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Ideal Conditions for FTP Test

jmoss70jmoss70
in General Training Discussions

Not talking about weather, road, location, clothing, nutrition or tunes.  Talking about what should the 4-5 days before a big test look like (distance, intensity, rest)?  I ask because I need to insert an impromptu test to gather some data (weather went all cuckoo on me during Week 20 of OS and I couln't test).  

I am thinking...

Day 4 - 60 min Bike Z1-Z3

Day 3 - Off, maybe swim or ski

Day 2 - 90 min Bike - 2 X 8' @ ;FTP & Z3 accumulation

Day 1 - 30-40 min run with 6-8 Strides

Day 0 Test Day

Comments

  • mgraffeomgraffeo
    Jim, drop the Day 1 run, and you've pretty much got what the typical last 4 days leading up to an FTP test are in the OS. I'd say you can push Day 4 more if desired.
  • Brian Quarton [OLD]Brian Quarton [OLD]
    I would also suggest that your TSB should be newly positive. About +5 or so.
  • mgraffeomgraffeo
    Honestly, I wouldn't worry too much about the TSB, since it's a 7 day moving average, and to drive it positive can require some monkeying. Do the plan, and let the TSB fall out where it may. IMO, TSB is a much more useful metric when executing a build and taper prior to a race, than it is for routine testing, especially during OS-type training.
  • jmoss70jmoss70

    My thoughts exactly.  Plus, I am of the opinion that a little bit of fatigue can be beneficial to testing.  I say this because my experience has been that when I am fully rested I have really crappy results.  

  • Brian Quarton [OLD]Brian Quarton [OLD]
    Biggest problem is that all TSS are not created equal, so I understand the value in choosing what type of training stress to apply before you test.
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