Week 8 Bike Test
<input type="hidden" id="jsProxy" onclick="if(typeof(jsCall)=='function'){jsCall();}else{setTimeout('jsCall()',500);}" />Tested this morning on the trainer since I have to work all the daylight hours today and tomorrow.  Blew up half way through the second set.  Just could not keep it going hard enough to keep my heart rate up to threshold.  Went out too hard.  This was the first test on the trainer, I've done the first two on the road, and I think I have a better feel for pacing outdoors.  Anyway, Pnorm was 177, up 10 watts from 8 weeks ago, with the first set at 185 and the second set at 170.  I'm on vacation near Pensacola after Christmas and I'll test again outdoors on the flat smooth highway from Perdido Key to the bridge to Orange Beach. </p>
Until then, I'm thinking I'll estimate where I would have been had I paced sensibly and use that as my workout target, say 180. Any better ideas?
Comments
Neill congrats on the 10 watt improvement, even if you think you could have done better you've got to be happy with the gain !!
You definately want to test where the bulk of your OS rides will be. If you are going to be riding on the trainer then test on the trainer. All of us can push higher watts outside than inside, so do not get frustrated if you can not hold your outdoor FTP on the trainer.
Increasing your FTP from 177 to 180 because you feel that is a more accurate number for you is not a problem. Increasing to 190-200 because that is where you think you should be and you take the risk of frying yourself.
As we say in the Haus you earn the right to ride/run faster or harder by testing stronger. It will take 3-4 tests before you really learn how to test and pace them properly.
Keep up the good work !!
I do wonder why your picking 180 though. If your pnorm was 177 and you blew up, then why increase it vs. work with the number. I'm only concerned with this because your first 20' interval was at 185, but then you dropped 15 watts on the second interval. That's pretty significant to me. Your picking a number that's 10 watts higher than your second 20' segment because you went out 5 watts to hard on the first. I know I'm putting down a simplified version, but I'm wondering what you mean by went out to hard and at what point you started to fall apart? I can't see your data in this post, although it does look like you tried to post it given the first line of your post.
Thanks, Bob and Keith. I can't figure out how to put up a screen shot of the WKO graph, but here's how it went down. After warming up, I went out in the first minute at 223w, then pulled it back to 193 for the first five minutes. I knew I was still too hot, so the next five minutes I pulled back to 183, trying to average 180. The last 10' of the first set, I kept it steady at 181. Recovered for 2'. 5' at 178, then hit a wall. Next 5' at 170, last 10' at 166 (below my previous test) and the next 10 minutes unconscious on the floor at which point my wife woke up and came in the pain cave, saw me with my eyes rolled back and almost called 911.
<input type="hidden" id="jsProxy" onclick="if(typeof(jsCall)=='function'){jsCall();}else{setTimeout('jsCall()',500);}" />Anyway, it was that feeling so good first 5' at 193 that was the stupid part. It set the bomb that blew up at the 27th minute.
@Chris G. Thanks, you're right, 3 watts is basically a rounding up. I ride outside any time I can, so I'll see if the 180 works on the road as the OS gets more intense.
@Keith: "I do wonder why your picking 180 though. If your pnorm was 177 and you blew up, then why increase it vs. work with the number."
Good question. Basically, I want to get faster, and I'm looking for that number that will challenge me to work hard enough, but not so hard I get fried, catch the flu, and end up missing workouts while I recover. So far, I think I have been sensible, doing the workouts at 95-100% of Z4, not trying to blow past it at 1.1 IF. At the same time, I don't want to show up at the race having left off a lot of fitness I could have gained if I had just tested better. I'm using the testing numbers and also paying attention to how I feel five or six hours after a hard ride or run. Just looking for that sweet spot.<input type="hidden" id="jsProxy" onclick="if(typeof(jsCall)=='function'){jsCall();}else{setTimeout('jsCall()',500);}" /></p>
Interval # 1
Duration: 20:03
Work: 229 kJ
TSS: 42 (intensity factor 1.121)
Norm Power: 192
VI: 1.01
Interval # 2
Duration: 20:01
Work: 223 kJ
TSS: 39.4 (intensity factor 1.086)
Norm Power: 186
VI: 1
Duration: 42:05
Work: 464 kJ
TSS: 83.9 (intensity factor 1.094)
Norm Power: 187
VI: 1.02
Execution prior to test not so good. Didn't eat so great yesterday and didn't drink enough during the day. Bought a 2lb bag of Kona Coffee but it was beans. Don't have a grinder. Ran out of coffee yesterday so woke today to a bag of beans and no way to grind. Of all days to not have my coffee. Got the test done and at the end my wife calls down to the basement "you didn't make coffee?" Told her all I had was beans and that's when she told me about her stash of coffee for those occasions when I run out despite her asking me every day if I need anything from the store and my always saying nope.
FTP Test:
Duration: 42:02
Work: 669 kJ
TSS: 75 (intensity factor 1.034)
Norm Power: 267
VI: 1.01
Pw:HR: n/a
Pa:HR: n/a
Distance: 19.221 mi
Min Max Avg
Power: 0 380 265 watts
Cadence: 72 134 85 rpm
Speed: 20.9 29.5 27.4 mph
Pace 2:02 2:52 2:12 min/mi
Hub Torque: 0 10 6 lb-in
Crank Torque: 0 395 264 lb-in
I was conservative the first 20 then laid it down the last 20. I'm not complaining, I didn't run out of steam. Good test.
