Good Test on Saturday with Dino, Rich and Jonathan........Got my a$$ handed to me as I expected. Always used to doing the 20 min power test on Trainer Road. Over the past year I haven't had any specific training plans just went out and road and road hard using my power numbers from my last race in Sept 2013. The 8.5 mile climb was definitely a change, I have done the climb before many times but racing the clock is different beast. If you ever want to put yourself in the hurt locker a 1 hr test uphill is the way to go.
Onto the numbers, FTP much lower than expected. New FTP is 88% of 2013, 274 vs 311. VI was 1.03 which I was happy about and NP was 280. Can only go up from here so that is the good news.
Going to really focus on losing weight this season and putting in as much quality work as possible with a 2 month old at home.
after following a 1/2 run focused plan, non-EN basketball plan and full on BB&J plan (beer, Ben & Jerry's) for a month, I can honestly say that my n=1 experiment to raise my FTP was a fail. Welcome to the OS!!
after following a 1/2 run focused plan, non-EN basketball plan and full on BB&J plan (beer, Ben & Jerry's) for a month, I can honestly say that my n=1 experiment to raise my FTP was a fail. Welcome to the OS!!
Yeah, I've tried those combinations of plans. It don't work, N = 2
I'd love to say "Vene, Vidi, Vici", but that would be lying. They conquered. Warmup was fine, by the end of the VO2, I felt like I was going to puke (though I did hit my vo2 target of 260). Then came the 20' test, where i blew up. I threw in the towel at the 10' mark, as i just wasnt feeling it. I did test a little over a month ago, and I'm just going to use those numbers as my base. In any case, compared to where i started last year, holy cow.
5' and 20' intervals for 2014 test 1 were 174 and 206 (ftp 165, 199 lbs, 1.74 w/kg) 2014 NOS final 229 and 271 This year my 5' and 20' intervals for test 1 were 230 and 259 (ftp 218, 204 lbs, 2.24 w/kg) http://bit.ly/1DmpY1x (blowup is here http://bit.ly/1swf1UG ) Goal for the end of the OS is ftp 250, 187 lbs, 2.80 w/kg)
Way to get those tests done! I came in here for a little motivation before starting mine this evening.
I've seen a couple other people on non-EN plans. I'm with you. I've been on the get fatter plan! I've gained 15+ pounds since LP (where I wasn't at ideal body comp to begin with) and haven't done a lot of quality work since then.
I was aiming for 265 today but the test went a little better than expected. I use the 2 X 20' protocol. 1st 20' was 280 watts, 2' break was 146 watts, 2nd 20' was 291 watts for an FTP of 283 expressed as 3.3 W/Kg.
I'll really be focusing on the Kg side of things the next couple of months. No more donuts and candy!
Finally got it done. Was harder than I remember.... maybe that's why I haven't tested since last OS...... but I digress.
End result was VO2 @ 232, FTP @ 194 and W/Kg @ 2.68 pretty much where I started last OS but never really progressed from because of my run focus mentality before Christmas then run only leading into my last go at Boston.
Pacing the VO2 part was pretty good, the clock didn't slow down till 3:30 or so and managed to hang on without fading. The FTP portion - not so much. By the 10 minute mark I didn't think I could make it and struggled a lot, fading for most of the final 6 minutes leaving me nauseous. I can't complain though, I have only been on my bike twice since Timberman in August. I look at this as the floor for my untrained self with no were to go but up.
My bike goal for the OS is to get up to or beyond 3.3 W/Kg.
Good news is that I tested on Oct 11th and my FTP was 157 so I'm already seeing progress but a far cry from my FTP in 2010 of 250.
Funny thing is looking back on my test results the more weight I lost, the higher my FTP and the fitter I was. Hence my other goal of lose a lb a week.
Did the bike test this morning. My first workout with Trainer Road and absolutely love it. So cool to see the workout on the computer screen, visual feedback on my power vs goal. Well worth the $10 and that is only after my first workout with it.
I was disappointed with my bike test, 220FTP quite a drop from my peak prior to CDA. But I should have expected such given my run only workouts leading up to Portland Marathon 3 weeks ago. I expect my power will ramp up pretty quickly as I'm now back in the saddle. Also the first time I have ever tested indoors so that probably brings it down 10+ watts. Excuses aside, I now have a baseline to log some big gains from.
Glad to be starting and as depressing as it was to see my results it is also motivation to bet back to where I was and then log some gains on top of that.
