AWE-SOME! Today I felt calm and settled and drew on all the experience I have had in the 3 seasons here with EN doing these tests. Just got on the bike, no muss, no fuss, put my head down, paced it out, and got it done. I'm getting better at finding that fine line between pushing it to the max, and pushing it to the point of boogering the test. In the end I feel I could have gone a smidge harder, but just a bit. It was pretty much right on the money. That's a great workout no matter what!
Carrie mentioend a few weeks ago that Steve used some profanity in the middle of a workout. So at about the 12' mark, of the second one, I channeled Steve, did the same, and brought it home strong. Nothing like a a good ol' f-bomb to get the juices fired up for a good finish.
Gained 4 watts--170 to 174. I'm very happy with that because--for me--170 was is a pretty solid FT going into the OS. I'm not expecting huge jumps, but any increase is a good one!
Great work everyone! Very inspiring to read. Go big to those of you who still have the test to come!
Emerged from the pain cave gaining 15 watts since November 1, a 7% gain. That puts me at 230w.
I'm most intrigued by the change in my average heart rate. It was 171 bpm 7 weeks ago, but only 158 today. Fitness bumping up for sure!
I've also been riding a higher cadence this year just 'cause I want to give it a try. This was my highest test ever at 96 rpm ave. All around really pleased. I traditionally get a really big wattage bump in the spring as I transition to riding on the road. My goal is, and has been forever, 270 watts, which would get me to 4.0 w/kg.
I must say, it has been quite inspiring to read about everyone's tests. I won't be able to do mine until later this evening and it's killing me. Oh, the anticipation!
Regardless of the number, the improvements have been tremendous.
@Linda - I want some of the calm inner peace entering the test you had. I get as nervous before one of these as I do my bike races. It's insane!
@Keith - Damn! Talk about a perfect storm of buzzards luck and murphy's law. I feel for you.
Great job everyone! Some big gains out there. Congrats!
I managed to get it done this AM after a terrible night's sleep. New indoor FTP of 320, combined with weight of 176 has me at 4.0 w/kg exactly. Stoked. Even more stoked that the watts were consistent across both intervals, no drop. A day of rest can do wonders! I am psyched to see what the VO2 stuff brings...can I get to 340 this season? Man, the pain will be intense, but 4.25 w/kg would be INSANE. I know you guys will help me get there...
@Dave--re the mind game, as Captain Kirk would say to Sulu--just "make it so." It's my own "Ironmind" strategy I use to fix myself up before these things. It's one of the gifts EN gave me in the first year--I had to figure out the mental Zen once and for all. But it's Zen sometimes spiced with spiked teeth to rip my legs off when I need to! It was a huge bit of personal growth that came directly from training here. Don't let that test push you around. Make it bend to you! (And we know you can do that!)
@P--4.25 it is! That is so cool, we have to get you there!
Super job everyone. I love reading the reports on testing day. Even if it doesn't go as planned, there's soemthing to be learned.
I managed to get it done this AM after a terrible night's sleep. New indoor FTP of 320, combined with weight of 176 has me at 4.0 w/kg exactly. Stoked. Even more stoked that the watts were consistent across both intervals, no drop. A day of rest can do wonders! I am psyched to see what the VO2 stuff brings...can I get to 340 this season? Man, the pain will be intense, but 4.25 w/kg would be INSANE. I know you guys will help me get there...
Just awesome results all around. Great to read everyone's wars. I think I'm channelling Linda Patch for the rest of the OS as she seems to have something serious going on with the positive in all directions. Love it and keep it up LP.
@Mancona: I would love 5.0 w/kg but my goal has me at 300 FTP and weight of 138lbs. if I get there that would be 4.8w/kg sooo close.
@Tom C: Can't wait to see your results. You are going to show some big time gains. Just wait till you get to do the workouts with the new numbers
Well, that didn't go as planned, but I had a bad feeling it might based on my past week of bike workouts. I didn't feel strong from the get go. Looking at WKO+, I started to fade at 12' and it was a struggle to keep it at FTP.
I thought maybe I'd bag it, but I thought why should I quit just because I wasn't getting an increase. I sucked it up (seems like I've been saying that a lot lately ) and finished the second 20' and believe me that was a victory in and of itself.
The ugly truth:
290 down from 300.
1st 20' 299
2nd 20' 288
My self assessment is, I suck. I'm worthless and weak and I should take up fishing. Just kidding. Seriously, I think I've dug myself a big old fashioned hole. I'm going to start another thread with my thoughts and questions so I don't bog this thread down.
Thanks to all for your motivation. Depsite my less than stellar results, knowing you were all suffering is what kept me going.
Woo hoo! Congrats to everyone for the great bumps and all the hard work. I face the beast tomorrow morning and all this mojo has got me pumped with excitment (and a small amount of dread). Will be channeling everyone when things get tough. Just imagining where this group will be come spring. We shall emerge from our collective caves ready to lay down some hurt!
Test done and ftp is 167. I'll take it, but with a note that I'm still a power baby. I don't seem to be as fast as last year, but I'm guessing new tri bike versus old road bike = different numbers. And it is not last year.
