Home November ‘09 Outseason

Final FTP Test of the OS

I will kick this off.  Did my test today for a couple reasons.  Am trying to test early as I want to do a big bike weekend next weekend, hopefully we will be rain free.  Secondly, I really needed to crush myself and figured a test would be the best way.  The family has had a rough couple of days.  I lost the best running buddy a guy could ever hope to have when my dog was hit by a car and passed.  Lexie could hear you grab your running shoes upstairs if she was outside in the backyard.  She just loved to run.  It will be tough doing my lung runs without her.

On to the test.  It was tough.  Started off really strong and was hoping to hit 265ish but the last 10 minutes were really tough.  I was so drained that I had trouble keeping up my watts but ended up with a new FTP of 258.  So I started the OS with an FTP of 223 so this gives me a gain of 35 watts and a percent gain of just below 16%.  Pretty happy about that especially under the circumstances.

Good luck to everyone else with their tests!  looking forward to seeing the results.

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Comments

  • Hey Tucker, so sorry to hear about your dog.

    Great job on the test.  You had a super outseason with some tremendous gains.  Thanks for sharing your progress with us throughout the entire outseason program.

    Dave

    Dave

  • Sorry to hear about your dog, that is tough.

     

    Great gains, you will be crushing it.

  • My heart sank as I read about your dog.  I haven't got to run with mine yet in training but can imagine how attached you can get when they become your running buddy.

    Nice improvement in the OS.  Shows you have been working.

  • Tucker, very sorry about your dog. That is crushing.
  • So so sorry to hear about your dog!

    Super gains on the bike with your OS though.
  • Hey, Tucker, I'm so sorry to hear about your dog.  Just very sad.  We lost our dog (and my running buddy of 10 years) to cancer last month and it was a real shock and a sad time for the entire family.  My heart goes out to you.

    On the positive side, congratulations on  your tremendous gains this OS.  Just a fantastic improvement and a testament to your hard work adn dedication.  You should be proud of your accomplishment.

    Best,

    -Chris

  • Oh, Tucker, it's a running buddy, a snuggle buddy, a listening buddy and a best friend. It's losing a family member. My heart goes out to you.

    16%?! You are my FTP hero!
  • So sorry to hear about your dog, losing a family member is really tough. Kinda puts every thing else into perspective.

    Nice job on the 16% increase.

     

  • Tucker, sorry to hear about your best friend! Pets are family members! Hugs to you.
  • Tucker that is a tough way to come in to the final test losing your running buddy.  I'm sorry to hear that.

    Great job on the test and 16% is a great imporvement.  I'm looking forward to my test now I just have to figure out how I am managing this week.

    Gordon

  • Truly sorry about losing your dog. Hope you can get another soon, although it won't ever be the same.

    I'm passing on the tests this week because I did the Miami International Triathlon yesterday...that was my test. Finished in 2:18:36 for 5/62 in the M50-54 category.

    Swim - 24:09. This is more than a 2 1/2 min olympic swim PR for me on a legit course (69 degrees, smooth salt water, one loop course). The EN approach makes a lot of sense if you are far down the learning curve on swimming. But I've only been swimming for 3 years and knew I hadn't cracked the code yet. I went to Sarah McClarty's swim camp in Dec, ditched everything I learned from Total Immersion and revamped my swim program. Not only did I vastly improve my time, I came out of the water much fresher than I ever felt before. I was stoked!

    Bike - 67 mins (22.3 mph). Very windy day in Miami...enough so that I used training wheels instead of my disc. Race included 4 climbs over the Key Biscayne bridge (granny gear) and scary fast on the down sides. Two loop course with 3 U-turns per loop. Shortly after I came out of transition, I heard someone coming up fast...and for a very BRIEF moment, I was side by side with eventual winner Matt Chrebot starting on his second bike loop. He beat Chris Lieto (2nd) and Matty Reed (3rd). Anyway, a very strong ride in tough winds.

