Great job everyone. I had to push off my test until today and squeaked out a carrot. Thanks for the motivation Chris! Last test was 233 and this morning I generated a 243!
Duration: 42:30
Work: 599 kJ
TSS: 76.7 (intensity factor 1.041)
Norm Power: 243
VI: 1.03
Pw:HR: -2.53%
Pa:HR: 3.14%
Distance: 14.143 mi
Min Max Avg
Power: 0 356 235 watts
Heart Rate: 95 171 152 bpm
Cadence: 30 104 76 rpm
Speed: 6.8 22.2 19.9 mph
Pace 2:42 8:47 3:01 min/mi
Crank Torque: 0 537 259 lb-in
Hope I can keep it up and get a similar increase in my vDot!
Congrats everyone, cant believe the huge #;s everybody is putting up. Unfortunately I bombed on mine - was way too hard way too early, but no worries, I'll retest again over the weekend and confidence is high. Looking forward to the VDot exercise tommorrow. Go get em crew.
I didn't feel right using .95 of my indoor TT from Saturday since you were all suffering through the 2x20s, plus I wanted to see what a FTT would yield and if I could execute it properly. I've really been focusing my 2x20s on gradually building each 5' and trying not to have any dark spots.
I got on the bike with no expectations, just pedal and see what happens. My last test, was 3 weeks ago and damnit, I wanted a carrot, but I thought jumping from 305 to 315 was too much. I aimed to hold 315 for the first set to see how it felt.
1st 20' Each 5' segment was 318, 317, 319, and 323 for a pnorm of 319. It was scary how effortless the first set felt. I was hoping I didn't go out too hard.
2' rest was 216 I really just wanted to have at the last set.
2nd 20' Each 5' interval was 320, 320, 328, and 357 for a pnorm of 332.
42' pnorm of 322.
I'm not going to lie, I'm pumped and jacked. I never thought I'd go over 310 on the trainer for an FTP. Thanks to all of you guys who motivated me to do this today, I truly appreciate all the support.
So excited for all of you and your improvements. They come after lots of dilligent/hard work which is something to be proud of. Many of you have had set backs or doubts but the group vibe and your own will not to quit pulled you through.
I have my test Thursday and will do my best. ( In the back of my mind though I am thinking.."just shoot me now" and put me out of my misery before I have to do that flippin test :-) )
I've been out for a couple of weeks - me sick + sick kids + sick amounts of work at work = no EN forum or training.
Last week I did sneak in a couple of workouts, so I was curious how the bike test would go with such 'well tapered' legs. Well, the test went pretty well - but I gassed pretty bad at 30 min. I was cruising along a little fast, but I couldn't find a groove right at 260w where I wanted. Then at 30min I blew up and had to just sit for a bit - then did that 2 more times. I finished up the last 5 min pretty strong.
At the end of the day, I'm happy with the numbers:
FTP of 255, starting the OS I was at 231. I think my best last year was 250. I chopped out my crashes out of that bad 5 min, and my FTP jumped another 3w - I just didn't have it though, so I'm standing by the 255.
I gotta catch up on my reading, I see people talking about carrots...
Damn Halligan, you freakin killed it! Now it makes sense:
The Halligan is based upon the well known Kelly tool.[4] The Halligan is a multipurpose tool for prying, twisting, punching, or striking. It consists of a claw (or fork), a blade (wedge or adze), and a tapered pick, which is especially useful in quickly breaching many types of locked doors. Either the adze end or fork end of the tool can be used to break through the latch of a swinging door by forcing the tool between thedoor and door jamb and prying the two apart, striking it with another Halligan, a Denver tool, a sledgehammer or a flat-head axe. The pick can be placed into the shackle (or eye) of a padlock or hasp and twisted or pried to break it free. It can also be driven into a roof to provide a foothold for firefighters engaged in vertical ventilation (SeeGlossary of firefighting) Using a K-tool and the adze end, a lock cylinder can easily be pulled. The fork end is routinely used to shut off gas meter valves in buildings involved in fire. There are many other uses of the Halligan tool, including vehicle extrication and opening of walls.