Just finished! Pretty happy overall. Increase of 9 watts since just before IM Maryland even though I haven't ridden since. Pacing was pretty good. Below is the 20' portion in 5 min blocks (a suggestion from a WSM years ago to help evaluate pacing)
VO2 Max - 5 min test
NP 282 (Avg 284)
Avg HR 151, Max HR 161
20’ FTP test -
First 5’ - 246 NP (Avg 249)
Second 5’ - 253 NP (Avg 254)
Third 5’ - 254 NP (Avg 254)
Final 5’ - 247 NP (Avg 247)
Overall - 249 NP (Avg 250) LTHR 162
Calculated FTP (95%) = 237
I also noticed that although it hurt like hell (like it's supposed to) and I honestly couldn't go another minute, I was able to maintain pretty consistent energy and have recovered pretty quickly. Maybe less inflammation due to low carbs? We'll have to see if that continues.
Congrats to all on your tests! Remember, this is just where we start... and begin to build our mental 6-pack.
OK, well that was a little disappointing. I thought I would have a pretty crappy test and a couple relatively easy weeks. Unfortunately, I tested higher than my (kinda low) race FTP for the year and about where I've been racing the last couple of years.
I survived my FTP test . . . at least I have that going for me!
Last time I tested was February in the OS, before I broke my leg and started on a downward spiral of injuries that ruined my season. My FTP then was 272 (although I'm a Girthy American, so 272 for me doesn't mean as much as for someone of the lighter persuasion).
Based on the 20 min. test, as read by the Kickr and TrainerRoad, my new FTP is 233. Since my Quarq consistently reads about 25-30 watts lower than the Kickr, I tracked the data with that also (I will eventually put my PowerTap wheel on my tri bike and compare the Quarq and the PT). My FTP based on the Quarq is 212, but that number is fairly useless for the OS since I will be on the trainer pretty much full time now.
Got the test done this afternoon. Probably not an ideal situation as I had been in the car riding for 4.5 hrs prior to going out for the test. Just 4 weeks post IMCHOO with mostly running and 1 bike since then. Numbers were down just a bit but it is what it is.
@Steve, I have a similar issue to you only with my bike workouts. I need to be well fueled going into the bike to hit my numbers. So unless I'm getting up at 3:30 am or so, it's not happening before work. I just need a gel and some sports drink for the run and I'm good to go. So I try to do that before work during the OS.
What does it mean that my FTP and Vo2 are so far apart?
Don, i'd say that either 1) you've got an incredible sprint or 2) you botched the 20'
how did you feel after the 20? was it a steady effort or a progression. a 40% diff between FTP and VO2 is huge, i think 20% is the more typical goal/difference
@steve I felt very tired at the end of 20 minutes. I did my test tonight after a day at work and 3 hours commuting - probably would have been smart to do it before work. I started the 20 min test too hard and faded over time. There were several points where my power dropped by more than 50% for a few seconds before I picked it back up.
FTP test done. Now I remember why I like them so much and that's because it feels so good when I can stop at the end of 20 minutes. So there's good news and bad news. The bad news is that my FTP is 23 points lower than at the end of the last NOS which is the last time I tested. The good news is that it's 12 points higher than it was at the beginning of NOS last year and my VO2 number is 27 points higher than it was this time last year. So I'll take that and build on it.
Previous test 7 weeks ago was 197W. Today I was good for 207W so my time spent in the bike focus plan has definitely helped. This is my first time over 200!! 5 min VO2 NP was 249W. Hopefully, I can keep up the progression.
oh lordy... about to seriously pull down the average here. Guess that's what you get when you essentially take a year off and you never did have a very strong FTP. ah well... nowhere to go but up! Please don't laugh
Finished the test this morning and although I felt pretty gross through the test, I was steady and even increased my power for the last 5 minutes of the Terrible Twenty. This is the first time I have used real power (Powertap) and so have nothing to compare with the Vitrual Power from last year.
VO2 345 Hrt 163
FTP 286 Hrt 166
84 kg this morning and will keep better track of this and food going in than last year. W/Kg - 3.4 Age 45
Good to see everybody's results and get back in the swing of things!
Due to some running on the weekend, I was a late tester. I got the test in early this morning and like most comments I read, I am not thrilled with where they fall. It is a slow start to the year of the bike! The numbers are:
VO2- 261
FTP- 234
I am having computer issues so I can't look it up, but I believe it is lower than where I started last OS which hurts the pride a lot (Editors note: I got the computer sorted out and was 2 watts off for NP for the 20 minutes, not quite as bad on the pride). It also means a lot of hammering the next 14 weeks to fix that. I finished last year's OS at 250 and beating that is the goal.
