I guess I’m still confused as to why the system is not giving me understandable data.
Firstly, it shows my CP as 208 but then says that my Long Distance Bike Pace should be 165-180. That’s 79%-85% of my CP!
I thought 65%-70% was a good target?
(Full disclosure, I did go out and do a 5:45 bike last week and held 165W the entire time and then had a good brick run afterwards so I guess it’s possible but either the calculation is off or my CP is off.)
Does this have something to do with the fact that my Cycling Power Profile refuses to update? Since it continues to use average power versus average moving power, it is giving me bad data. It says my max power over 5 hours is 145 despite my 165 ride last week.
So I just manually added the ride, but it didn’t use that data for some reason. Not sure what’s going on.
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CP vs. Zone Definitions
165–180W at CP=208 (79–85%) sits solidly in upper Z3 / tempo territory.
“long-distance race pace” sits in the zone3a range for Ironman bike pace for well-trained athletes, not just a Zone 2 training ride. For strong, well-adapted riders, IM bike legs are often ~75–80% CP for men and ~72–78% CP for women.
I recognize that 79–85% can be a little aggressive for most everyday athletes , more like front-of-pack Ironman pacing. It assumes excellent durability, fueling, and heat management.
However, your 5:45 at 165W with a good brick run suggests your durability is strong and your CP test might actually be underestimating your real CP (if you can ride ~79% for nearly 6 hours and run well after, your “true” CP could be >208).
OR—you’re exceptionally well-trained for long steady output, meaning you can “punch above your weight” in the endurance zone without burning out.
When was the last time you did Power Profile test?
Possible next steps to check:
- Re-test CP with fresh legs and a correct protocol—many underestimate CP by testing fatigued or under-motivated.
- Compare HR drift from that 5:45 ride: If your HR stayed steady and RPE was moderate, you’re likely sitting in a sustainable zone despite the %CP looking high.
- Adjust target ranges for your physiology: Your sustainable Ironman %CP might be higher than what you think.
MJ
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Find “rested” time is difficult forty days out from IM but this is a recovery week so I would guess that’s as good as it gets
I have a two hour and twenty minuteAerobic Development ride on Tuesday, another of the same on Thursday and an interval ride of an hour and twenty on Saturday, which should I swap out?
And is this the best thing to put in there?
(This is about the same length of my Saturday run and the same load but it’s on Saturday.)
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I would swap out Saturday with FTP test.