Another variant of the Halligan applies massive wattage to the crank arms of a bicycle. Once the rear wheel is spinning in excess of 1000 rpm a cutting tool may be attached and used for industrial purposes such as cutting diamonds or a turbine used to create power often in excess of what is needed to provide electricity to a medium sized city.
A particularly useful variant of the Halligan has a heavy sliding collar on the shaft. Once the prying end of the tool is wedged into position, the sliding 'hammer' is used to force the wedge, allowing for proper seating, prior to prying. The adze end is also assisted by using the sliding hammer to generate forced traction on a hooked cylinder. Another variant has an end that resembles a lever-type can opener, used for making large holes for access or ventilation in sheet metal.
I'm afraid I had the same problem as the other Mike (Hedman) and bombed the test. I've been out for a bit more than 2 weeks due to a big family ski vacation (actually in Lake Placid), and a resulting back injury from the skiing. So 2+ weeks with absolutely zero training. Talked to the coaches and the recommendation was to go back and repeat the weeks I missed, which would put me back at week 12.
But ... I saw the incredible results, especially Mr. Halligan and could not pass the test up without giving it a go. I wanted my carrot too!
I set my goal for a 10w increase and planned the execution much like Dave - steady and increasing throughout the test. Then I psyched myself up, downed a RedBull, put on AC/DC nice and loud, and went at it.
First 10' was pretty good. Was hitting my power targets (270w). But the next 5' I was definitely fading and hit only 240w. The last 5' was a pretty poor (for me) 220w. Serious decline.
Now I know that I wasn't really ready for the test. Just didn't have the legs after 2 weeks off. I'll skulk back to week 12 and get myself back up to form for another attempt at my "real week 14". I'll let you know how that turns out.
All, thanks for the kind words. I really attribute gains and results like that to the mojo of the team.
@Mike M - No worries. I bombed the Dec test bad. It happens. You're doing the work, the gains will come later. I'm jealous of your ski trip. Heal the back.
@Chris G - Thanks for the Halligan Tool reference. Ever since I was old enough to remember, my Dad always told us about it.
@Mike H- I've been wondering about you. I thought the run challenge did you in. Glad to hear it was other stuff that's kept you away. Welcome back.
@Matt A- Highest watts mean squat. I want high w/kg! I did a 348 test outside last year, but could never hold the numbers in training. I think Peter A is the watts and w/kg leader in the house with our humble Coach P close behind.
@ Scott - Failed tests happen. It's good you posted about it. It helps others, too. Good luck on the re test.
@Kitima - That's a great jump, especially since you've been transitioning from all you mtb'ing. It's tough to move over to the drainer and just sit there pushing watts.
@Tucker - Way to get back at it and get it done. That's some great progression you're making.
@Greg - Great job on only your second test w/ power.
@Bill (aka Blazer) - That's a huge jump during the OS, not to mention all the skiing you're doing!
@Wendy - Well done! Thanks for checking in. That's a good jump
@Suzanne - I think a 9.6% increase deserves a carrot too!
I'm not going to lie, I'm pumped and jacked. I never thought I'd go over 310 on the trainer for an FTP. Thanks to all of you guys who motivated me to do this today, I truly appreciate all the support.
Dave
Dave, you're absolutely right about this bike test and execution. The 2 x 20 requires a bit more pacing strategy than just one 20 interval.
Awesome bump in FTP! Doode, are you, Trent, and Patrick planning on chasing down Levi Leipheimer at ToC?!
Said it last time, I'll say it again - it's very easy to get motivated for this when you check the forums just before the test:
1st 20': 245
2nd 20': 235
New FTP: 237 (up from 223 last time, started at 203).
Happy of course, but to be honest I was hoping for a little more of a bump. I will partially chalk it up to the 6 week "layoff" from FTP - I found the 30/30 stuff "easy" relatively speaking and so it was a big mental challenge to return to the long steady stuff.
