Can One Target and Achieve Goal FTP by Progessive Adapation at the FTP Goal
Hey folks ---
My goal, immediate term (6 - 10 months) is to be able to complete 2 x 20min intervals at 300 watts. I am currently somewhere in the FTP range of 255 - 260 so I do not believe my 300 watt goal is unrealistic. If it is, please chime in and correct my belief.
Anyway, currently I can complete 2 x 6min at 300 watts, though by the end of the second interval I am pretty spent and relish in extreme joy the subsequent easy effort pedaling. [BTW - after the recovery period of the second interval, I continue with a 85%-87% of current FTP effort for another 40-50 minutes --- I try to get in a total workout time between 45min and 60min]
My thoughts are as follows:
* Two interval sessions per week at the 300w level, plus remaing time at 80%-85%, in addition to a once per week ABP outdoor ride.
* Every two weeks, increase length of 300w intervals by 30secs to 1 minute
* In time, with the moderate progessive adaptation/overload, I can achieve 2 x 20min at 300w.
Are there any faults / benefits / risks / other issues good/bad in my thinking? Are there more appropriate means to achieve my goal of 300 watts?
As always......any advice / opinions are very much appreciated.......
Comments
A) 2 x 6' @ 300 and each week increase the time by 30" to 1'
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In theory, both would get you to 2 x 20' @ 300, but we typcially follow an approach closer to B in the haus. My initial (uneducated) thought is that doing work at 300 when you ftp is 250 stresses a different system. You are kind of doing long V02 intervals and slowly making them longer, while hoping your FTP rises so that eventually the two meet and you can do 2 x 20 at FTP.
I would be a little concerned as I know 12 minutes of VO2 work requries different recovery then 40 minutes of FTP. I tend to snap back form FTP work really quick, but the power clinic V02 stuff leaves me pretty fatigued.
I like that you brought this up and hopefully a WSM or coach can comment on it, as it would be a differnet way to add training stress and build up to a new goal.
Hey Dave,
I have many of the same thoughts bouncing around in my head now that I've registered for IMWI'11 (eek). Here are my notes and observations:
So, as I look at that 340w number, I see the following other numbers:
Now, I know from my experience of not running since March and cycling only, if I continued to just ride the bike and not run, I could simply ride my bike as:
The rub of course comes when you try to integrate running into this plan, which I absolutely need to do after Everest Challenge next weekend. Running will be my much larger priority until about March but I have some ideas about how to amend the OS plan to fit my personal situation and goals.
I've also had some ideas in my head about how to plan a year for a PR focus on one race, using a long cycling-only block, long running block, followed by an IM block. Let me find some time to put those out there for everyone.
I think you're better off doing the longer intervals, and bumping up the watts weekly.
I just read an interesting article from Hunter Allen and the Peaks Training Group here about getting to "the next level". Very EN like in that increasing power means more work; more TSS and lots of time at or near FT.
In the Google Wattage forum Hunter expanded on his article and laid out the perfect Saturday ride to run yourself into the ground. It's set up as a race simulation with hard efforts to start, settle in, work hard to drop everyone, and then hold on for dear life for the last 45 minutes. His comments:
If you are stuck at the same level you've been in all year or the past two years, ask yourself are training long enough. When was the last time you did this workout?
Do 200 TSS of endurance/tempo riding with (2) 20 minute efforts with 95-105 of FTP watts, watch cadence , then do (1) 5minute at >115%. Then do 5 minutes<100w. Then AFTER you have done at least 200 TSS, do (6) 2minute efforts with 110-120% watts(if you can do higher, do so) on each, resting for 2minutes between each. Then 5 minutes<100w. Then (6) 1minute efforts 115% of FTP with recovering for 3minutes. I want you more recovered here. Then do 10 minutes<100w. Ride for 20 minutes at endurance pace. Stop at a store and drink your favorite caffienated/sugar drink to prepare yourself for the final push home... Finish with 45minutes at SST- so about 88-93% of FTP watts. and do a burst every 3 minutes to watts of 400 and hold for 10 seconds and return to SST. <br />
Endurance for 20 minutes
Hunter Allen
David, still trying to get out of doing 2 x 20's, eh?