I will do the core stuff over lunch today and post there. Good start everyone, now the work begins!
Well after a long hiatus since IM WI 2009, I decided to sign up for the November OS plan. I didn't have high hopes or expectations for this test as I have not been consistently biking nor have I done any tests since then. After finishing my test, I was excited to see the results however my data has been hijacked by my Powertap 2.4. I cannot download the data despite updating the drivers and software. I suspect the cradle may be bad as this has happened to me in the past. Here are the estimated averages since I was watching my average power throughout the tests.
5 min - 280 Watts
20 min - 228 Watts
Definitely room from improvement but I also realize I have at least 30 lbs to lose.
Since then I've done the Short Course, followed by Get Faster, followed by the Bike Focus Plan.
Tested yesterday at - 270FTP (20 minutes at 284NP) 3.55w/kg
I had hoped for a touch more improvement since April, but a nearly 7% improvement in FTP in 6 months doesn't seem too bad. Hope to gain a few more in the OS
Had to wait till Tuesday morning to do bike test. The 5-min V02 was about where I'd expect (290) and the 20 min test was a little weaker than I expected (237 x 95% = 225). I think I was afraid to go out too hard - and I'm so not going to injure myself this year! I expect these #s to rise pretty quickly in the first 4-6 weeks. 2.6 w/kg has only 1 place to go - UP!
@ Tom Box - those are some great #s going into the OS. I'd love to be in that vicinity come March...lol
@Don Nowack regarding VO2 and threshold being far apart:
It means that you have significant room to grow on the FTP, which is actually a good thing. You should be able to get FTP to be in the neighborhood of 80-85% of VO2 max. It MAY mean that you talk to the coaches about hacking your plan to convert some fraction of your VO2 rides to FTP...since raising the latter is more important to you than raising the former. There have been various recipes for this tossed out each year (either just straight FTP intervals or some 4-5 minute 105-110% type intervals.).
In a sense, having a high VO2 relative to FTP is good news in that we know your absolute strength is already there. Just need to get the endurance up on the "not quite as hard" end.
As I said, I tested on Saturday and hommie don't do formal interval training. Instead, I have local routes on which I target specific segments. I meet Dino at his place at the base of Chantry flats and we basically hit these segments as hard as we can. It's an awesome ride...but jeebus is it hard!
The segments I'll be targeting over time:
Chantry Flats: today was 20:18 @ 290w, about 30" faster than last week.
Canon to Carter Vo2: 4:53 @ 326w, 6" faster than last week.
Carriage House Wall: 1:21 @ 306w, 12" faster than last week.
Altadena - NY - Lake Velo Route: 19:08 @ 279w, 25" faster than last week.
There's another few climbs sorta near the end, but I look at these as extra credit = crushing is optional
In between segments I recover, drink and just chill.
2:12 ride time, 4300ft gain, 31 miles, 1500 kj before breakfast. Not a bad day!
Comments
Last test was done in April that resulted in an FTP of 229. Today 207. Wow. Expected a drop but not that big.
w/kg = 2.49 at 183lbs
Vo2 was 269
Good luck to those that still have testing to do!
Reid
Onto the numbers, FTP much lower than expected. New FTP is 88% of 2013, 274 vs 311. VI was 1.03 which I was happy about and NP was 280. Can only go up from here so that is the good news.
Going to really focus on losing weight this season and putting in as much quality work as possible with a 2 month old at home.
Good luck to everyone today!
Yeah, I've tried those combinations of plans. It don't work, N = 2
5' and 20' intervals for
2014 test 1 were 174 and 206 (ftp 165, 199 lbs, 1.74 w/kg)
2014 NOS final 229 and 271
This year my 5' and 20' intervals for test 1 were 230 and 259 (ftp 218, 204 lbs, 2.24 w/kg) http://bit.ly/1DmpY1x (blowup is here http://bit.ly/1swf1UG )
Goal for the end of the OS is ftp 250, 187 lbs, 2.80 w/kg)
I've seen a couple other people on non-EN plans. I'm with you. I've been on the get fatter plan! I've gained 15+ pounds since LP (where I wasn't at ideal body comp to begin with) and haven't done a lot of quality work since then.