Will shoot for 254 next test which would be a nice round 25% improvement for the first 20-week OS.
So I'm back finally and did the test, but alas no carrot.
Went out strong, first 20' at 324. The first 20' felt good and left me confident for the second half. Then 2" at 186, then a second 20' where I died a slow and painful death and worked hard for a 307. I had high hopes because in the past I have always neg split these tests. Sticking at my previous 310.
Theories as to why I screwed the pooch:
1. The first 20' were in a bigger gear, average cadence of 81. I knew I was playing with fire a bit as my "sweet spot" gear has allowed a 85-87 cadence to produce sustained 310-320 watts. I felt good grinding so I went with it, but I think it bit me later. Maybe.
2. Late in the day test? Yeah, whatever.
3. Just a bad day. Yup. Gonna leave it at that. Disappointed, but onward.
I do know that I worked within a whisker of "as hard as I possibly could". That was the one thought I had while trying not to fall over afterwards- it was a real effort. Just an off day.
Good news is I've lost 7 pounds so a net gain in power I guess.
1. The first 20' were in a bigger gear, average cadence of 81. I knew I was playing with fire a bit as my "sweet spot" gear has allowed a 85-87 cadence to produce sustained 310-320 watts. I felt good grinding so I went with it, but I think it bit me later. Maybe.
Interesting point, Chris. I think I did the same thing with my test too. I've been gear grinding during these last 6 weeks of V02max work--averaging 81-83 rpm's during the intervals. I started my first interval at that low cadence and was pedalling squares for the second one. 42 minutes is a long time to pedal that slow---I'm no Jan Ulrich! I shall work on increasing the rpms for this next block of FTP work.
Very psyched to see all the test reports and the terrific gains everyone is making. Even you folks who had tests that didn't quite go as you hoped get major props from me for grinding them out and posting about them here. Only good things result from putting in the effort. Rarely is a bad test followed by another bad test.
Mr. Malone, I've been waiting for you results. Glad you checked in. No big whup. You'll be out of that hurt barn soon enough tearing up Skyline Drive.
The cadence disucssion is an interesting one as I have gone in the other direction. 85 was/is my sweet spot but with the vo2 stuff, I cranked up the cadence and it's translated a bit over to the ftp stuff. It'll be interesting to see how it shakes out on the road.
Was feeling good on Tuesday when I did the bike test. I made another modest gain of 6 watts from 270 to 276. What is rocking is that this time last year I was sitting at 247 Pnorm while carrying an additional 5 lbs.
I cannot wait until I can do this test outdoors. The goal is 300w and 4 w/kg.
Checking in. Plan for me was FT test today. Started a cold Tuesday evening( after Vdot test in AM, phew, got in in under the wire). Sore throat, stuffy nose and just feeling cruddy so rested yesterday and today ran easy 1hour with friend for her birthday and then rode 2 hours outside with Tom Glynn and 2 other friends, felt no umph at all and drafted my ass off. Will test when feeling I can give it my all. This Saturday our club is doing a fundraiser for ALS( Blazeman foundation, 16.5 hour spin-a-thon) and Steve and I are leading 2 x 1.5 hour classes for it so this weekend is out. Maybe Monday???
It is hard to time these tests when life happens. Next week we start the last 12 weeks to IMSG. I am in denial....
Finally figuring out how to do this test, with help from Coach P's podcast this week. My previous FTP was 163 so I completed the first 20 min at 165 and then pushed the second 20 min to 174, very pleased with both, and come away with a new FTP pf 168. Results in a 5 watt boost plus my watts/k improved to 3.2. Best part to come away with was feeling in control and strong through the whole test and really pushing at the end. Still an awful lot of yelling during the last 10 minutes but it was more self-encouragement than the agonizing cries of a dying cat .
