Your tempo hour: what to look for afterwards

Change, that is what we are all looking for in our training. We want to get better. To check whether things are changing it is necessary to compare apples to apples. Some of our “testing” rides are a good opportunity to do this. Let’s look at a tempo hour ride and some of the things to compare between rides.

Apples to apples

The chance to compare apples to apples is one reason why it is important to stick to the guidelines set out for your tempo hour - in particular the heart rate ceiling. If on one ride you do an honest job with the heart rate ceiling, and on another exceed it for a good portion of the ride - even if only by a few beats - then the value of the comparison is compromised.

Remember, we are using the heart rate ceiling as a proxy for the fuel mix being used to power your ride. Below the tempo heart rate ceiling the mix should lean towards more fat as an energy source, and above tempo the mix of fuel should move towards more carbohydrate. Adding carbohydrate by exceeding the heart rate ceiling will allow you to push more wattage.

What to compare

Heart rate

First, make sure that the rides you want to compare were both done without exceeding the tempo heart rate ceiling. A very easy way in Training Peaks to do this is to look at the heart rate by zones graph. Right away you can tell if you did a good honest job on the heart rate.

You can also look at how closely to the tempo heart rate ceiling you managed to ride.

To do this turn on the heart rate zones on your graph.

Then you can clearly see the top of the tempo heart rate zone.

Finally, take a look at how your heart rate was as you entered the hour of tempo. Did it slowly build into the hour? Or was it already within the tempo zone as you started? This can be an indication of different pacing strategies.

Power to heart rate ratio - PW:HR

The power to heart rate ratio can be found on the right hand side of your graph. Select your tempo hour lap and the PW:HR gives you a comparison of the first and second halves of your effort. The higher the ratio the more change there was across the hour. A positive ratio is an indication that you pushed less watts as the hour went on. We want to see the PW:HR ratio fall, indicating an improvement in your aerobic abilities.

The PW:HR ratio reflects the stability of your wattage. Was there a fade in the wattage in your rides? Did you start one harder than the other? Has your pacing strategy changed?

Cadence

We want to look at a couple of things with cadence. One, was it similar between the two rides you are comparing. Lowering your cadence is one way of controlling your heart rate, and so in this workout being able to push more wattage. A bit of a cheat if you will. Two, if the cadence was similar between the two rides, does it look like there was more control over the cadence in one rider over the other. This can be particularly important when looking at rides with a low cadence, where the legs are under tension.

Respiration

Just as cadence can help control your heart rate so can respiration. We introduced the concept of breathing well during the tempo starter block. Doing tempo rides is a great opportunity to work on your respiration. Has becoming aware of your breathing changed your heart rate while doing tempo? Has it given you more control? If you have been trying to work on your breathing you will have noticed that focusing on it can lower your heart rate by several beats.

Doing breath counts is a great way to work on your breathing. Making notes in the “post-activity comments” box of how many breaths you are taking, and whether it changes across the tempo hour, can give you some good context towards the comparison of rides.

Context within your program

A final thing to consider as you make this comparison is where your two rides fit into your program. This is another part of the apples to apples comparison. What was the workout the day before your tempo hour ride? Was the tempo hour done at the end of a training block or in a rest week? The more similarity between your state of fatigue between the rides the more valid is the comparison.

Training the aerobic system takes time. Aside from the obvious change in the wattage you can push, see if other things are moving - your ability to control the heart rate from exceeding your heart rate ceiling, the stability in your wattage over the hour, control of your cadence, and your respiration. While you may not be pushing more watts yet you may still be getting better.