I was aiming for 265 today but the test went a little better than expected. I use the 2 X 20' protocol. 1st 20' was 280 watts, 2' break was 146 watts, 2nd 20' was 291 watts for an FTP of 283 expressed as 3.3 W/Kg.
I'll really be focusing on the Kg side of things the next couple of months. No more donuts and candy!
End result was VO2 @ 232, FTP @ 194 and W/Kg @ 2.68 pretty much where I started last OS but never really progressed from because of my run focus mentality before Christmas then run only leading into my last go at Boston.
Pacing the VO2 part was pretty good, the clock didn't slow down till 3:30 or so and managed to hang on without fading. The FTP portion - not so much. By the 10 minute mark I didn't think I could make it and struggled a lot, fading for most of the final 6 minutes leaving me nauseous. I can't complain though, I have only been on my bike twice since Timberman in August. I look at this as the floor for my untrained self with no were to go but up.
My bike goal for the OS is to get up to or beyond 3.3 W/Kg.
Good news is that I tested on Oct 11th and my FTP was 157 so I'm already seeing progress but a far cry from my FTP in 2010 of 250.
Funny thing is looking back on my test results the more weight I lost, the higher my FTP and the fitter I was. Hence my other goal of lose a lb a week.
I was disappointed with my bike test, 220FTP quite a drop from my peak prior to CDA. But I should have expected such given my run only workouts leading up to Portland Marathon 3 weeks ago. I expect my power will ramp up pretty quickly as I'm now back in the saddle. Also the first time I have ever tested indoors so that probably brings it down 10+ watts. Excuses aside, I now have a baseline to log some big gains from.
Glad to be starting and as depressing as it was to see my results it is also motivation to bet back to where I was and then log some gains on top of that.
Just finished! Pretty happy overall. Increase of 9 watts since just before IM Maryland even though I haven't ridden since. Pacing was pretty good. Below is the 20' portion in 5 min blocks (a suggestion from a WSM years ago to help evaluate pacing)
VO2 Max - 5 min test
NP 282 (Avg 284)
20’ FTP test -
First 5’ - 246 NP (Avg 249)
Second 5’ - 253 NP (Avg 254)
Third 5’ - 254 NP (Avg 254)
Final 5’ - 247 NP (Avg 247)
Overall - 249 NP (Avg 250) LTHR 162
Calculated FTP (95%) = 237
I also noticed that although it hurt like hell (like it's supposed to) and I honestly couldn't go another minute, I was able to maintain pretty consistent energy and have recovered pretty quickly. Maybe less inflammation due to low carbs? We'll have to see if that continues.
Congrats to all on your tests! Remember, this is just where we start... and begin to build our mental 6-pack.
http://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/621659345
5 minute segment 264 W ave power
20 minute segment 252 W AP.
95% of 252 = 239. Grrrr.
I guess this means I have to work now. :-)
Last time I tested was February in the OS, before I broke my leg and started on a downward spiral of injuries that ruined my season. My FTP then was 272 (although I'm a Girthy American, so 272 for me doesn't mean as much as for someone of the lighter persuasion).
Based on the 20 min. test, as read by the Kickr and TrainerRoad, my new FTP is 233. Since my Quarq consistently reads about 25-30 watts lower than the Kickr, I tracked the data with that also (I will eventually put my PowerTap wheel on my tri bike and compare the Quarq and the PT). My FTP based on the Quarq is 212, but that number is fairly useless for the OS since I will be on the trainer pretty much full time now.
Here is the full data set from the Kickr & TR:
Segment Time KJ TSS NP P Tgt. W/Kg. HR Cad.
Workout 01:00:00 702 92 223 195 209 1.95 133 84
High Cad. 1 00:01:00 16 2 248 267 272 2.68 123 101
High Cad. 2 00:01:00 16 2 259 280 286 2.81 129 98
High Cad. 3 00:01:00 17 2 271 293 299 2.94 132 98
5 Min 00:05:00 90 14 301 302 296 3.03 147 86
20 Min Test 00:20:00 296 37 246 246 289 2.47 152 90
Test: Q. 1 00:05:00 77 10 252 256 284 2.57 142 91
Test: Half 1 00:10:00 148 19 248 248 287 2.49 148 90
Test: Q. 2 00:05:00 71 9 243 239 291 2.4 153 89
Test: Q. 3 00:05:00 70 9 235 236 291 2.36 155 90
Test: Half 2 00:10:00 147 18 244 245 291 2.46 157 91
Test: Q. 4 00:05:00 76 10 252 254 291 2.55 159 92
VO2 = 257 FTP = 186 Wgt = 178 w/kg = 2.36
What does it mean that my FTP and Vo2 are so far apart?