Posted By Heather La Freniere on 07 Feb 2010 01:33 PM
Finally figuring out how to do this test, with help from Coach P's podcast this week. My previous FTP was 163 so I completed the first 20 min at 165 and then pushed the second 20 min to 174, very pleased with both, and come away with a new FTP pf 168. Results in a 5 watt boost plus my watts/k improved to 3.2. Best part to come away with was feeling in control and strong through the whole test and really pushing at the end. Still an awful lot of yelling during the last 10 minutes but it was more self-encouragement than the agonizing cries of a dying cat .
Good work this week everyone!
Congrats, Heather! It's so true about executing these tests correctly. Well done.
Comments
I'll take it!
Great job everyone. I had to push off my test until today and squeaked out a carrot. Thanks for the motivation Chris! Last test was 233 and this morning I generated a 243!
Hope I can keep it up and get a similar increase in my vDot!
Congrats everyone, cant believe the huge #;s everybody is putting up. Unfortunately I bombed on mine - was way too hard way too early, but no worries, I'll retest again over the weekend and confidence is high. Looking forward to the VDot exercise tommorrow. Go get em crew.
I didn't feel right using .95 of my indoor TT from Saturday since you were all suffering through the 2x20s, plus I wanted to see what a FTT would yield and if I could execute it properly. I've really been focusing my 2x20s on gradually building each 5' and trying not to have any dark spots.
I got on the bike with no expectations, just pedal and see what happens. My last test, was 3 weeks ago and damnit, I wanted a carrot, but I thought jumping from 305 to 315 was too much. I aimed to hold 315 for the first set to see how it felt.
1st 20' Each 5' segment was 318, 317, 319, and 323 for a pnorm of 319. It was scary how effortless the first set felt. I was hoping I didn't go out too hard.
2' rest was 216 I really just wanted to have at the last set.
2nd 20' Each 5' interval was 320, 320, 328, and 357 for a pnorm of 332.
42' pnorm of 322.
I'm not going to lie, I'm pumped and jacked. I never thought I'd go over 310 on the trainer for an FTP. Thanks to all of you guys who motivated me to do this today, I truly appreciate all the support.
Dave
Wow, Dave, great test! With talk like that, you're turning into Pete Carroll.
Mike
Nice bump Dave!!! Wow, what an effort and payoff. I'm pumped and jacked for you!
Congrats on the fitness in the face of also dropping your BMI. Very cool.
Vince
Your FTP is now higher then my 5 minute power :-(
Anyone know that the record is for highest FTP in the house?
What else can I say but "HOLY CRAP"
So excited for all of you and your improvements. They come after lots of dilligent/hard work which is something to be proud of. Many of you have had set backs or doubts but the group vibe and your own will not to quit pulled you through.
I have my test Thursday and will do my best. ( In the back of my mind though I am thinking.."just shoot me now" and put me out of my misery before I have to do that flippin test :-) )
Will report back on Thursday....
CC
Hi folks,
I've been out for a couple of weeks - me sick + sick kids + sick amounts of work at work = no EN forum or training.
Last week I did sneak in a couple of workouts, so I was curious how the bike test would go with such 'well tapered' legs. Well, the test went pretty well - but I gassed pretty bad at 30 min. I was cruising along a little fast, but I couldn't find a groove right at 260w where I wanted. Then at 30min I blew up and had to just sit for a bit - then did that 2 more times. I finished up the last 5 min pretty strong.
At the end of the day, I'm happy with the numbers:
FTP of 255, starting the OS I was at 231. I think my best last year was 250. I chopped out my crashes out of that bad 5 min, and my FTP jumped another 3w - I just didn't have it though, so I'm standing by the 255.
I gotta catch up on my reading, I see people talking about carrots...
