Max testing

So I got suckered into doing some testing with the carrot of $150 and a free VO2 Max test later down the road. I did the first portion this morning, where I did a VO2 Max test and a 20km time trial (on a trainer... felt slow as balls!!).

Anyway, the VO2Max test was very weird. I had to do it on a exercise bike because it controls the exact amount of power (by adjusting the gearing- so if you pedal fast it's easy, and if you pedal slow it's hard... sort of weird). But we started at 180W (which is a light spin) and pushed it 20W higher every minute. It was very easy for a while, then of course the effort starts going sky high... and you just keep going until you are ready to pass out. I really think I would have done much better on my bike and with clip pedals. I pegged it at 440W, though they gave my VO2 max wattage as 420W, and my Lactate Threshold wattage at around 320W. That basically means that I can't hold 420W for very long (ie MAYBE up a climb in a race) but I should be able to time trial right at or above 320W (at least for 20-40k type distance theoretically). The magic VO2 Max number was 60. I really had no idea what to expect, and every measuring system will give you different numbers. The real cool thing to see will be what my numbers will look like this summer when I get them tested again- this time for my own purposes. I figure I'll get it tested right when I should be peaking to see how effective my buildup to cat3 dominance was.

The only real number of importance that I gained is knowing that my LT threshold heart rate is 172ish. Something I would have been able to guess pretty accurately, actually. Basically if you start riding up a gradual hill, and you slowly ramp it up, going harder and harder, your LT heartrate is the point where your legs start to bitch back at you. Its at this point where your HR can no longer clear all the junk out of your legs, and the acid levels in your blood start to rise. Time trial type efforts in training should be done riiiight about your LT HR, in order to help pushi it up.

Cross races feature HRs that are only higher than that... which is why cross is just....FUN.