The same could be said for any test, any training plan, and just about any aspect within this realm of training and racing.
Nearly everything is much more complicated than it seems at first and more than we hoped it would be.
The axiom “We don’t know what we don’t know” is ever present here. Nothing is really simple or easy, sad to say.
Here’s a thought, combining this thread with the discussion over on the Steve Neal Flo Podcast thread.
Maybe the TR guys could introduce HR recommendations into workout descriptions. Like Steve tells his riders they shouldn’t go over 83% of HR max on a 3x20min session, it might be useful to have something like “aim for x - y HR range during the intervals”, so if you’re going way over that, you know you’re overcooking it. You’d have to know or estimate your own maxHR, but for those of us who use it, it could be a useful little extra instruction.
IMO RPE estimate for workouts would be better than HR.
Lamarck with a properly set FTP should feel like a 7 out of 10. Mount Field is probably a 5 out of 10.
Different coaches have different opinions. I’m firmly in the power camp, based on two years of HR intervals followed by three years power-based intervals. I spend a fair bit of time reviewing data and learning what matters for my training. Your mileage may vary.
Yeah, I didn’t get 5 out of 10 on Mount Field yesterday.
I wonder if I might have “overtested” the Ramp Test because I know the break-even time. It provides just that little extra motivation to push further that you don’t have on SS workouts.
The other possibility is that I do my workouts on indoor Stages bikes in the gym. Each has its own power meter…
LtS
Rpe is a bit subjective, especially it goes up with duration but most people probably don’t know their true max hr either. Also hr should be thought of as a cap, and not always a target during an evenly paced effort.
Sure, definitely subjective, but it’s generally less variable than HR and is more transferable across individuals.
Main point I was trying to make is that if Mount Field feels like an 8 out of 10, you are either having a terrible day or your FTP is set incorrectly.
i agree.
Just did Mount Field today, by coincidence. It was maybe 6 or 7. But then I did a road race on Sunday so my legs are a bit on the sore side.
While I was pointing out that your RPE scoring might be a bit more tailored for you, I was still agreeing it was probably better than HR. 