    Run - 43 mins (6:57). Not so good. I've had a tight left hamstring and sore right foot for a month. I was fighting to stretch my left leg out and finally cramped in the hammie about 4 miles into the run. I probably lost a minute with 3 starts & stops, then some backwards jogging before I could get going again. On the positive side, everything was 100% the last mile...easily my fastest of the run.

    Overall - just 2 mins off my olympic PR from St Anthony's 3 years ago, and on a much more difficult bike course, despite a hamstring cramp, and very early in the season. I'll be ready for IM training next week.
  • Nice race, Paul!  Congrats.

    That Sara McLarty camp sounds interesting.  Any chance you could give a quick cliff's notes summary of what you learned there?  I'm particularly interested in your comment about tossing all you knew from TI, since that's the only thing I've really ever learned.

    Mike

  • Yeah, I'd be interested to hear about the McLarty approach too.  I'm in my 4th year of swimming and TI was a real breakthrough for me (kind of like Chi Running was a breakthrough for me on the run).

    -Chris

  • @Tucker - very sad to hear about your dog. What a sad end to the OS. Congrats on the FT gain, but small consolation.

    @Paul - nice job...that's a pretty impressive performance early in the season. Lot's of folks (including me) would kill to do a 43 minute open 10K, so hats off to you! 22.3 mph on the bike is pretty darn impressive too! Way to go!

    Good luck to everyone else on the tests!
  • Tucker -

    Condolences and Congrats to you as well. Enjoy some rest brother!

    P
  • Did my test tonight. For some reason I felt really ready mentally, and didn't feel like waiting until Thursday. I started the OS putting up a meager 204, followed by 220 in December, and 232 in February. I've been feeling really good on the bike, so I was planning to lay it all out and see what I could do. My outside goal was 250, but I was going to be happy with anything in the "carrot zone" (242+). It went down something like this:

    1st 20:00 - 251...started out really hard and knew I might be in trouble, so tried to dial it back just a bit the last 5 minutes or so
    2:00 - 174
    2nd 20:00 - 242...oopsy...I knew I was in trouble right out of the chute, so I dialed it down a bit for the first 2 minutes and then gave it all I had. Had to take a couple of those 10 second minibreaks along the way, but kept the hammer down and finished strong

    New FTP = 243! I'll take it. That's a 19% gain on the season, so I'm happy. My weight it also down 8 pounds since November, so my w/kg ratio is up 25%. I'm actually looking forward to testing outside as I'm usually ~10% higher outside. If that holds, then I'll be in the 265+ range which would be a personal record...drop another 4 pounds and I'm within 15 watts of the elusive 4 w/kg club. Maybe 300 watts isn't out of the question some day after all! Thanks for all the support along the way...it's been fun!
  • Great job, Bill.  Way to hang in there on the second set.

    Dave

  • Did the test today and was happy to see the progress.  Transition is going to be so good, never thought I would say that.  Started with FTP of 180 in Nov and ended up with 218.  This is truly an amazing program and very thankful for the gains and knowledge the Haus has provided.  Thanks RnP.  On the heads you win, tails I lose you won, how do I reload that card of yours.  Tried to do it yesterday and it wouldn't allow me.  Or can I just send you card.

    Thanks agains

    Entire workout (204 watts):

        Duration:      45:36

        Work:          559 kJ

        TSS:           76.3 (intensity factor 1.002)

        Norm Power:    218

        VI:            1.07

        Pw:HR:          n/a

        Pa:HR:          n/a

        Distance:      17.858 mi

            Min    Max    Avg

        Power:           0    277    204     watts

        Cadence:         31    96    88     rpm

        Speed:           0    26.7    23.4     mph

        Pace             2:15    0:00    2:34     min/mi

        Hub Torque:      0    125    55     lb-in

        Crank Torque:    0    384    194     lb-in

  • Bill and Steve - great job on the tests.

    I am currently sitting in the airport travelling for work and have put off my test until the weekend.  I get in back home late tonight and will decide tomorrow if I have it or wait until Sunday.  The work schedule this week has really caused a problem, adjust, change and wait. 

