As Adam says, it’s probably the more important number on raceday. I don’t really use it in training, as I’ll just use lap average power for any intervals, or climbs, etc that I am planning to work harder during.
But on my race screen it’s NP and IF that I’m largely focused on, and trying to be as smooth as possible to keep those on target (in line with my interval best bike split targets)
EDIT - easier just to show my race screen. I actually kept my 520 for racing as its smaller, and if someone did choose to nick my Garmin, it’s also the one I care less about.
I forgot I had that one speed-ave data field. Its a combo field, showing current speed in big numbers and ave speed in the little numbers.
I structure my screen with the most important stuff nearer the top. My main two things are really 3s power and BBS target power. Cadence is then useful just to ensure I’m not overly spinning or slipping to an excessive grind. Distance and time are things I want to occasionally look at, but they’re at the bottom otherwise out of the way
It’s just easier than doing the maths, and means you can still use manual laps for certain segments whilst also easily knowing your overall race intensity.
I’m fairly dialled into knowing that 0.8-0.85 is the sweetspot for me to still run well off the bike in a half. I was aiming for 0.7 in my full, but only did about 0.67 in the end. That’s where some maths still comes in … I could tell I was still flying along speed wise, and was going to do a good time (for me), so played conservative.
Once you run a best bike split simulation (you upload a [simulated] race file with power data, in race kit, and it estimates your cda, and then you enter your race course, power target/IF and it will produce segmental power goals throughout the ride that will deliver you the best raw time for that power), you can upload a course to your Garmin and then that Connect IQ field will automatically tell you what power you should be aiming for at that moment in time.
I think you need a subscription to be able to download the course file, but you could just get a 1 month subscription for not too much if only doing one race. You can definitely do one race simulation without subscribing, and then just note down any key power segment changes it suggests. Stick them on your top tube or something?
It’s very much cherry on top though, and the Cotswold course is so flat, there’s probably not enough variability to necessitate anything that complicated. It does factor in weather and wind, including deep level forecasts to even account for forecast wind variability through the ride, so that can conceptually help if it’s not a calm day.
Mainly it just takes some thinking out of the equation. As people frequently say long course tri is a large part mental, taking away as much of the thinking as possible is upside from my perspective.
But as you say, on a course like CC, unless it’s real windy, a power target per lap should be fine. There’s one little lump each lap that would barely register.
I’ll bear that in mind closer to the time if it all goes ahead.
They got rid of that last year as part of Covid adaptations. In my feedback to Graeme I said I preferred the new course. Not sure if they are reverting or sticking with the revised one?
According to the website, the 113 in June (presumably still under COVID restrictions) is a completely new course, although similar to the flat badger approved route used before. But the Classic in July (post COVID in theory) reverts to the original loop with the short sharp shock at the far end.
I’ve wanted some metrics, to at a minimum, capture and display ‘stopped time’ which during ultras is fairly important. After some digging I found this. It may only be of use to lunatics like myself and @Matthew_Spooner and possibly @Poet who we know loves zero stopping time on rides.
That takes up two data fields though. With this you can have the below on there!
Yes I know total time is a normal available field but the other aren’t. Overall speed being a total average including stopped time.
