Outdoor FTP testing
What is the best strategy for FTP testing outdoors. Have a 20 mile loop that I use. Do I just go as hard as I can or do I use FTP data? Thoughts?
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What is the best strategy for FTP testing outdoors. Have a 20 mile loop that I use. Do I just go as hard as I can or do I use FTP data? Thoughts?
Comments
Across the 20 min test I just built across the interval.
In WKO my best 30 secs was the last 30 secs, the best 1 min was the last 1 min, the best 5 mins was the last 5 mins and the best 10 was the last 10 — I was totally spent by the end and don't think I left any watts on the table.
And I got a nice 10 watt boost to my FTP in 5 weeks of OS.
John - while riding 20 miles all out would be the truest test of one's FTP, you don't have to kill yourself like that. You can do a 2 x 20 minute ride with 2 min easy in the middle just fine on a 20 mile course - should take 13-15 miles to accomplish, so allows you some space for warm up and cool down. Since that's the test almost all of us do outdoors, you'll get a lot of feedback on how to interprert and manage using that protocol. Basic idea in ANY time trial or race is to start for the first 5-10% of the time/distance @ about 10% *easier* than you think you can, then build towards the finish, spending all your reserves in the last 3-4 minutes.
To be truthful, I think it is an overestuimate as I don't think I could do a 60 min TT at my FTP (which is what your FTP is supposed to be) — that said, this method of estimating FTP translates well to the EN IM and HIM pacing guidelines, so I will continue to use the 20(2)20 approach during the racing season to estimate my FTP.
However, during the OS I use the 5 min max, 10 min easy, then 20 min max, and then take 95% of the Pnorm of the 20 min max as my OS FTP — I do this for a variety of reasons that don't have anything to do with pacing in a race.