Is It Safe To Say "It's About Trends"?
I'm hearing alot about benchmark routes.
My standard 1 hour "GO Hard Steady'' route is right out of my driveway. Rolling hills, few stop lights, only 2 intersections that can 'catch' ya. It's very convenient.
Due to the rolling hills, my Pnorm comes in a little bit lower than a slam dunk, on the trainer, threshold workout.
But, it seems to be working for me. Holding steady watts, trying to stay around 95% of tested FTP, and then stay solid on the downsides of the rollers.
So, if 95% of the FTP is 237, and I ride strong/smart/steady and aiming to stay close to 240, the descents (and occassional slow downs for traffic stuff) pull the Pnorm down to 220-225 (depending on the day).
*I guess I could get that Pnorm UP by going way more VO2 style on the hills but then I probably couldn't hold a solid consistent speed for the whole hour* As it is, I'm trying to keep my peaks lower, but raise the valleys, which gives me a better Time for the ride but a lower Pnorm.
So, about once a week, I basically do as close to a 1 hr TT as I can get. If traffic cooperates, I use that workout to PR. And, yes, the times are dropping just fine 
Long buildup to get to this question...
Am I shorting myself on the workout by NOT pushing that Pnorm up into my 95% range? Or, for this type of workout, should I just continue to PR and let the Pnorm (or Pavg) fall where it may?
If it matters, I'm having a blast watching the times come down, while learning to go harder and harder, but 'under control' to last for the entire hour.
Just thinking out loud and killing time at work. Let me know what you guys think!
Comments
Use this route to make progress. Since it's familiar to you, and it includes ups and downs,maybe try to ride each individual up portion at a slighter higher wattage than the time before. Don't worry so much about the overall NP for the whoel ride, but view each of the uphill segments as an interval, and do each interval at a higher NP (or AP if its too short for NP) than the week before.
The whole idea, is the ride should always feel like you are working; if it's getting easier and easier, you're not getting anything out of it. Even increasng by 1-2 watts per week adds up to 5%+ over two months!
Good points on the work & watts. Biting off an extra 1-2 watts going up X hill seems reasonable to me. It all adds up.
I just use the ups and flats to get in the prescribed interval work (Z4, or Z3 etc) and get aero and coast on the downs —for me, this works as I know I am getting the prescribed work done.
Of course it helps that I have now got a Joule so I know what work I am doing in each interval.
I do pretty much the same thing, riding courses vs intervals. I have a history of times, IF's, and Pnorms for each foggily filed away in my head such that I'm nearly always racing some flavor of Rich from the Past on nearly every ride.
It won't drive the Pwhatever up if I CRUSH the hills, yet need to sally around to recover. Whatever good numbers I hit going up would be for nil.
So, my goal will be to increase the numbers, but, only by a slight push each time.
And, obviously/unfortunately, the final time is so dependent on weather and traffic that I must pay more attention to the watts than the time. If the watts are getting bigger, and the weather and traffic happen to work out, then the 'benchmarks' keep getting reset...
I know, preaching to the choir here. Just know, that things are starting to click. I'm starting to see that there's more to EN training than 8,10,15,20' intervals in the Pain Cave.
Now, can you teach me to swim and run?
"Put one foot in front of the other....."