Hi,
I’m looking for thoughts on which athlete type to select for an Alpine Gran Fondo (Maratona Dolomites) which I am participating in this summer.
I see previous advice is to look at similar events and see what Focus that ended up at - I did the Etape du Tour last year, and XERT pegs my effort as Sprint Time Trialist (which seems a bit odd but this is probably driven by the polarity of the event - 4 x 1 hour sections climbing the big mountains (first two at 90% of threshold, last two more like Lower Threshold!!), minimal efforts on the long descents, mostly lower intensity on the flat bits in between).
I’m not quick and don’t have massive aspirations to be (Etape was 10 hours gun time, 8hrs 50 mins moving) so I am thinking of sticking with Century Rider - the Climber type looks more geared for those looking to “race” up the climbs by making surges and needing to recover and then go again. I’m more about just keeping going at a sustainable level.
I’d be grateful to hear anyone’s thoughts or experiences.
Assuming you have sufficient historical power meter data I suggest you select Ranking then scroll down to view the spider chart. The chart is roughly a quadrant comprised of sprinters, attackers, all-rounders, and endurance categories. Century Rider and Sprint Time-Trialist are in the Endurance group. Gran Fondo by definition would apply here.
Details at: http://baronbiosys.com/choosing-your-athlete-type/
The spider chart will indicate what you’re good at. The Y-axis number range indicates the highest percentile reached currently. Hover over the dots to see how you rank within each athlete type. Select Age Group and Gender in top right if interested in that comparison.
In your case an endurance type will be your target but you can always decide to work on a weakness by changing your athlete type for a period of time. This will affect recommended workouts and focus. Or use the workout selector on occasion to filter workouts by type and duration to challenge yourself outside of your selected athlete type.
One of the best things I like about Xert is the variability and o ptions to shift things around while you work towards your goals. You’re not tied to any particular pre-defined plan for weeks on end.
And when things don’t go according to plan (weather, health, family, etc.) it’s automatically factored in.
Couldn’t have said that any better. Thanks!!