I have just discovered yet another excellent use for power data that is hopefully worth sharing. After a long ride last Sunday I felt unusually weak and indeed the next day got some cold symptoms. Tuesday I spent the whole day in bed but was back at work Wednesday. As my symptoms weren't so bad I did easy endurance type training sessions the rest of the week on an indoor trainer where I limited my max HR to 136.
Without the quantitative data of the power meter I'd have only been able to guess how much stronger i felt after being ill. With it I have a precise measurement of recovery. Here is a summary of my average power & HR data this week.
Wed - 40 mins, 92 rpm, 132 bpm, 165 Watts, TSS=23
Thur - 60 mins, 90 rpm, 134 bpm, 184 Watts, TSS=44
Fri - 60 mins, 90 rpm, 134 bpm, 199 Watts, TSS=52
I know based on similar workouts pre-illness that I'm fairly close to a full recovery and can consider resuming increased intensity workouts in a couple of days.