Everyone is making such great gains - congratulations!
My test was a tough one. I wasn't feeling 100%, considered delaying the test a day, but I went ahead and did it anyway. My results are complicated by a switch from TrainerRoad virtual power (TRVP) to the PowerTap P1 pedal-based power meter (PM), but the bottom line is my FTP went up by approximately 10W (apples to apples comparison).
The depressing truth is that, for me, the TrainerRoad Virtual Power (TRVP) is about 15W too high. Here are the results:
Wk1 FTP (TRVP): 188W
Wk8 FTP (TRVP): 198W
Wk8 FTP (PM): 183W
Like others I attempted to ramp up my power as the test went on. This worked for the first half of the 20' test, but things got really ugly in the third 5' split. My cadence (and power) kept slipping and each time it took all of my willpower to pull it back up. I managed to rally a bit at the end. I know I left it all on the bike because I could barely climb the stairs from the garage into the house.
Some very impressive bumps in the numbers everyone! Very inspiring. I went against Coach P's direct orders to not get sick, and caught my sons Bubonic plague this past Sunday, as did 4 of my 5 family members. I was down hard for 2 days, then let one more day pass on Tuesday to gain some strength. Tried the FTP test this morning, and fell off the wagon during the 5 min Z5 with a meager 110% effort. Thought that would be the end of my test, but just stayed the course to see what the 20 min session would hold. Was very surprised to hold 104% (349np) for 15 mins, then emptied the tank to get a 2 watt bump (106%), with 356NP for 20mins, and 338NP new FTP. These numbers are at the upper end that I have ever seen, so any increase feels like moving a mountain. I will take the 2W increase with a smile, especially with the way the week started. Good luck with the run tests everyone! Mine will come Friday morning, so I get a day of rest after this mornings beating.
@ Mike and Dave- THANK YOU SO MUCH for all the advice on pacing. It was extremely helpful and I appreciate your feedback!
Unfortunately- my test was a fail. Just could not push through it. Even though I pumped myself as much as possible, made a plan, it was not in the cards. I knew it after the first quick spin ups.....And I just could not push hard enough. My HR was not near what it should be after 8 mins....so I pulled the plug. The past 6 days I have been battling a "stomach" thing. Not sure what is going on- its like a digestion intestinal issue that I cannot quite solve. I am also living at my parents house this week to watch their insane dogs while they are away. (I can't bring them to my house bc my 120lb akita will get extremely annoyed at them....not hurt them....but you get the picture) So my husband is living at our house... I am here...I stopped at my house after work to do my test- 1st mistake- I kept thinking- gotta get this done- gotta go take those dogs out- I tried to mentally prepare myself with my motivational videos ect.....it just was not a good set up....and my stomach was hurting still- UGH just annoying. I SO WANTED TO TEST WELL. I could go on and on about what led up to this failure- but no one wants to hear my excuses. I need to learn from what happened. I dont want that to happen again. I stopped and was SO UPSET and MAD at myself. I calmed down and looked at it glass half full. Need to not have such a time crunch- need to get rid of this damn stomach thing- fuel better- and no that this is all a game. I also want to try to do what a few of you were speaking of over the next few weeks....bump my FTP workouts up each week so that I have a better idea what I am capable of.
Thanks for listening and WAY TO GO everyone with these awesome results!!!
Think my plan is to test on Tuesday----I could do Friday but I will still be dog sitting and want to give a little extra time to get my stomach better.
@ Laura, I feel your pain and frustration, it seems like it was just yesterday when I was in a similar place. Oh wait, it was YESTERDAY! Jeez, it feels like it was longer than that. Get yourself well and tackle it when things are ready for you. I went for a run today and it felt pretty effortless. It's amazing what a good dose of endorphins will do for the spirit. You know, there are WSMs and at least one coach on the team that never do these tests and they do pretty well at this game.
@Laura, a good idea to wait 'til the stomach and life situations settle out next week. Remember it's just a bike test--you are only assessing the fitness that you already have and won't be losing. Get mentally prepared. You can do great on Tuesday.
Hope the stomach clears up quick. That's no fun even outside the workouts.
@Kim - If you have a ANT+ speed sensor, TrainerRoad will use that data to calculate a virtual power that you can use to follow the workouts and follow your progress. You just need an ANT+ to plug into the USB. Check out https://www.trainerroad.com/virtual-power.
