Goals Galore, v2.008

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Wow, am I the only Cat. 3 with a sub 4 w/kg FTP? You guys with high FTPs will have no problem upgrading unless you plan on pullling the peloton around every race. So...my goals:

4 w/kg. FTP by spring (currently 3.9, so maybe I should aim higher?)
5.5 w/kg 5 min. power (reached 5.3 this year)
Ride more with my kids
Avoid all crashes
Win a race! It's been a long time...


Nope, your not the only Cat 3 under 4, my best is about 3.8w/kg. I hope to get it up over 4 w/kg this year. I did set a PB in a 40k TT of 56'10 this year, so hope to go under 55'30 this year.

I have been thinking a lot about next year. Here are my goals.

1. Upgrade from a 4 to 2. (Have zero points currently)
2. Increase FTP from 330 to 350 (hopefully more)
3. Increase 5 Sec Power (1263 Previous Best)
4. Work on riding TT bike.
5. Keep Wife Happy

Nick

Become Cat 4 within first season.

Dunno about your other stuff - but all you have to do to be a cat4 is finish enough qualifying races (off the top of my head I think its 10) so I think you've got that one made.

my main goal has been set for me by my coach...... I'll do my best:
Improve my wattage at LT from 215 to 250 - before you go thinking thats awfully low I'm female and I only weigh 103 lbs.
If I can do this all the other things I'd like to do should follow......

I am sorry but what do you mean by qualifying races?

Also how do you get that updated in the system?

-Js

Dunno about your other stuff - but all you have to do to be a cat4 is finish enough qualifying races (off the top of my head I think its 10) so I think you've got that one made.

my main goal has been set for me by my coach...... I'll do my best:
Improve my wattage at LT from 215 to 250 - before you go thinking thats awfully low I'm female and I only weigh 103 lbs.
If I can do this all the other things I'd like to do should follow......

I am sorry but what do you mean by qualifying races?

Also how do you get that updated in the system?

-Js
Here are USAC guidelines. Once you have accomplished the 10 starts you can log in on the website and request an upgrade. It took me all of last season to get my 10 starts in.

http://www.usacycling.org/news/user/story.php?id=580

Thank you very much.

I always thought you had to win a category to upgrade to the next category. Hmmm...

I learn something new...It would seem I should be able to upgrade next year as there are weekly races in my area. I wonder if some people do not upgrade just to get more experience first.

Interesting...

Here are USAC guidelines. Once you have accomplished the 10 starts you can log in on the website and request an upgrade. It took me all of last season to get my 10 starts in.

http://www.usacycling.org/news/user/story.php?id=580

Dunno about your other stuff - but all you have to do to be a cat4 is finish enough qualifying races (off the top of my head I think its 10) so I think you've got that one made.

my main goal has been set for me by my coach...... I'll do my best:
Improve my wattage at LT from 215 to 250 - before you go thinking thats awfully low I'm female and I only weigh 103 lbs.
If I can do this all the other things I'd like to do should follow......

i don't want to be a killjoy but are you sure those powers or your mass are correct...?

Your current power to mass ratio is about 1st category level, and improving to 250 W would take you to world class level.

ric

1. Sort knee problems out.
2. Ride bike at least 4 X week
3. Drop 10kg
4. Increase MAP to 387 (367 at Track Nationals) by start of 08 Track Season
5. Ride under 4min for 3000m on Denton Park

i don't want to be a killjoy but are you sure those powers or your mass are correct...?

Your current power to mass ratio is about 1st category level, and improving to 250 W would take you to world class level.

ric

I'm definitely not world class, lowly cat 3 as of now, and bottom of that heap probably. I've got a good aerobic capacity, but not a lot of power..... She does think if I can improve that much I could actually be competitive with some of the higher cat gals that I'll have to race with, so I think she's set me a very lofty goal......
I don't speak power very well so maybe I've mixed some terms up?? AT? not LT?
I certainly did not get my mass wrong 103 lbs is all I've got.

