interval training advice please !

[black'n'yellow]

there's no cheap way of getting a power reading - or none that would be particularly accurate. You can train effectively using HR alone, but you really do need to establish your 'true' HR max first. 220-age is probably not a good measure. It might be for some, but there's no guarantee it will work for you. My true max HR, for instance, is a good 15bpm higher than the theoretical 220 figure.

Find your max, work out your training levels from that and away you go...

 

[HLaB]

KING HELL get the defibulator out again ! surely there is a cheaper way of getting a powermeter that 705 reads - just been looking and we are talking £500 + . - do you know what my missus would do to me . does anyone know of a cheap way of getting power reading --- please

I don't know how accurate it is but Strava calculates a Watt value based on GPS. I doubt its varies on temperature/ wind speed/ gear ratio etc As far as I can tell it may take average speed, elevation, cadence & HR into it, if you have a GPS with those features but it still seems to calculate with just speed & elevation data.

 

[amaferanga]

I don't know how accurate it is but Strava calculates a Watt value based on GPS. I doubt its varies on temperature/ wind speed/ gear ratio etc As far as I can tell it may take average speed, elevation, cadence & HR into it, if you have a GPS with those features but it still seems to calculate with just speed & elevation data.

Strava power guessing is a joke. They're making themselves look stupid by even including it on the site, even though they have a disclaimer!

 

[berty bassett]

well its strava or nothing as i will be de goolied if i buy a power meter just to gain a bit of speed at my ripe old age - maybe 20 years ago i might have done it - but now i am playing so i do appreciate someone giving a free site to have a go on - and even if it is out , if it is out at a constant then it doesn't matter , it would still be good enough to play with surely ?

 

[HLaB]

Strava power guessing is a joke. They're making themselves look stupid by even including it on the site, even though they have a disclaimer!

More than likely but to me its just a bit of fun

 

[VamP]

right - just got back and i am now eating everything in sight . done 35 m - warmed up 5 then 5 hard 5 easy x3 every hill max effort 10 hard 10 easy . 220-age =174 ( yes i am old ) i hit 176 a couple of times and by the feel of it - this is hitting max levels for me unless i start carrying a defibulator average heart rate for trip was 153 so high 80s%- maths is not my forte. where i live there is a stonker of a hill a mile from home that i give max effort on all times - this time i bonked after just 35m when usually i can hit it hard after a 50 or 60 so that makes me think i have definitely worked harder though the av speed was only up less than half a mile . i have a garmin 705 that has hr on and power but the power was blank all the way round - just trying to see what i need to do to get power bit working - got a horrible feeling it is going to mean another online shopping bout . my legs are burning

Your true HR max is probably 180-185, as it's pretty near impossible to hit it in training. I have hit mine once and that was in a race. If you're not used to going all out it will be harder for you to get close to your max. If you set your zones based on 180 for now, and adjust later if you start to exceed that number I don't think that you will go too far wrong.