Also, I am not sure if you are the one who asked, but if you click on the help button on the bottom right of your screen (when logged into EN) they will set you up for access. You do have to have an account with TrainerRoad which costs $10 per month. Sorry if you already knew all this. I believe there is also a Thread on TrainerRoad in the Outseason Forum.
Kim, I use power but I used HR for many years, as did a lot of folks here, so ask away. As for your second question, if your HR was lower and the distance you traveled was the same or longer then that's a good thing. If it was lower and the distance was less, then perhaps you could have gone harder or it could be a negative or neutral thing. It's hard to tell without looking at more data.
Well I really got a lot out of everyone’s suggestions. Thanks to all who posted their great (and maybe not so great) results, and thanks to those who posted great suggestions to improve test approach.
Wk1 FTP = 255; Wk8 FTP = 266
Because of the groups help, I paced much better this time. I used TrainerRoads test, and I really like how they break everything down.
1st 5 minutes – NP 282
2nd 5 minutes – NP 284
3rd 5 minutes – NP 283
4th 5 minutes – NP 272
I would love to have done better in the last quarter, but I was hanging on the best I could. I think this is a factor of the intermediate plan having 15 minute intervals vs. 20. Either way, I am more than happy with the progress!!
FTP re-test done. 6 watt increase. Not as much as I wanted, but I'll take it and keep climbing. My execution on the test was much better this time compared to the first test at the beginning of NOS. Here's the graph from the 20 minute test today.
And here's the one from the test at the beginning of the NOS.
@Mark, great job with the final push during the test! ...and subsequent 6W bump! Enjoy the new zones! :-)
I did the reg Sat workout, as I felt pretty tired still after doing my run test yesterday morning. I was able to hit within Z4 window for the 20 mins, and for the first 2 Z3 segments, but pulled back to Z2 for the last 12' interval. Just was not feelin it this morn. I still got good work done, and the sweat was dripping like normal. Rolled into only a 30 min easy brick run instead of 45 min too. Will look to hit the bike harder next week after a break from this test week.
Howdy super bikers! What an awesome week of amazing work. I did not bike test this week because my bike consistence has been pathetic. I'm suffering just fine where I am. My pedal stroke has been very choppy lately. I also noticed that my left leg is stronger than my right. So today I opted to do one legged pedals drills during the 20 min. ftp set. I also dropped my cadence and went big chain ring during the 14 minute session. Man was I sucking wind and dripping on the floor. I think I need to suck it up and do more low cadence work and less high cadence.
We'll see how this works for me. Have a great weekend everyone. Safe travels.
Comments
Everyone is making such great gains - congratulations!
My test was a tough one. I wasn't feeling 100%, considered delaying the test a day, but I went ahead and did it anyway. My results are complicated by a switch from TrainerRoad virtual power (TRVP) to the PowerTap P1 pedal-based power meter (PM), but the bottom line is my FTP went up by approximately 10W (apples to apples comparison).
The depressing truth is that, for me, the TrainerRoad Virtual Power (TRVP) is about 15W too high. Here are the results:
Wk1 FTP (TRVP): 188W
Wk8 FTP (TRVP): 198W
Wk8 FTP (PM): 183W
Like others I attempted to ramp up my power as the test went on. This worked for the first half of the 20' test, but things got really ugly in the third 5' split. My cadence (and power) kept slipping and each time it took all of my willpower to pull it back up. I managed to rally a bit at the end. I know I left it all on the bike because I could barely climb the stairs from the garage into the house.
Some very impressive bumps in the numbers everyone! Very inspiring. I went against Coach P's direct orders to not get sick, and caught my sons Bubonic plague this past Sunday, as did 4 of my 5 family members. I was down hard for 2 days, then let one more day pass on Tuesday to gain some strength. Tried the FTP test this morning, and fell off the wagon during the 5 min Z5 with a meager 110% effort. Thought that would be the end of my test, but just stayed the course to see what the 20 min session would hold. Was very surprised to hold 104% (349np) for 15 mins, then emptied the tank to get a 2 watt bump (106%), with 356NP for 20mins, and 338NP new FTP. These numbers are at the upper end that I have ever seen, so any increase feels like moving a mountain. I will take the 2W increase with a smile, especially with the way the week started. Good luck with the run tests everyone! Mine will come Friday morning, so I get a day of rest after this mornings beating.
@ Mike and Dave- THANK YOU SO MUCH for all the advice on pacing. It was extremely helpful and I appreciate your feedback!
