Download Typhoon for Windows
You can install Typhoon by clicking the icon at the right. This will open OneDrive from where you download the executable file Typhoonxx.exe where xx is the version number, an example reference file, and an example .fit file
Then proceed as described below
Typhoon
The Typhoon application offers an analysis of acute anaerobic exhaustion and recovery. It is understood that before using Typhoon.exe you have read the pages Critical Power and EXREC
Typhoon is the intellectual property of Charles Dauwe
Before anything else we must remember 2 important principles when using model computations, analysis or simulations
A physical – mathematical model will never ever be absolutely perfect because it is impossible to grasp the incredible complexity of human performances, nor to consider all possible hidden circumstances or complications. This is also true for our Typhoon Cycling model. This model considers extreme fatigue to occur upon depletion of the anaerobic reserve. This is true for a great number of cases but extreme fatigue may also occur in other ways and for other reasons.
The quality and reliability of any results can never be better than the quality of basic input data. In our case we need 5 reference power-duration data and recorded power data files.
The purpose of this application is analyzing the anaerobic reserve of cyclists from recorded power files.
This means that you will need the following
Any on-bike Power Meter and its related data storage.
The recorded power files from your training or races. Accepted power files are either in .fit format or .csv format
Some reference [Power-Duration] data obtained from test or previous rides. These might be selected values from your MMP data, but recording a few specific test are vastly preferred.
These reference data are to be recorded (manually) into a very simple plain text file such as e.g. example.txt as shown here. These values are your very best average power values over 2, 5, 10, 20, 40 minutes, and your weight.
On start up the GUI screen will be empty.
The first thing to do is clicking Choose File. This will open your browser where you can choose any [Power-Duration] reference file. In this case we choose the reference refs2021.txt from cyclist Mychamp.
If you are a trainer/coach you may have one or more of these files for different riders, at different dates.
On clicking OK the reference data are read and the extended CP analysis will be performed. The results are then show in the right hand column.
If the ‘Show CP-plot ?’ box is checked, the extended CP analysis is also shown in a graph such as shown above. This graph allows you to evaluate the quality of your reference values. You should see a neat 2-segment graph. If it is not the case, maybe you must do some more testing or hard rides.
Close the CP- graph to continue.
Next we are selecting a power data file by clicking Browse
We choose 10 Mintest.csv from MychampData
We still have to decide about the last 3 fields , Region of Interest ROI and the Smooth factor
ROI starts at and Ends at : You can leave these value at 0, which means that all the data from the power file are used. In order to see the fine details of a training or race we can define a ROI (Region Of Interest) e.g. from 3000 to 3500 seconds
The Smooth factor will affect only the vision of the power data in the graphs. It does not affect the raw data that are used for the calculations. Some visual smoothing may be useful. A 6-hour race will yield 21600 wildly varying data points, in which case a smooth factor of 10 or more is adequate. However when analyzing short laps such as interval training we better leave the smooth factor at 1
Finally we can click Submit
If all goes well we get a graphical output and a numerical output into a console window.
In the lower part of the graph we see 2 horizontal dotted lines. The green line is the recovery threshold RT, the red line is the supercritical power SCP.
As we see in this example analysis the anaerobic balance goes slightly negative because this test indeed was a better 10 minutes than any previous value. Typhoon detects this new value, but does not update it automatically because it is up to you to accept or reject it. If you accept it you simply modify the proper field in the reference .txt file
This new best value is seen in the console output. Here it is 434 Watt for 10 minutes
After closing the figure you may choose to do another analysis on the same or other data or to quit.
On executing Typhoon.exe you will see the basic GUI screen.
This first startup may take some time before you see this screen, up to 2 or more minutes. Restarting will take only a few seconds.
Some real life examples
The first example is an international WT cyclist riding the famous Milan - San Remo race. Let us call him John. John weighs 70 kg. Because this race is 7 hours long we will show only the last part of some 1,2 hours which is where things happen. The first 5.8 hours are ridden at a “leisurely” pace well below RT for all cyclists, except for a small allowed breakaway group with no significance for the end result.
In the lower part of the graph we see the 5 famous hills i.e. the 3 cape, capo Mele, capo Cervo, capo Berta, then Cipressa and finally the Poggio di San Remo. The green dotted line represents the riders recovery threshold RT = 344 W and the red dotted line is his Supercritical power SCP = 481 W.
The final rush to the finish really starts at the foot of capo Berta. Here John rides in the Fast Death zone and depletes his W’bal to 20%. He recovers in the downhill of capo Berta. John tries a break-away in the first part of the Cipressa but has to give up when he reaches zero or even slightly negative anaerobic reserve. He get caught by the bunch and luckily John can slow down and even recover in the second half of the climb. This illustrates that recovery is possible even while climbing. On the Poggio he has understood that breaking away is no option for him and he stays at the front part of the bunch without trying to follow 2 or 3 attacking riders. This way he keeps a reserve of approx. 40% when approaching the finish line . Finally he manages to keep calm and even to sprint to a top-10 place.
On Cipressa and Poggio Johns heart rate is higher than 175 bpm except during the 2 short downhills.
The second example is for Jack who is one of Johns team mates. His data show quite a different evolution of his anaerobic reserve. Jack weighs 80 kg and compared to John he has a somewhat higher RT =359 W but a lower SCP = 464 W.
His intense efforts are mainly on the 3 cape and most of all on capo Berta. He really goes all the way in order to keep his leader John in good position and out of the wind on these climbs and he comes to anaerobic exhaustion on top of capo Berta.
However on capo Berta his task as a helper is almost finished and on the last 2 climbs, Cipressa and Poggio, he simply settles at the back of the bunch.
He recovers completely, his heart rate drops to 125 and even below 100 bpm when passing the finish line.
It is interesting to examine the different load indexes, not only for the final 1.2 hours but also for the full ride of more than 7 hours
Our third example is a young cyclist Jimmy competing in the Nordic Race of Norway in 2021. We show this example specially in order to debunk one the tenacious but erroneous popular beliefs that in final stages a cyclist can burn only 1 match or can “shoot only 1 cartouche”.
Stage 1 of this 4-day tour ends with 4 local laps with a short steep climb in each lap. The altitude gain is almost 90 m at each climb.
At each climb Jimmy produces average power over 500 W during 4 minutes, averages heart rate up to 180 bpm and he spectacularly draws his anaerobic reserve to zero. We can say that he gets acutely exhausted 4 times but also recovers to around 70% of W’ each time. This was certainly the best he could do in these circumstances.