Randy,
With the riders we coach at RST many of them use a power meter (either the Power Tap or SRM) and we see big improvements. In some cases we see hugely significant increases in power, which is really heartening.
A couple of years ago i didn't race and my sustainable power and MAP were only mediocore, once i started training properly i saw huge gains in power (> 15%). Of course, with such huge gains i also intuitively knew i'd improved, however, as i got fitter the magnitude of the gains decreases and it can be difficult to objectively assess improvement without a power meter.
additionally, i find training with a power meter to be much more efficient in terms of time management -- i can cut down on the training that does little to improve fitness and target the specific training that really improves performance, so that i see gains in shorter periods of time allowing me to get on with other things (e.g., family, work, etc).
I'd say the single biggest improvement that can be made to your training is to get a coach (at RST we are leading experts in coaching with power and other methods) and after that a power meter is a great tool.
Not everyone though, has the time and energy to understand and use a power meter and at RST even if you don't want to use one of our coaching packages we can also help you to understand the data from a power meter.
If you like some help, don't hesitate to contact myself or RST at [email hidden]
ric
Randybaker99 said:Has anyone been training with power for a few years and has seen measurable or better, dramatic improvements in performance? Anyone want to share their story?
Now I think I need to add more structure to take me to the next level, but I am having trouble getting passionate about interval training. Without a coach and without any personal experience with intervals or power-based training, I am in need of a little inspiration to get me started.
Thanks!