    I just want to get this final FTT in the books and shut down the OS.  The more I think about it I believe I need a break and will take 1 week off before resuming running.  I will stick to two weeks off for the bike getting a ride in if and when I feel like it no PM, no FTP sets just riding.  Unfortunately its snowing and getting colder here.  Hopefully this will change in a week.

    Gordon

  • Nice job Tucker, Bill and Paul.

    Sorry also to hear about the loss of your Dog Tucker.

    I'm x2 on the McLarty swim info/cliffnotes.

    Vince
  • The Nov OS has been quite a journey for me.  I have really enjoyed reading everyone’s thoughts and results through the past 20 weeks.  Each time I was facing my own training issues I would come back to the EN forum and there would be others with the same concerns, breakthroughs and/or challenges.

     

    Prior to EN I felt I was an island – now I know I am a peninsula!

     

    My last outdoor FTP test was back last summer and I hit 248.

     

    Then I did my first indoor test at the start of the Nov OS and didn’t know what I was doing and blew up with an FTP of 178.

     

    I kept working and never missed a day, although the Power Clinic just about wiped me out towards the end.

     

    I used the FTP numbers from the Power Clinic and raised things with a 244 FTP.

     

    Then yesterday was time for my final OS FTP test.  My original plan was to just hit the 2 x 20s and not worry about the numbers.  However, I felt very, very good.  Here are my results:

     

    Entire workout (257 watts):

        Duration:           42:26

        Work:                655 kJ

        TSS:                  82.3 (intensity factor 1.079)

        Norm Power:    263

        VI:                     1.02

        Pw:HR:             3.94%

        Pa:HR:              7.21%

        Distance:          12.404 mi

     

    I hit the first 20 minutes with a NP of 263 and the second at 271.  The entire effort, while definitely was work, was not overly difficult.  In fact I felt I sandbagged the first 20 minutes and finished up the day with a 1 x 10 at 87%.  As a result I am raising my FTP to 271.

     

    I really seemed to find my second wind this week and in many ways, am sad to see the OS come to an end.

     

    Thanks again.

  • Al Awesome job again! everyone is killing it! Im going to have to use you guys mojo soon before it dries up!
  • Al, great job.  Those FTP tests that feel just slightly above effortless are a rare breed.  Just goes to show your work has paid off.  Congrats.

    Dave

  • Great job everyone - Wish I could say the same for me but it was probably a mistake to test later in the week (after 3x15 brick, run) - had a good power clinic but my FTP test came in lower than before clinic (258 to 256, thinking I should have been in the 270s), 5-6lbs. lighter than last test which is good but should have been better on wattage
  • Al, I love that analogy: "Now I am a peninsula!" !
  • Al great job on the test.  I posted my test in the wk 20 thread go there for the long version.  220 no gain as I wanted to stretch myself and blew up.

    Gordon

  • I was out of town all last week on business so I got my run test done on Sunday and did my FTP test today.

    I could feel some residual impact from the run test ( I hit a new vDOT high of 48.6 = Patrick target!) when I warmed up but it was time to get R done.

    I hit a new high FTP of 260W with the first 20’s was 263, the second 259 with 185 for the 2 min recovery. My max HR was 156 vs 162 on other tests. At the end I think I left some on the table. I continued to ride for a total of 90 min and a IF of .94. Legs got stronger as I rode – go figure?

    I started the OS with a FTP of 232 which was a peak for last season and hit the target that Rich forecast of 260 for a 12% gain. This is my second OS with EN. In December 08 I had a FTP of 198W. The EN focus on quality and Work Works has increased my FTP by 38% in two OS sessions. Ask me if I am Happy!!!

    A note , I am 54 this year and the EN plan is producing these results. 

    Matt
  • Great job Matt! I would for sure be be happy if I can match that in my second OS!
  • Very impressive Matt! Your gains are awesome and you give us old guys hope.
  • Matt excellent results over this OS and the last two seasons with EN.

    Gordon

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