Unfortunately- my test was a fail. Just could not push through it. Even though I pumped myself as much as possible, made a plan, it was not in the cards. I knew it after the first quick spin ups.....And I just could not push hard enough. My HR was not near what it should be after 8 mins....so I pulled the plug. The past 6 days I have been battling a "stomach" thing. Not sure what is going on- its like a digestion intestinal issue that I cannot quite solve. I am also living at my parents house this week to watch their insane dogs while they are away. (I can't bring them to my house bc my 120lb akita will get extremely annoyed at them....not hurt them....but you get the picture) So my husband is living at our house... I am here...I stopped at my house after work to do my test- 1st mistake- I kept thinking- gotta get this done- gotta go take those dogs out- I tried to mentally prepare myself with my motivational videos ect.....it just was not a good set up....and my stomach was hurting still- UGH just annoying. I SO WANTED TO TEST WELL. I could go on and on about what led up to this failure- but no one wants to hear my excuses. I need to learn from what happened. I dont want that to happen again. I stopped and was SO UPSET and MAD at myself. I calmed down and looked at it glass half full. Need to not have such a time crunch- need to get rid of this damn stomach thing- fuel better- and no that this is all a game. I also want to try to do what a few of you were speaking of over the next few weeks....bump my FTP workouts up each week so that I have a better idea what I am capable of.
Thanks for listening and WAY TO GO everyone with these awesome results!!!
Think my plan is to test on Tuesday----I could do Friday but I will still be dog sitting and want to give a little extra time to get my stomach better.
Hope the stomach clears up quick. That's no fun even outside the workouts.
Sigh... I wish I had a power meter so I knew how to speak your language!
You all sound impressive even though I don't know what your numbers all mean.
sigh...
@Kim - If you have a ANT+ speed sensor, TrainerRoad will use that data to calculate a virtual power that you can use to follow the workouts and follow your progress. You just need an ANT+ to plug into the USB. Check out https://www.trainerroad.com/virtual-power.
Also, I am not sure if you are the one who asked, but if you click on the help button on the bottom right of your screen (when logged into EN) they will set you up for access. You do have to have an account with TrainerRoad which costs $10 per month. Sorry if you already knew all this. I believe there is also a Thread on TrainerRoad in the Outseason Forum.
Hey thanks Brian!
1. Another question.. how many heart rate testers are on the team? I would love to check in with you for heart rate questions.
2. And then, who can tell me if my average heart rate was lower by several beats.. is that good or bad??
Thanks @Mark! The distance was the same so yay for me.
Well I really got a lot out of everyone’s suggestions. Thanks to all who posted their great (and maybe not so great) results, and thanks to those who posted great suggestions to improve test approach.
Wk1 FTP = 255; Wk8 FTP = 266
Because of the groups help, I paced much better this time. I used TrainerRoads test, and I really like how they break everything down.
1st 5 minutes – NP 282
2nd 5 minutes – NP 284
3rd 5 minutes – NP 283
4th 5 minutes – NP 272
I would love to have done better in the last quarter, but I was hanging on the best I could. I think this is a factor of the intermediate plan having 15 minute intervals vs. 20. Either way, I am more than happy with the progress!!
FTP re-test done. 6 watt increase. Not as much as I wanted, but I'll take it and keep climbing. My execution on the test was much better this time compared to the first test at the beginning of NOS. Here's the graph from the 20 minute test today.
And here's the one from the test at the beginning of the NOS.
<img alt="" width="594" height="286" src="data:image/png;base64,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
@Mark, great job with the final push during the test! ...and subsequent 6W bump! Enjoy the new zones! :-)
I did the reg Sat workout, as I felt pretty tired still after doing my run test yesterday morning. I was able to hit within Z4 window for the 20 mins, and for the first 2 Z3 segments, but pulled back to Z2 for the last 12' interval. Just was not feelin it this morn. I still got good work done, and the sweat was dripping like normal. Rolled into only a 30 min easy brick run instead of 45 min too. Will look to hit the bike harder next week after a break from this test week.
Howdy super bikers! What an awesome week of amazing work. I did not bike test this week because my bike consistence has been pathetic. I'm suffering just fine where I am. My pedal stroke has been very choppy lately. I also noticed that my left leg is stronger than my right. So today I opted to do one legged pedals drills during the 20 min. ftp set. I also dropped my cadence and went big chain ring during the 14 minute session. Man was I sucking wind and dripping on the floor. I think I need to suck it up and do more low cadence work and less high cadence.
We'll see how this works for me. Have a great weekend everyone. Safe travels.