Power Meter Project 2007 – Marc Moeller

Today I will introduce you to the third participant in the Power Meter Project 2007: Marc Moeller. There are 6 participants, and their training programs start at the beginning of 2007.

Name: Marc Moeller
Age: 36
Power meter: Power Tap Pro

How would you describe yourself as a cyclist?
I am a third-year Category 3 USCF cyclist who participates primarily in the road, and criterium racing, with some cycle-cross racing in the fall. I want to move to category 2 by the end of the year or die! I have been riding seriously for about five years and much longer than that casually.

My current team is Northbranch Cycling Club. I have always loved riding bikes. I even raced BMX 20″bikes as a kid but grew out of that. I am currently 180lbs and 6’2″. My body fat is low, about 11%, but I think my ideal racing weight is about 177lb. My strengths include a tough minded spirit that will not give up even when it looks like the race is lost. I have good power across the range. My sprint could be better. I need more of an ability to go anaerobic in races and recover quickly, settle down, and then grind right at my threshold for longer periods. Consequently, I lack a bit of confidence in my ability to ride off the front in a breakaway situation and hold my position once there.

What are your previous experiences with power meter training?
I have been using my power tap for only one season previous to this. Last season I used it during an indoor time trial series and really liked its measurement of details like power, cadence, heart rate, and speed. I also liked using it for repeatability in interval workouts and to get a general idea of how hard, overall, a group ride was compared to another. I never really raced with it, though. I used it in training only.

What is your main goal with the Power Meter Project 2007?
My goals for the project are to find out if strict interval work over time will push my lactate threshold power up substantially. After a long lead-out effort, I also would like to have a more impressive sprint. Finally, I also would like to have those really tough 4-5min super hard efforts in me that determine the course of a race.