available.  Top choices include SRM, Power Tap, and Ergomos.  As with any equipment, you get what you pay for and top choices are not cheap.  However, they are reliable, durable, and well-made.  Each power meter has advantages and disadvantages.  SRM is the most versatile as power is measured in the crank arms making it useful in both training and racing.  However, the large computer may be unattractive to some.  The Power Tap computer is easy to read, software is easy to use but use of power is limited to one wheel.  Ergonomos is reliable and highly weatherproof yet a bit more complicated to use.

Like any “number” a power meter can be both friend and foe.  On the friendly side, interpreting data from each ride will give you an idea of your strengths and weaknesses as a rider.  If you push high wattage early in the ride and fizzle out, your weakness is pacing. If you maintain a high average over time but fall off the back of a group ride after an attack – your weakness is anaerobic capacity.  A power meter can help you achieve the wattage you need to improve these weaknesses by giving you instant feedback of your performance allowing you to increase effort or back off to pace yourself.

On the foe side, it’s yet another number to watch. Cadence, speed, heart rate, power – sometimes we get so caught up in the numbers we forget that it all really comes down to one thing – you either go fast or you don’t.  And sometimes going fast is just a matter of doing the work, learning to push yourself from the inside rather than relying on what the numbers say.

Best of luck in your decision.  It’s not an easy or cheap one, but one you need to make individually based on your preferences and time.  If you like data, if you have time to look at it, then I’d say a power meter is a great buy.

2) I will be going for my first sprint triathlon in April but am not sure how to put everything together. Is it a good idea to do shorter practice tris as part of my training or better to just train separate?
– Chris

Practice races prior to key races is an excellent opportunity to solidify your pacing, nutrition plan, transitions, and equipment use as long as they are well-timed.  Generally speaking, leave 2 – 3 weeks between races.  If you are doing a sprint tri in April, it might be good to practice in late March. 

Triathlon, however, is not a sport where you should race yourself into shape.  While low key or “C” races can provide great training and practice, they should not be used to supplement training too many times. Racing is still racing and the competitiveness, our personal expectations, high intensity, and recovery time make racing a poor training option more than a few times each season.  Be careful not to get into a mode of race, recover, race, recover as this will prevent you from devoting time to build your fitness base and reach your true potential.

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If you have triathlon-related questions for Liz, or just want to know more about the ways she drives her husband nuts, fire ‘em off to us at questions@theoutdoorjourney.com. You can read more about Liz’s adventures on her blog at http://elizabethfedofsky.blogspot.com/