With the 2008 Double Bong 40K TT done, I thought I’d compare it to last year’s. Both races were target races for me and my bike setup was pretty much the same. The comparisons should provide some insight to my training.

2007 MATTS Double Bong 40K TT
1:00:12 – 24.3 MPH – 255 watts

2008 MATTS Double Bong 40K TT
58:01 – 25.4 MPH – 266 watts

Hmmmm. Going by time and speed, it looks like I really improved. However, my wattage isn’t that much of an improvement. My FTP was 270 watts last year and is 300 watts this year (based on my intervals and testing). So, where did the games come from? (BTW, the weather conditions were very similar at both races)

I think a big part of it is pacing and power usage. I went back and looked at my power files and my 2008 power output was much smoother. I think I’ve gained a better sense of when to push it and when to conserve. This will lead to faster times on a rolling course with similar power outputs. Here’s a visual comparison:

2007 MATTS Double Bong 40K TT Power Output

2008 MATTS Double Bong 40K TT Power Output