Mike
Damn Halligan, you freakin killed it! Now it makes sense:
The Halligan is based upon the well known Kelly tool.[4] The Halligan is a multipurpose tool for prying, twisting, punching, or striking. It consists of a claw (or fork), a blade (wedge or adze), and a tapered pick, which is especially useful in quickly breaching many types of locked doors. Either the adze end or fork end of the tool can be used to break through the latch of a swinging door by forcing the tool between thedoor and door jamb and prying the two apart, striking it with another Halligan, a Denver tool, a sledgehammer or a flat-head axe. The pick can be placed into the shackle (or eye) of a padlock or hasp and twisted or pried to break it free. It can also be driven into a roof to provide a foothold for firefighters engaged in vertical ventilation (See Glossary of firefighting) Using a K-tool and the adze end, a lock cylinder can easily be pulled. The fork end is routinely used to shut off gas meter valves in buildings involved in fire. There are many other uses of the Halligan tool, including vehicle extrication and opening of walls.
Another variant of the Halligan applies massive wattage to the crank arms of a bicycle. Once the rear wheel is spinning in excess of 1000 rpm a cutting tool may be attached and used for industrial purposes such as cutting diamonds or a turbine used to create power often in excess of what is needed to provide electricity to a medium sized city.
A particularly useful variant of the Halligan has a heavy sliding collar on the shaft. Once the prying end of the tool is wedged into position, the sliding 'hammer' is used to force the wedge, allowing for proper seating, prior to prying. The adze end is also assisted by using the sliding hammer to generate forced traction on a hooked cylinder. Another variant has an end that resembles a lever-type can opener, used for making large holes for access or ventilation in sheet metal.
But ... I saw the incredible results, especially Mr. Halligan and could not pass the test up without giving it a go. I wanted my carrot too!
I set my goal for a 10w increase and planned the execution much like Dave - steady and increasing throughout the test. Then I psyched myself up, downed a RedBull, put on AC/DC nice and loud, and went at it.
First 10' was pretty good. Was hitting my power targets (270w). But the next 5' I was definitely fading and hit only 240w. The last 5' was a pretty poor (for me) 220w. Serious decline.
Now I know that I wasn't really ready for the test. Just didn't have the legs after 2 weeks off. I'll skulk back to week 12 and get myself back up to form for another attempt at my "real week 14". I'll let you know how that turns out.
All, thanks for the kind words. I really attribute gains and results like that to the mojo of the team.
@Mike M - No worries. I bombed the Dec test bad. It happens. You're doing the work, the gains will come later. I'm jealous of your ski trip. Heal the back.
@Chris G - Thanks for the Halligan Tool reference. Ever since I was old enough to remember, my Dad always told us about it.
@Mike H- I've been wondering about you. I thought the run challenge did you in. Glad to hear it was other stuff that's kept you away. Welcome back.
@Matt A- Highest watts mean squat. I want high w/kg! I did a 348 test outside last year, but could never hold the numbers in training. I think Peter A is the watts and w/kg leader in the house with our humble Coach P close behind.
@ Scott - Failed tests happen. It's good you posted about it. It helps others, too. Good luck on the re test.
@Brad - Where've you been man? Nice jump.
@Kitima - That's a great jump, especially since you've been transitioning from all you mtb'ing. It's tough to move over to the drainer and just sit there pushing watts.
@Tucker - Way to get back at it and get it done. That's some great progression you're making.
@Greg - Great job on only your second test w/ power.
@Bill (aka Blazer) - That's a huge jump during the OS, not to mention all the skiing you're doing!
@Wendy - Well done! Thanks for checking in. That's a good jump
@Suzanne - I think a 9.6% increase deserves a carrot too!
@Wayne - Carrot or no, that's a hell of a gain!
@Paul - You get the bonus for a great test and a brick run.
@Aaron B - Gains are gains. Keep it up!
@Aaron L - You're first test w/ power, congrats. Friggin hard huh? Nice job.
@Chris W, Shaughn, William Johnathan, Keith, Keith, Phillip, and Eric - You guys nailed it and I was expecting nothing less.
I think I covered everyone. If I missed anyone, here's a big ol' congrats to you.
Great job, all.
Dave
Said it last time, I'll say it again - it's very easy to get motivated for this when you check the forums just before the test:
1st 20': 245
2nd 20': 235
New FTP: 237 (up from 223 last time, started at 203).
