Decoupling at 3.23%

Yesterday I managed a brick, the first part of which was a 2 hour ride. I'd recently read an article by triathlon guru Joe Friel about decoupling. The concept is basically a measure to determine aerobic fitness over long periods of time. So I measured my average power output and heartrate for the first hour and then again for the second hour and the formula goes like this:

Quotient #1: Average power of 1st hour / Average hearrate of 1st hour: 193 / 136 = 1.419
Quotient #2: Average power of 2nd hour / Average hearrate of 2nd hour: 195/142 = 1.373
Quotient #1 - Quotient #2 = Quotient #3 = 1.419-1.373 = 0.0459
Quotient #3 / Quotient #1 = 0.0459 / 1.419 = 3.23% rate of decoupling

Apparently anything under a 5% rate of decoupling is "acceptable" and there is no bad, good, better, best... just "acceptable" and "unacceptable".

Unfortunately, for the half-ironman distance, I am supposed to complete a 3 hour ride and compare the first 1.5 hours to the second 1.5 hours. In other words, I still have some work ahead of me.

After 2 hours of steady-state riding, headed out to TGP for a 4 mile run with Isaac. The first 1.5 - 2 miles were tough, but by mile 3, I felt like I was getting into a groove. Need to continue to work on those BRICKS!