Week 12 - Critical Power test in the books!

 Another critical power test is in the books!  

Week 12, or every 4 weeks, is only 3 days of running vs the normal 4 that I run (or attempt to run!).  I think it's important to take a step back.  However at the end of these 4th weeks I do a critical power test.  The previous 2 CP tests that I've done I haven't been very nervous about but this one, for some reason, I was pretty nervous about.  I decided to do a 3 minutes - 12 minute CP test.  I had never done one of these before and maybe that's why my nerves were a bit high.  

Yesterday (Saturday) I set out on my CP test.  It was earlier than I normally run on Saturday but I had other stuff that I needed to get done so I was up early and had fueled like I have been doing.  After 10 minutes of warming up I went into my 3 minute test.  My goal for each test, based on some reason, is to keep the first 75% of it at the modeled ability on Stryd and then after that I push...or attempt to.  The 3 minute test went well and at the time I felt like I had a bit more to give.  I rested for 20 minutes before attempting the 12 minute CP.  This was a couple of minutes of walking and then some running in zone 2 and mostly nose breathing (I've really been trying to keep my easy runs to nose breathing).  Again I took off on the CP test however this one felt a bit harder than the 3 minute one.  I only felt like I got into the groove at a couple of points.  I think because I had done the 3 minute CP test earlier I was a bit tired for this one which made it seem harder. As a result of these test my CP went up to 306 from 296.  I wasn't expecting a big jump and if I had to make a prediction this is what it would have been. About 10 watts more power.  

This new CP number is the number that I will take into the 5K on July 1st...I think.  I don't imagine doing a CP test between now and then.  The race itself will kind of act like a CP test for my A race at the end of August.  I'm going to cut down on some of the volume and put in some more intervals to "peak" for this 5K race.  Stryd is predicting that I can run a 5K at 312 watts in a time of 27:52 (+ or - 33 seconds).  Just thinking about this I want to believe that it's incorrect but I think that's my ego talking.  The course I'm going to run has an elevation loss in the first 2 miles and then a elevation gain the last mile. Things may change but I'm going to spend most of my intervals the next few weeks targeting this 312 watts strategy.  One thing I've come to realize with Stryd is that you need to race/test more to be comfortable with it.  I think I've been doing better this year with that.  But I need to spend more time at the 312 watts and see how it goes. 

Have a great week of running!