I'm definitely not world class, lowly cat 3 as of now, and bottom of that heap probably. I've got a good aerobic capacity, but not a lot of power..... She does think if I can improve that much I could actually be competitive with some of the higher cat gals that I'll have to race with, so I think she's set me a very lofty goal......
I don't speak power very well so maybe I've mixed some terms up?? AT? not LT?
I certainly did not get my mass wrong 103 lbs is all I've got.

Well, AT (anaerobic threshold) is a misnomer of a term -- [some] people think this is TT pace. (it isn't). On the other hand some coaches think LT (lactate threshold) is also TT pace (which it isn't - it's about 10 to 15% less power than that which you can sustain maximally for ~1hr).

However, if you convert 103 lb to kg, your mass is 46.8 kg. Dividing your current power by that or your goal power and then checking this table http://cyclingpeakssoftware.com/images/powerprofile_v4.gif and seeing the FT column for women will show you what i explained in my previous post.

With what instrument are you having your power measured?

ric

Well, AT (anaerobic threshold) is a misnomer of a term -- [some] people think this is TT pace. (it isn't). On the other hand some coaches think LT (lactate threshold) is also TT pace (which it isn't - it's about 10 to 15% less power than that which you can sustain maximally for ~1hr).

However, if you convert 103 lb to kg, your mass is 46.8 kg. Dividing your current power by that or your goal power and then checking this table http://cyclingpeakssoftware.com/images/powerprofile_v4.gif and seeing the FT column for women will show you what i explained in my previous post.

With what instrument are you having your power measured?

ric

Computrainer during an active metabolic rate test - 215 was measured as AT for me - and yeah this is definitely a bit higher than I can sustain for a flat TT, though it is close to what I can do for a short (6 mile) uphill one. (I don't have power on my bike - still only hr, but yes AT for me is at 188, and I can only do about 183-184 during a TT without going POP!) I know how I measure up to the local women from riding with them (so does my coach - she's tested a lot of them!) and for what I'm talking about I think one of the better in the state comes up at 305 watts and around 20 lbs heavier than me - much, much stronger than I am. Compared to most of them, I am not very strong (though apparently I do have a lot of potential on the aerobic side - high VO2 - and yes I completely understand that this doesn't mean a thing if I can't get all the other parts of the system working)- and especially at TT's where I feel very slow indeed, not totally at the bottom of the 1,2,3, field (we all have to race together) but pretty close, though being as small as I am I get a good advantage travelling in the pack.

My coach pulled up a similar chart to the training peaks one, but it was only for men..... that put me in the fair category - and the very stong woman I referred to in the good - very good I think - so I'd say its definitely apples and oranges, what was measured that is.

Computrainer during an active metabolic rate test - 215 was measured as AT for me - and yeah this is definitely a bit higher than I can sustain for a flat TT, though it is close to what I can do for a short (6 mile) uphill one. (I don't have power on my bike - still only hr, but yes AT for me is at 188, and I can only do about 183-184 during a TT without going POP!) I know how I measure up to the local women from riding with them (so does my coach - she's tested a lot of them!) and for what I'm talking about I think one of the better in the state comes up at 305 watts and around 20 lbs heavier than me - much, much stronger than I am. Compared to most of them, I am not very strong (though apparently I do have a lot of potential on the aerobic side - high VO2 - and yes I completely understand that this doesn't mean a thing if I can't get all the other parts of the system working)- and especially at TT's where I feel very slow indeed, not totally at the bottom of the 1,2,3, field (we all have to race together) but pretty close, though being as small as I am I get a good advantage travelling in the pack.

My coach pulled up a similar chart to the training peaks one, but it was only for men..... that put me in the fair category - and the very stong woman I referred to in the good - very good I think - so I'd say its definitely apples and oranges, what was measured that is.

i've no idea how the CT works out such stuff (active metabolic test)... but it's 1) likely that the CT isn't accurate and 2) you can say that your HR in one test compared to another meant your power was similar (or different). People have huge discrepancies in their HR on a day to day basis for a given power.

