top 10 things I’ve learned using a power meter - by andrew r coggan phd

arnold schmidt

 

top 10 things I've learned using a power meter (an oldie but a goodie)

by Andrew R. Coggan, Ph.D. 



I just stumbled upon this Lettermanesque top 10 list that I first posted to the web in 1999 (after my 1st season using a PowerTap): 



Top 10 things I’ve learned using a power meter 

10) I shouldn’t lose weight 

9) I need big gears 

8) I need small gears 

7) Strength is irrelevant 

6) Don’t start too hard in TTs 

5) Train less, rest more 

4) Heat acclimatization is critical 

3) Specificity 

2) SPECIFICITY 

1) SPECIFICITY! 



Interestingly, even after all this time I'm not sure I would change anything on the list (except perhaps the "train less, rest more" conclusion, as I don't train or, especially, race as much as I used to).

Posted by Andrew R. Coggan, Ph.D. at 10:58 AM 0 comment

 

Coach Patrick

I love it...bet he'd get a lot of buzz on ST if it was posted there. Much of this is my focus for 2012 for sure...

arnold schmidt

see "training and racing with a power meter journal" - (hunter allen and dr andy coggan)

www.trainingandracingwithapowermeter.com/

 

Dave Campbell

Thanks Arnold for the to the trainingandracingwithapowermeter website. I learned something cool in the video. On the WKO+ graph, if you double click on a watts number on the "Y" axis, you can convert it to watts/kg. Pretty cool. Also Hunter Allen does a review of quadrant analysis and where he suggest triathletes spend most of their time. He suggest most in the lower left quad, I race mostly in the lower right quad. Might need to learn more about this tool.

Coach Rich

I haven't watched the video and I have to admit I haven't read the 2nd edition of his book, in which he interviewed me to discuss how we have our athletes race with power. I should probably at least read that chapter to see what he said I said. But what was apparent to me was:

• He had very, very little experience or data with what works/how triathletes race long course triathlon with power.
• He kept focusing on cadence as being the secret to triathlon pacing, probably as a result of this quadrant analysis tool.

He wrote up the chapter on triathlon pacing and sent it to me to review, I shared with Patrick. I wrote him back to say, "Doode, people aren't blowing up on the run because they are riding at the wrong cadence. Rather they are working too hard, riding at too high of an IF." We went round and round and I basically said "yep, I'm just a guy with a gillion IM race day power files and 10yrs of experience...what do I know?"

That said...maybe I should actually read the chapter