VO2 -291
FTP - 213
http://members.endurancenation.us/Forums/tabid/57/aft/16270/Default.aspx
@Steve, I have a similar issue to you only with my bike workouts. I need to be well fueled going into the bike to hit my numbers. So unless I'm getting up at 3:30 am or so, it's not happening before work. I just need a gel and some sports drink for the run and I'm good to go. So I try to do that before work during the OS.
Don, i'd say that either 1) you've got an incredible sprint or 2) you botched the 20'
how did you feel after the 20? was it a steady effort or a progression. a 40% diff between FTP and VO2 is huge, i think 20% is the more typical goal/difference
Previous test 7 weeks ago was 197W. Today I was good for 207W so my time spent in the bike focus plan has definitely helped. This is my first time over 200!! 5 min VO2 NP was 249W. Hopefully, I can keep up the progression.
I have a love/hate relationship with the testing. I dread the thought of putting myself through it beforehand but love it when I get it done
VO2 336
FTP 292
Watts/kg 3.84
Goal is to get above 300 and 4.0
Tom
oh lordy... about to seriously pull down the average here. Guess that's what you get when you essentially take a year off and you never did have a very strong FTP. ah well... nowhere to go but up! Please don't laugh
VO2 - 177
FTP - 130
w/kg - 2.2
VO2 345 Hrt 163
FTP 286 Hrt 166
84 kg this morning and will keep better track of this and food going in than last year. W/Kg - 3.4 Age 45
Good to see everybody's results and get back in the swing of things!VO2- 261
FTP- 234
I am having computer issues so I can't look it up, but I believe it is lower than where I started last OS which hurts the pride a lot (Editors note: I got the computer sorted out and was 2 watts off for NP for the 20 minutes, not quite as bad on the pride). It also means a lot of hammering the next 14 weeks to fix that. I finished last year's OS at 250 and beating that is the goal.
I will do the core stuff over lunch today and post there. Good start everyone, now the work begins!
Well after a long hiatus since IM WI 2009, I decided to sign up for the November OS plan. I didn't have high hopes or expectations for this test as I have not been consistently biking nor have I done any tests since then. After finishing my test, I was excited to see the results however my data has been hijacked by my Powertap 2.4. I cannot download the data despite updating the drivers and software. I suspect the cradle may be bad as this has happened to me in the past. Here are the estimated averages since I was watching my average power throughout the tests.
5 min - 280 Watts
20 min - 228 Watts
Definitely room from improvement but I also realize I have at least 30 lbs to lose.
Since then I've done the Short Course, followed by Get Faster, followed by the Bike Focus Plan.
Tested yesterday at - 270FTP (20 minutes at 284NP) 3.55w/kg
I had hoped for a touch more improvement since April, but a nearly 7% improvement in FTP in 6 months doesn't seem too bad. Hope to gain a few more in the OS
VO2 Max - 221
FTP - 175.
Yup this hurt me pretty bad.
@ Tom Box - those are some great #s going into the OS. I'd love to be in that vicinity come March...lol
It means that you have significant room to grow on the FTP, which is actually a good thing. You should be able to get FTP to be in the neighborhood of 80-85% of VO2 max. It MAY mean that you talk to the coaches about hacking your plan to convert some fraction of your VO2 rides to FTP...since raising the latter is more important to you than raising the former. There have been various recipes for this tossed out each year (either just straight FTP intervals or some 4-5 minute 105-110% type intervals.).
In a sense, having a high VO2 relative to FTP is good news in that we know your absolute strength is already there. Just need to get the endurance up on the "not quite as hard" end.
Tuesday Urban Climbing Bonanza
As I said, I tested on Saturday and hommie don't do formal interval training. Instead, I have local routes on which I target specific segments. I meet Dino at his place at the base of Chantry flats and we basically hit these segments as hard as we can. It's an awesome ride...but jeebus is it hard!
The segments I'll be targeting over time:
There's another few climbs sorta near the end, but I look at these as extra credit = crushing is optional
In between segments I recover, drink and just chill.
2:12 ride time, 4300ft gain, 31 miles, 1500 kj before breakfast. Not a bad day!