3 Minutes of Truth
Posted in Case Studies by Matt Moran on Jun 06, 2011
After playing around with getting my Wattbike setup to my own preference it quickly dawned on me that I would be wasting a huge opportunity if I didn’t follow some kind of training plan. Thankfully, Eddie Fletcher, Wattbike’s sport scientist, has provided some great free training plans for both sportive riders and triathletes to follow.
The Sportive Plan was the one for me but first it was with some trepidation that I undertook the 3 Minute Aerobic Test so that I could better understand my training zones. As per Eddie’s instructions I completed an easy 20 minute warm-up with three 6-second sprints in the latter part of the session, just to raise the heart rate in preparation for the test.
I found it difficult to know exactly at what level to place the air brake but from previous ‘Just Ride’ sessions I had some idea of what I was capable of holding for 3 minutes. The 3 minute session itself felt ok for the first 2 minutes but as I entered the last 60 seconds my legs got progressively heavier and heavier so by the time I reached 10 seconds to go every second felt like 5. Not sure I’ve ever seen a clock countdown so slowly.
My stats were surprising and I thought I might have done better, but one thing is for sure, the Wattbike doesn’t lie and the truth sometimes hurts! I think I could probably go a little harder next time but’s important to remember that no matter how tempting it is to have another crack at the 3 Minute Aerobic Test it does take quite a lot out of you so please take a day or two in between tests.
Although the concern during this session was not technique I was pretty pleased to see a vast improvement from previous sessions in the Polar View, remembering that better technique equals increased efficiency and more power. The key figures to pull from the data are Maximum Heart Rate and P/Kg rev which allows you to choose a relevant level of Sportive Plan to follow, based on your current fitness. I am currently following Sportive Plan Level 3.
Having used the data from the test to work out my training zones I am now ready to begin the 16 week programme and I’ll be keeping you updated on how I progress. With the unseasonal weather in the UK, the Wattbike will be getting plenty of use.