That's not to say that you're being coached badly/incorrectly/whatever, just that the data doesn't seem accurate.

ric

i've no idea how the CT works out such stuff (active metabolic test)... but it's 1) likely that the CT isn't accurate and 2) you can say that your HR in one test compared to another meant your power was similar (or different). People have huge discrepancies in their HR on a day to day basis for a given power.

That's not to say that you're being coached badly/incorrectly/whatever, just that the data doesn't seem accurate.

ric

The CT was just the vehicle - could have been a ergo bike or what ever, but being on my own bike I think was preferable. The metabolic test was kosher - mask, measures both O2 & CO2. Accurate or not - I figure as long as its consistant - so if I go back and do it again, that any gains/losses are reflected correctly then its all good. It doesn't hurt that most of the other people are tested at the same place so if we're all off, then its still valuable to know. We're a pretty small community (women racing cyclists around here) so its relatively easy to know where you stand from a subjective perspective. Knowing a little less subjectively is just interesting more than anything - you can have great test results and still do poorly or the inverse not test very spectacularly but still do well - its more than just certain parts of your fitness, there's mental and tactical sides as well as physical ones. Still good to set measurable goals though I would think.

My main goal is to do a good run (~3:45) in my first Ironman in France next June. My plan for doing involves increasing my FT from 240 to 270 and lowering my weight from 76kg to about 70kg. This should make the bike leg comparatively "easy" so that I arrive at T2 with comparatively "fresh" legs.
-richard

1. Train consistently.
2. Drop 12 pounds to 160 lbs.
3. Be more agressive in races.

1. Train consistently.
2. Drop 12 pounds to 160 lbs.
3. Be more agressive in races.
Number 3 is easy, just do it.
Good luck with the weight, that takes dedication.

I know about #3....the mind is the hardest muscle to train in the human body!

The other stuff is just time and dedication....

-Js

Number 3 is easy, just do it.
Good luck with the weight, that takes dedication.

Most of my goals will fall into place with this one:

-- increase FTP by circa 10% to 300 watts (4 w/kg)

I trained with a classic periodized program for 2007, but for 2008 I'm not. So, unlike 2007, I won't set "A Priority" races, a la Joe Friel. Instead my goals are somewhat less specific. Still:

Training goals:

Raise my FTP power from 265W (estimated as I don't have a PM) by some ungodly huge amount. I weigh about 152 pounds, so that works out to be about 3.8W/kg. Let's make my goal 4W/kg, so my goal power is 276W estimated (I don't have a lot of weight to lose, but if I do that will be bonus).
Break the 19-minute barrier on Old La Honda Road (San Francisco Bay Area climb). I wonder if 276W will do that...
Race goals:

Win my first Cat 3 criterium. No particular one.
OK, maybe I can set some more specific race goals: Win Coyote Creek Circuit Race and Watsonville Criterium. Ugh, that's a stretch goal! :eek:
Win my first Expert cross-country race. Could happen, given the right course.
Enter my first dirt short-track race, at Sea Otter Classic, and don't get pulled.
Finish top-10 in any road race (likely 45+ open Cat). Any race will do; this is also a stretch goal!
Provide invaluable service to my teammates in other races, helping them to win!
Honestly, that last goal may be the coolest; helping teammates can be a blast!

1. Make it to race season physically able to ride a bike... No casts.

2. Drop about 20 pounds before the season starts.

3. Get a top five finish in any road bike race.

4. Do good in track... didn't run this year (something about a cast on one arm, running and my back not agreeing) so I don't know enough to know what good for me is...

5. Finish a tri... basically this means surviving the swim, the rest I've got down.

6. Make swossa cross country(running)... I was two minutes off this year so I should make it considering that I won't be coming into the season totally out of shape.