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TrainingPeaks.com getting smarter? It told me my FTP... Via email.

Dino SartiDino Sarti
in General Training Discussions

I got a really interesting email from TrainingPeaks.com today within a few minutes of uploading my power file from today's FTP test.  Here is a screen grab of the email:

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I have gotten a few of these since getting back on the bike, but I never gave them much thought because I was not actually testing.  Also, my FTP has been moving steadily since getting back on the bike in January after crashing.  

This time, however, I was testing and was really interested that it nailed it without me doing anything.  There was a 20 minute interval, but there didn't need to be.  It just looks for the best 20 minutes of the ride and then checks to see how it compares to your FTP.

My protocol for testing has always been hill repeats right behind my house.  The hill is 3.1 miles long with an average grade of 7.4%.  The protocol has always been to spin up the hill once, descend, then turn myself inside out and time trial the second ascent.  Then I take the normal power for the second climd, subtract 7% and that is the FTP I use.  Before you judge me, Coach R taught me this method, cause he also uses this hill.    Here is what the profile looks like:

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The first ascent is a warm up and generally takes about 25 minutes doing about 90% of last tested FTP.  The goal for the second ascent is to break 20', cause that how the big dawgs do it.  I roll with the puppies.  My PR best is 21:12.

Based on the NEW EN protocol, I hit "lap" after 20' and then continued another 2:23 to the top for a pretty good 22:23 total.  Keeping in mind was PR was set on Roadie with climbing wheels and this test was done on my P3 with 404's

Any whoo, all this is just background info and I digress.  Here TP info from the test interval:

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If you check it out, Pnorm is 281 and Pavg is 280.  VI is 1.00.  Pretty good for me testing outside.  So, if you apply the new EN protocol, and take 5% of the interval Pavg of 280 you get 14.  280 less the 14 (5%) get you 266.  Check the email from TP above - 266 watts!  Pretty cool, eh?

Also of note for me personally, my last test before my crash/ broken collar bone in December gave me an FTP of 267.  Starting to feel like my old self again!  

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