NOS Bike Week 10 - Late Thread for Test Week
Week Ten: Test Week Number Two
Ok team...I apologize for the delay in posting this thread, My membership renewal got confused over the holidays and It took some time to get back to the forums. Now we are back for the second test week of the OutSeason®. Our goal is to try and beat the number(s) we set in week 5. The challenge is we might be a bit more tired...so how are we going to do it? Share your plans / test results/ challenges with us. Our progress is an inspiration for each other.
So, My week has not gone so smoothly from a biking standpoint. I was able to do the Holiday Run Challenge successfully (spoiler : did not win) but with the holidays, I could not test on Tuesday or Wed. I work all day today and tomorrow and leave to move my daughter into her new apartment tomorrow night after work. On the plus side, I did get a chance to tear down my bike and give it a good clean and re-lube for the first time in 3k miles. Even though I spend most of my time on the trainer, it was definitely due.
That means, I will probably ride tomorrow AM before work and then ride the bump ride Sunday or Monday for my test. We will see how that goes. How were your holidays and how did they affect your training.
Comments
NOS bike test was a fail. I was on target to repeat (my goal) the previous all time high, but at about 10 minutes in I let a bad/hard patch get to me and stopped my cadence. Mentally that gave my brain every excuse to not get it going again. In hindsight I should have dropped one gear and backed down the wattage for a short bit and then worked to get back on it. Will probably retest next week on Tuesday, depending on workouts. At the previous all-time high FTP the last section VO2 workouts were very tough, but I could manage them by staying away from ERG. Really wanted to repeat that last NOS all-time-high FTP test...still think I can if I can work through the mental demons.
Well, My test after week 4 was a no-go so this test actually represents 8 weeks of work. I have had an odd week all around with an unexpected 10 hour drive to take furnature to my daughter's new apartment yesterday and all day taking down Christmas today. Anyway, I finished in time for the Bump race tonight and it was HARD. I went all
out for the first 20 min and my HR was up at the max almost immediately and just dipped a bit when I stayed in the pack. I got dropped by the main group at about 16 min and then went hard for the full 20 min and then backed off and finished with a smaller group.
BOOM! New all time High
Now to get my workout on at the new FTP. Oh Joy!
Ralph, VERY WELL DONE! I definitely need to try the bump race. Congratulations!
Curious what the group thinks on my situation:
First - Week 4 FTP test was no bueno. I'm still trying to figure out how to test appropriately. I go out too hard and then it's a constant uphill misery march until I finish. Barely showed any improvement at all.
Next - I have dedicated myself to much more control over my wattage output since week 4. I know I'm getting better, but the holidays really threw a wrench into my plans. Between being out of town (away from my trainer), pulling 13-hour drive days, and (sadly) attending funeral/family events, I know my bike suffered. I ran a ton over the holiday, so I am confident in my fitness, but I'm not sure testing again right now will give me what I need. If anything, I am afraid it will be demotivating.
That being said, I know I can't run away from testing. What I'd like to do is just move up my FTP based on the goals I set at the beginning of NOS, and train hard for week 14.
Bad Idea? Good Idea? Words of Wisdom?
I did my test today--one week later than scheduled. I increased my FTP by 5 (303 to 308), and beat my 5 min results by 8 (369 to 377). Big improvements for me. I had been stuck at the previous #s. However, two variables changed. First, I did it with my road bike b/c tri bike is in shop. Second, my old trainer had a leak and died, so this was my first test on a new Wahoo Kickr Core that I started using a week ago. Thoughts on how those changes may have affected my results? Overall my fitness is good, so I'm not surprised I had good results. I'm just not sure the magnitude of the improvement is realistic. Thoughts?
FYI I use Sufferfest 4DP for my test. My 5-second sprint was not great, but I felt like I didn't get in the right gear since I'm not used to the Wahoo. My 1 min AC was better than recent tests but not a PR.
Kevin,
Congratulations on raising the bar. What I say plus $2 will buy you a cup of coffee, so take it for what its worth.
I think any gains are always confidence builders and shore up the mental side of things. And if you're like me...that's half the battle (maybe more).
Apart from the new Kickr, what did you use for power measurement before and current? The Kickr? Or (best case i think) a consistent set of pedals with power meters?
Were you able by some process to normalize the two setups? I always look at the measuring source as a standard. If I go from Road bike to Tri bike, then even though the architecture change of bike is significant and will affect my ability to deliver power, if I kept the same measuring source (in my garage, that is my Kickr) then I'm modestly confident of the number. If however you are going from using (for example) some other power measurement (say a crank based solution) to the Kickr, then I would expect some, albeit small variation between the two.
For example, I just put my road bike on the Kickr while my tri bike is in the shop being reviewed for the 2020 season (no surprises come race time). So I was consistent on the Kickr as a constant source of measurement. However the road bike also has an old Quarq on it, and it very consistent in its measurements. But are they exactly the same...nope. When I did 2 x 20' this morning the Quarq was consistently 7-8 watts higher in the same time periods (I used my Wahoo Elemnt to monitor the Quarq while Zwift was tracking the Kickr trainer). So is either wrong...nope. They are each consistent within themselves and within a reasonable margin of variance (about +/- 3% in my case).
So what I'm saying is that if you change equipment, be conscious of the potential for variance. If you can quantify it, better. If not, then take that into consideration, making assumptions about the setup and variances (or not) observed.
Do you have a power meter on your road bike? Is it the same as the tri bike (great if you had pedals).
All that said, go with the new number.
Like I said, coffee will still cost you $2.
First off, love the picture at the top of this thread!!! Been there, done that! I tested this week due to a bad cold last week. I'm hoping that I can use that an as excuse for today's performance. I felt like I was really working hard, but the numbers didn't show that. I did do a stretching yoga class yesterday...maybe that was it?? Also could be some lingering worry over my son who is a downhill enduro racer and has been sidelined due to blood clots in his lungs. He suffered a fall in October hitting his leg. Ignored it, thinking his leg was sore from racing and then driving 13 hours. He had a clot from thigh to ankle, some broke off when through his heart and into the upper lobes of both lungs. He is extremely lucky...to say the least!
So, I'm gonna use that as an excuse (and the lingering cold) and keep my numbers as they were and soldier on!
@Rob Tune You can go either way : 1 keep training at your current settings and test again as the plan directs or increase your power as you suggest above. I have done it both ways in the past and both work depending on how you feel doing the workouts at the higher power. If you bump your power and find the workouts too hard to complete at the new power, decrease it 1/2 of the amount you increased it and try again. If you candors the workouts at the new power, DO IT and retest later.
I might suggest that the mental part of FTP testing is daunting to me so I have started doing the Bump race on Zwift on Sundays or Mondays at 705 PM. It is a short flat race and lasts about 30 min. With a short warmup, I just go as hard as I can for as long as I can and Zwift tells me if I improved may FTP.
@PatKoss My old setup was my tri bike with a power meter in the rear wheel hub and an old CycleOps fluid trainer. The trainer is in the trash. I'll keep using power meter outside. For testing, I don't think the road bike setup is much different than my tribike setup because during tests, staying aero isn't a priority for me. If the Wahoo Kicker inflated my numbers a bit, so be it. It's my new normal. Thanks for the $2 coffee :)