Happy of course, but to be honest I was hoping for a little more of a bump. I will partially chalk it up to the 6 week "layoff" from FTP - I found the 30/30 stuff "easy" relatively speaking and so it was a big mental challenge to return to the long steady stuff.
Will shoot for 254 next test which would be a nice round 25% improvement for the first 20-week OS.
Great work everyone!
Went out strong, first 20' at 324. The first 20' felt good and left me confident for the second half. Then 2" at 186, then a second 20' where I died a slow and painful death and worked hard for a 307. I had high hopes because in the past I have always neg split these tests. Sticking at my previous 310.
Theories as to why I screwed the pooch:
1. The first 20' were in a bigger gear, average cadence of 81. I knew I was playing with fire a bit as my "sweet spot" gear has allowed a 85-87 cadence to produce sustained 310-320 watts. I felt good grinding so I went with it, but I think it bit me later. Maybe.
2. Late in the day test? Yeah, whatever.
3. Just a bad day. Yup. Gonna leave it at that. Disappointed, but onward.
I do know that I worked within a whisker of "as hard as I possibly could". That was the one thought I had while trying not to fall over afterwards- it was a real effort. Just an off day.
Good news is I've lost 7 pounds so a net gain in power I guess.
Way to kill it team!
Very psyched to see all the test reports and the terrific gains everyone is making. Even you folks who had tests that didn't quite go as you hoped get major props from me for grinding them out and posting about them here. Only good things result from putting in the effort. Rarely is a bad test followed by another bad test.
Onward!
Mr. Malone, I've been waiting for you results. Glad you checked in. No big whup. You'll be out of that hurt barn soon enough tearing up Skyline Drive.
The cadence disucssion is an interesting one as I have gone in the other direction. 85 was/is my sweet spot but with the vo2 stuff, I cranked up the cadence and it's translated a bit over to the ftp stuff. It'll be interesting to see how it shakes out on the road.
Dave
Dave - Great test congrats after the early OS difficulties/
Mike M - Coming back from injuries is tough. In two weeks you will crush the test.
Chris M - A touch test for sure but maximum effort is all you can give.
Gordon
Was feeling good on Tuesday when I did the bike test. I made another modest gain of 6 watts from 270 to 276. What is rocking is that this time last year I was sitting at 247 Pnorm while carrying an additional 5 lbs.
I cannot wait until I can do this test outdoors. The goal is 300w and 4 w/kg.
Checking in. Plan for me was FT test today. Started a cold Tuesday evening( after Vdot test in AM, phew, got in in under the wire). Sore throat, stuffy nose and just feeling cruddy so rested yesterday and today ran easy 1hour with friend for her birthday and then rode 2 hours outside with Tom Glynn and 2 other friends, felt no umph at all and drafted my ass off. Will test when feeling I can give it my all. This Saturday our club is doing a fundraiser for ALS( Blazeman foundation, 16.5 hour spin-a-thon) and Steve and I are leading 2 x 1.5 hour classes for it so this weekend is out. Maybe Monday???
It is hard to time these tests when life happens. Next week we start the last 12 weeks to IMSG. I am in denial....
CC
Nice jump, Joe. That's great progress.
No worries, CC. You'll get it done. You always do.
Dave
Finally figuring out how to do this test, with help from Coach P's podcast this week. My previous FTP was 163 so I completed the first 20 min at 165 and then pushed the second 20 min to 174, very pleased with both, and come away with a new FTP pf 168. Results in a 5 watt boost plus my watts/k improved to 3.2. Best part to come away with was feeling in control and strong through the whole test and really pushing at the end. Still an awful lot of yelling during the last 10 minutes but it was more self-encouragement than the agonizing cries of a dying cat
.
Good work this week everyone!
Congrats, Heather! It's so true about executing these tests correctly. Well done.
Dave
Thanks for the kind words Dave, you guys with your 300+ ftps are just killing me, but you do what you can with what ya got, right?