Then, a 45 min ramp-up through threshold on the Draconian Stair Torture machine, 30 min of elliptical, and 30 min of swim. Moderation is for other people.
The stair torture machine has a wattage readout, and just for the sheer geekiness of it, I recorded my wattages and heart rates for the ascending 5 minute intervals. Here's the data, which corresponds pretty well to a lactate threshold/VO2max test:
Presumably, the machine's wattage algorithm is fairly accurate. Power is force times velocity, which in this case would be:
Power = Mass x acceleration x upward velocity
Mass (weight) was entered to the nearest pound. The machine measured upward velocity, and acceleration is your standard acceleration due to gravity. It's calculating force against gravity at a known upward velocity (assuming one doesn't hold onto the railings), and asks for my weight to the nearest pound.
One year ago when I tested LTHR for bike, it was 147. Power at this HR was about 315W. Run LTHR is 155, with a power output of about 330W. This corresponds to a threshold power/weight ratio of either 3.7W/kg or 3.9W/kg depending on which threshold value I use. The correlation with bike power is unlikely to be perfect, but hopefully it's pretty good, as it indicates some improvement over my test from a year ago (285W).
Not bad for a big 'ol fella who busted his hip less than 3 mo ago.