Week 1: 270
Week 6: 280
Week 8: 285! And a new indoor PR
1st 20 282
2nd 20 292
I did not run after though and my weight is going the wrong direction so plenty of work left to do here.
Here are the numbers. As ChrisG will noticed I started in the basement and finished up stairs.
FTT:
Duration: 42:33
Work: 719 kJ
TSS: 73.3 (intensity factor 1.017)
Norm Power: 285
VI: 1.01
Pw:HR: 0.93%
Pa:HR: -438.75%
Distance: 214 ft
Elevation Gain: 20 ft
Elevation Loss: 0 ft
Grade: 9.6 % (20 ft)
Min Max Avg
Power: 3 881 282 watts
Heart Rate: 113 188 176 bpm
Cadence: 20 111 89 rpm
Speed: 0 77.2 0.1 mph
Pace 0:47 0:00 1050:11 min/mi
Altitude: 612 632 624 ft
Crank Torque: 3 855 268 lb-in
Temperature: 68 69.8 68.4 Fahrenheit
Coach P – congrats on surpassing pre crash watts!!
Had a very solid test today. Up 25 watts from week 1 and a 16 watt all time high! Felt very controlled.
Duration: 42:02
Work: 611 kJ
TSS: 76.7 (intensity factor 1.064)
Norm Power: 245
VI: 1.01
Pw:HR: N/A
Pa:HR: N/A
Distance: 15.671 mi
Min Max Avg
Power: 111 344 242 watts
Cadence: 67 117 106 rpm
Speed: 13.4 24.3 22.4 mph
Pace 2:28 4:28 2:41 min/mi
Crank Torque: 91 299 194 lb-in
18' warmup
20' @ 227W, IF 1.10, 88RPM
20' @ 226W, IF 1.09, 87RPM
Total FTP Test 42' @ 224W, IF 1.08, 87RPM
Total bike 61', TSS 101.4
Run 20' @ 7:07 out (Z2) 6:53 back (Z3), cadence 88, HR 149, rTSS 30.1
I'll probably do 2 x 12 or something tonight, no reason to test back to back weeks.
P
Up 37W (23%) from 158 to 195. Very, very hard second set. Pleased with the progress though. Here are the numbers;
15' warmup
20' @ 198W, IF 1.25
20' @ 197W, IF 1.25
Total FTP Test 42' @ 195W, IF 1.24
Total bike 56', TSS 125.3
20 min at: 269 W 154 bpm
2 min at 155 W 140 bpm
20min at 266 W 161 bpm
Overall: 260 W
This was very very hard. My father who is visiting was wondering what all the grunting in the basement was all about.
Week 1: 289
Week 8: 294 with the two 20s at 303 and 293.
I'm not sure what to make of it since this is my first OS. 1.0 has been feeling very comfortable lately, and I did a continuous 36:42 time trial 10 days ago at 298 so I was expecting to see more of a gain today. I guess it's better than having gone down.
My legs felt fine for the run but I did get a side stitch that slowed me down.
By my hand calculations I get 261.97 but when I hand calculate my own I come up 4.5w short of what the software calculates. Nice work!
Testing tonight...should be interesting. I did Saturdays workout and held my power just fine. despite many, many bike fit changes that I probably should not have made in week 1 and again in week 5 I think I'll add about 10 watts. I suspect it would have been a lot more if I would have kept my fit constant. We shall see in about 5 hours.
I'm sick enough to be excited for it.
Jon and Chris - putting thre numbers into excel gets a NP for the 42 min of 264.6.
That sounds closer. What I did is closer to average power.
Test is done and what can I say...
228w 94 rpm 157 bpm
162w 92 rpm 147 bpm
225w 92 rpm 160 bpm
new FTP = 224w +14w/6.7%
Took about 5 mins transitioning to the run due to having to dress for the weather (20's). Did 2 miles in 16 mins with Riley.
To those that already crushed their test... Nice work!
To those doing their's later... Good luck!
Jon
Congrats to those have posted already!! Great gains are being seen.
This is my first Outseason and first EN experience - to put it simply.... I'm sold!!
I may have not gone hard enough on my first test, but I increased my FTP from 186 in week 1 to 211 now. An increase of 25w or 13.4%!
I'm loving this stuff!!!!
Week 1 Week 8
nPower: 186 211
1st 20': 186 213
2nd 20': 190 214
Just off the bike....nothing left in the bank. Reading all of today's awesome posts really got me fired up and added 25W to my starting FTP.
20' @ 183W
20' @ 197W
Total including 2' easy = 189WNP
Old FTP 164
Tested FTP recently? Make sure you post your gains in the Team USA vs the Rest of the World FTP showdown. See http://members.endurancenation.us/Community/Forums/tabid/101/aft/3881/Default.aspx and join in!
Done! Still had gas at the end, but was afraid to blow up by firing off matches too early. Tests will become more efficient as time goes on.
Long story short >> nP = 213w (prev = 196w)
LTHR 167 bpm (prev = 168)
W/kg 2.8 (prev 2.5)
Interval 1 > 20m @ 214w (1.094)
Interval 2 > 20m @ 216w (1.103)
Total test > 42:25 @ 213w (1.087)
BAM!