BVC Workout - 3 x 500m TT

Wednesday night at the track. Wanted to try doing 500m TT, to get some base times. Three tries, two 48x15 and one 50x15. All about 41 +/1 1 second. It's hard to get really good numbers as I didn't have a starter, so have to get clipped in etc. Also I'm using computers idea of 500m, which is probably a little low..

I think that a new 500m TT record for my age group, 50-54 was set yesterday at the World Masters Track event in Sydney. That shows David La Grys finishing in 34.138, average speed of 52.73! The previous best was Ray Simonson, 34.834 in 2002.


My second attempt using 48x15 was highest overall wattage:

500m TT #2 48x15:

Duration: 0:41
Work: 23 kJ
TSS: 4.4 (intensity factor 1.964)
Norm Power: n/a
VI: n/a
Distance: 508 m
Elevation Gain: 0 m
Elevation Loss: 1 m
Grade: -0.2 % (-1 m)
Min Max Avg
Power: 0 802 565 watts
Heart rate: 107 180 158 bpm
Cadence: 33 132 110 rpm
Speed: 13.3 53.2 44.6 kph
Pace 1:08 4:31 1:21 min/km
Altitude: 128 129 128 m
Crank Torque: 0 100.6 52.1 N-m
Temperature: 18 18 18.0 Celsius

The best try (although still within the margin of error) was the last using 50x15. Maximum watts where lower (which makes sense, the highest watts are in the initial half lap and it's harder to ramp up the bigger gear) but the average watts where higher (579 vs. 565). Although again, probably within the margin of error for a test this short. Max cadence was also a little lower (I'm not great on high cadence power.)

500m TT #3 50x15:

Duration: 0:40
Work: 23 kJ
TSS: 4.5 (intensity factor 2.007)
Norm Power: n/a
VI: n/a
Distance: 507 m
Elevation Gain: 1 m
Elevation Loss: 3 m
Grade: -0.4 % (-2 m)
Min Max Avg
Power: 19 732 579 watts
Heart rate: 122 179 155 bpm
Cadence: 26 127 106 rpm
Speed: 18.7 54.3 45.6 kph
Pace 1:06 3:13 1:19 min/km
Altitude: 127 130 128 m
Crank Torque: 7 108.8 53.4 N-m
Temperature: 17 17 17.0 Celsius

I have two problems to solve. First getting my short term (5-10 second) max wattage up. Second being able to get my cadence much higher. I tend to top out at 130RPM... I need to move that *wayyyy* up. Some of the sprinters at BVC can get over 200RPM... Don't know if they can get peak power out way up there. But certainly their peak is much higher than 130!

Another note, the Ergomo can't give a TSS number for workouts this short. It was showing TSS as 0 or 1. WKO+ correctly computes the TSS, showing 4.5 for the 40 second effort.

If you could do this once every three minutes (hah!) you would still be under 100 TSS for one hour. Which is of course the definition of FTP, you get 100 TSS if you maintain your FTP (functional threshold power) for one hour (and FTP is by definition the power you *can* maintain for one hour in a TT type event.)