Bike Test--Interpret HR Data
So I enjoyed my 4th bike test in the 20 week outseason plan. Unfortuantely I haven't 'graduated' to a powermeter yet and am still using just a HR monitor. I know my fitness has improved, I am feeling great, but I am a bit concerned that some of the numbers didn't increase like I wanted. Here's the data
Bike Test #1 (Oct '11) Distance=12.9 miles, LTHR 137
Bike Test #2 (Dec '11) Distance=12.9 miles, LTHR 138
Bike Test #3 (Jan '12) Distance=12.2 miles, LTHR 143
Bike Test #4 (Feb '12) Distance=12.9 miles, LTHR 144
These were all done as a 40 minute time trial on the same course I always use. Very flat. The Oct and Dec tests were dry and about 45 degrees. Jan was dry and cold, about 38 degree. Feb was cold and wet, about 39 degrees. Light winds during all tests.
My average speed has been about 19.3 mph except for January's and it was 18.3. My LTHR has increased nicely, but my speed average and distance hasn't changed much. What's going on? Shouldn't I be rocking the house? What is it about trying to break 20mph that proves so difficult for me?
Ideas? Thanks.
Comments
Hi Mike,
From what I understand is that once your have decent fitness (19.x mph would qualify here
your LTHR changes only slightly and is more subject to other influences than your fitness (e.g. hydration, sleep, rest etc.).
Hence your performance improvement on a 40min time trail should expressed by the distance you rode.
Now I am not sure what the conditions and your testing/pacing stragegy was, but yes if all things were equal you should expect for 5-10% performance improvement that your distance changes by 5-10%.
Did you record our rides with by a GPS/Garmin? How did you pace the test?
Kai
I like you also train with HR and no power meter. That's an investment for another time. Some of the things I focus on when training and or testing are not just heart rate, but also cadence, gearing and MPH. What you should find is that over time you can go faster and push a bigger gear at your optimal cadence.
Example: Dec 2011, LTHR was 150bpm gear ratio was 53x21 at avg cadence of 85.
Jan 2012 LTHR was 155 bpm, gear ratio was 53x19-17, avg cadence 90.
One of the questions I have is how do you feel at the end of the test. Are you exhausted or do you feel you could continue on for 60 minutes? May just be your LTHR numbers are really your FTHR (functional threshold heart rate) which would make your Percentages slightly off and make your Zone 4 work outs more of a zone 3.
When you train do vary the cadence and gearing every so often while trying to stay in HR Zone 4.
Mike,
First off, if you've been doing the work, and getting enough recovery to stay consistent with the workouts, then you are more fit. There really aren't 'non-responders' to this type of training, only varying degrees of responders. So, you don't need to worry about whether or not your fitness is improving.
So, what to make of your tests, or, put another way, how do you benchmark your progress? The answer is it's pretty tough. I do a weekly TT from the spring through the fall, with a power meter, and I can tell you that little environmental factors make a big difference. Wind? Wet roads? Cold/hot temperature? Differences in volume of traffic driving by you? All can have a big impact on time. So I wouldn't stress out too much that your last test went the same distance as your first test, as there was the cold and the wet to consider. In fact, I'd say that averaging the same speed in colder, wetter conditions is a good indicator of improvement in fitness.
One additional thought is that averaging a higher HR is often a sign for learning how to push yourself harder (ie. recruit more of your muscle fibers), so seeing that change could be just a function of the colder weather, or it could be a sign of learning to ride harder.
HR training requires a very philosophical approach, as the numbers in front of you aren't always objective. Keep at it!
@Kai: I use a Garmin 305 Forerunner and look closely at the pace and heart rate graph after the ride. I also hit my lap button at the 20 minute mark. For pacing, I aim for an all out effort, but with also the goal of a negative split (to force me to not go out too hard in the beginning and then blow up before the end). This strategy has worked pretty well the past 3 tests. I finished with literally nothing left in the tank.
@John: Like I mentioned to Kai, I think my pacing is good with nothing left in the tank at the end and a goal of a negative split between the two-20 minute blocks (I do not take a recovery between 20 minute sets). Yesterday's Bike test was part of a time trial race put on by a local bike club. So I was technically racing. As for my gearing and cadence, I do notice I am able to push bigger gears for longer periods however I do find I spend much of my time in the center ring (my road bike has 3 sprockets on the crank). During training rides I try to get into the big ring and hold my pace/zone while doing a set, but for 40 minute TTs I have to drop down into the center otherwise I blow up.
@Mike: Training in the winter in the pacific northwest has been challenging. If it isn't snowing, it is raining or blowing. Although the weather for my tests has been pretty consistent. My other training rides have been indoors on a trainer or in a spin class. I am with you on averaging a high HR is a sign of improved fitness. I can really feel that I am stronger and especially when I go up hills, I am able to push a higher gear.
One other secret I have to share is that I have never had a professional bike fit. Doh! I am in the process of getting a Tri bike and a proper bike fit will be the first thing I do. We shall see. Thanks everyone.
I have no PM as well, not sure if this helps you further but i do compare my TT using a plugin in ST which guesstimates a power file. Comparing power files helps to understand differences (http://www.zonefivesoftware.com/sporttracks/plugins/?p=gps2powertrack). Maybe it is useful, if you want sent/or attach your tcx files i could load them up and give you a power track with it - if you want to.
Sounds like you are doing everything right. Just keep at it.
Not much to disagree with here, but I just have a slightly different take at it.
If your test is HR only, you are not really measuring progress in the same way that you are with a 5K run test or a power-based bike test. What you are measuring is your new HR zones.
It's REALLY easy to overinterpret HR testing beyond that. You need at least one other datum to make a guess as to what it all means. Let's say your HR in a 40 minute test is 150 bpm for 4 tests in a row... but I secretly installed a power meter and didn't tell you the results. You wouldn't know what I know that your FTP had gone up from 180 to 200 to 205 to 210 over the course of those tests (just making up numbers). You might get some feedback from "speed" or "distance", but unless you've been very careful about tire pressure and trainer tension, those things can be all over the place.
If your LT HR goes up, maybe what that's telling you is that you're mentally able to work harder, as Mike alludes to.
When you are able to ride outside, you'll have to make an approximation yourself about how close the conditions were, particularly wind, rain, and extreme temperatures. But if you are training hard and your FTP is going up, then you'll cover more distance (all things being equal) in your test...regardless of what your HR is.