CompuTrainer Class: Torture Test IV

Today's was my best test yet. We rode a good hour-plus for a warm up and then got right into the real workout: a 5-mile time trial. My previous best had been 13:56, 223 watts, and my goal for today was to beat that time for sure and possibly the watts; I succeeded at both! The first list below is the workout from today. The second list is all my test results.

• 1:22:22, 149 HR (192 max)
• 1:05:20 warmup, 142 HR
• 13:48 test result, 187 HR, 229 watts, 21.7 mph
• 3:12 cooldown, 153 HR

March 1, 2011, Torture Test 4: 13:48, 229 watts
January 6, 2011, Torture Test 3 Part 2: 14:58, 185 watts (tempo ride)
January 4, 2011, Torture Test 3: 14:06, 217 watts
March 25, 2010, Torture Test 2: 13:56, 223 watts
January 28, 2010, Torture Test 1: 14:22, 208 watts

My HR for today's test was a little lower than it's been for previous tests, and I know that's because I was in an easier gear than I normally would've been riding in for the test. But I knew it was a gear I could stay in and that would push me to work hard and keep a faster cadence, so that's what I did. I could've kept a slower cadence and pushed a harder gear, but I think I would've lost my legs about 3.5 miles in.

I'm most impressed with the results that Cali and Parri posted: 13:07, 258 watts; and 13:01, 260 watts respectively. Those are results I aspire to achieve...hopefully sooner down the road rather than later!

The rest of my workout, which I did in the afternoon with half of with half the enthusiasm I should've had, was 3×30sec heavy.