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New to power tap

shollingershollinger
in General Training Discussions

 I have been using the trainer indoors which can set and regulate my power for the intervals.  This past week I was able to purchase a powertap.  Last night was my first ride outdoors with the new toy.  Let me just say what I thought was work outside as been redefined.  Riding down river road along the Miss. River you either have a good headwind or tailwind at all times on our little loop.  No more slacking when the wind is behind me.

I have been lurking on the forum for a bit, trying to absorb as much as I can about training with power.  But there is a big difference outside trying to maintain those watts than being stuck on a trainer that does it for you.   This is gong to be tough and fun all at the same time.  

Steve.

Comments

  • mattsullmattsull
    Let me just say what I thought was work outside as been redefined.

    This sums it up very well! Welcome to the world of Power.
  • Nemo BrauchNemo Brauch
    It's a brand new day!!! Enjoy the journey!
  • Coach RichCoach Rich

    Welcome to power. Start learning:



    EN Power Training Resources

  • tuckermtuckerm
    Power is great, a real indicator of what you are actually doing. But, yes t is hard to maintain those watts. It takes time to get that feel down. I have had my powertap since October and am still learning. But as Rich says ride as hard as you can and worry about riding steady when your race rehearsals come up. Enjoy.
  • Cary BlancoCary Blanco
    Welcome to Oz, I mean EN - riding with power has been described here as seeing in 3D - I prefer to think of it as seeing in color now where as before you only saw in black and white. You're not in Kansas anymore (unless you actually are in Kansas, in which case never mind, bad analogy).

    Definitely get the EN power webinar - great purchase. Lot's of really good stuff in the wiki and throughout the forums.

    And riding with a powemeter on a trainer is very different from riding outdoors with a PM. You'll get the hang of holding your numbers with a little time.

    Enjoy your new 'toy'.
  • LisaLisa
    I'm getting ready to take the plunge to power as well - can anyone tell me how difficult is it to figure out how to apply your training to using power? I don't have tons of time for reading and lots of podcasts, etc.... but want to improve and do realize that power is the way to do it - I just don't want to make a huge investment and then not really understand how to use it to improve. Any advice would be welcome! Thanks to all!
  • Michele CellaiMichele Cellai
    Lisa- there is no short cut. If you want to get the most out of your power meter, then you need to read what's available, listen to pod casts, and practive reviewing other people's data and what feedback they receive. I did all of that when I joined EN. By the time I purchased the PM, it was a matter of learning which buttons to push when. It's an investment in YOU! Don't short change that. Good luck. It's a whole new level of pain.
  • Al TruscottAl Truscott

    There is no way around it - the Power Webinar is the best, most time efficient way to get up to speed. Invest 3-4 hours in that (doesn't have to be all in one chunk) and you'll know all you need to succeed. Rumor has it the coaches are planning an update to  the webinar.

    I usually learn well just from reading, but watching the Webinar videos while following along with the PowerPoints cemented it all for me.

  • tuckermtuckerm
    Lisa,
    I think it really comes down to what you want to get out of your training with power. I can honestly say that while i bought the Power Webinar I did not really go over all of it until I finished the OS. I understood the basics, like IF, NP, AP and figured out how to download the data into WKO+. So just understanding those concepts I was able to raise my FTP 16% in 4 months. So what I am saying is that while all this info is great, and at some point you should really delve into because it is quite helpful, I think if you just grasp the basics you should train with power as it is the best way I see to get faster.
    Michelle's advice is great also, hopefully you have already been scanning the forums and see what people have posted and the feedback they get. Have you? Come to think of it, I think that is probably how I learned about power without even really trying to learn.
    And as always, listen to what Al says. Seriously.
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