Keith and I are going to form the "FTP test from hell club", while I'm pretty sure Keith has me beat, here is my tale of woe: up at 4:30am ready to crank out a new and improved FTP (current # is 228). Grab some coffee, mess around with email and hop on the bike at 5:30 am. At precisely 5:31 am bike slips out of the CT and rear wheel (with PT) gets bent. I spend an hour trying to true it myself and end up making it look like a pretzel -am now out of a PT until 12/30 . Go to work totally pissed off and bummed that I need to do the test at night on my computrainer. Get home get the CT all set up and into the ride we go - whats this, no Pnorm being displayed????? WTF? its on my dashboard just staying at 0. So I bang out the intervals and need to estimate pnorm as for some reason my CT only decided to show avg watts and not my norm power. Oh well, all in all still pretty psyched, went from 228 to 241 (conservative on the averaging). Thinking 265 before we get outside again is a definite possibility. VDOT test here we come!!!!!
Happy but not satisfied. Really lost the watts in the last 8 mins. I think more mental than physical. I knew I was crushing it and kinda let the mental demons in....Up 10% from my first test of 237.
First 20' = 270
Second 20' = 256
its hard to complain though, I'm at an all time high!!
These tests are definitely tough! Very happy to see the numbers headed in the right direction. Up from 155 to 169 and test was way more consistent that the first one. Still not back to where I would like to be but since I couldn't walk this time last year (broken tib/fib) I'm just happy to be headed in the right direction.
INSPIRATIONAL is the only word I can think of for the NOV OS Peeps! Glad to know I am hanging with such a dedicated bunch. Thinking about my competition up here in CDA who are eating/chilling while I am out in the garage kicking my own a--! Payday will come June 27th!!
Great work everyone!
@Halligan - Keep the chin up dude. You were doing a lot of racing/riding and sure you have accumulated more fatique than you realize!
Got mine done at 5:30 a.m. even though I didn't have work today! Tested at 204 at beginning of season. Was hoping for 230 given recent performance, but just didn't have the legs this morning. Ended up going 220 and 224, so ~220 overall. Call it an 8% increase. I topped out at 230 last OS, so hoping to move past that soon. Paced it really well and hung on despite not having peak mojo.
Way to go everyone! Awesome results all around! No one went down (so far)...keep pushing.
No abillity to download to WKO+ from the PT until xmas eve (my wife has taken the laptop to our xmas venue) so have to work with averages I mentally noted.
20' at 277w 2' at 177w 20' at 287w
Averages out at 277w, I don't think the NP will be much different or am I talking rubbish. Anyway FTP in week 1 of 258w, to average 277w now, a 7% increase. One of the OS podcasts had some great advice on testing and I used that to go "steady but hard" (about the wattage of the best interval I had done) in the first one and then gave it horns in the second. Second interval I was having trouble holding the average of 282/283w but some gear changes and a push in the last 3' got me to 287w. Could I have gone harder......no. Legs had the wobbles and the first 2 minutes of coold own were done at about 50-60w!
Got into z3 breaking trail out to the hurt barn. First 20'@ 314.4, second 20'@315.4. I wanted to neg split and I did but not the jump up I expected out of the second 20'.
Just not in the pain embracing mode. Good news, it's a 10 point bump up. Bad news, I think my w/kg is actually going down.
Defnintely lots of motivation to get this test done. I guess it pays to be late sometimes...
Previous FTP test was at beginning of week 2, 180 watts.
first 20' - 203 ; second 20' - 205. My new FTP 201, an 11.6% increase.
I think I left just a little on the table today as my HR did not see 180's like last time. I know why and before the next test I won't bartend my uncle's 65th birthday. I did feel dizzy close to the end so I know I was working but a 9.5 not a 10 like last time.
5 watt bump for me this go around from 200 to 205 watts. Happy with that considering my run focus! time to settle back in to the bike and start getting the work done.
Wow, awesome displays by this group. I actually had trouble sleeping last night I was so nervous -- sort of like the night before a race. But legs felt good this morning (glad I took it easy Sun/Mon).
Previous FTP = 295. New FTP = 306. Weight at 172 means new w/kg = 3.9. Me = psyched.
First 20' was 306 and second was 315. So I was definiitely a bit too conservative on the first rep. I'm always worried about going out too hard early and dying at the end but maybe next time I push it a bit harder on the first rep. No complaints though. First time over 300. And up from 251 this past March. My goal was to make 4.0 w/kg by spring but I just bumped that goal to 4.1 so I can keep slaying myself on this OS plan.
Excited (and a little bit fearful) of the upcoming 30/30 regimen. Anyone else notice that the Saturday workouts just continue to get harder on top of all the weekday V02 madness? January is going to be "fun" in a painful kind of way...
Comments
If you had a look at me right now I am not sure who crushed who, me or the test!
AWE-SOME! Today I felt calm and settled and drew on all the experience I have had in the 3 seasons here with EN doing these tests. Just got on the bike, no muss, no fuss, put my head down, paced it out, and got it done. I'm getting better at finding that fine line between pushing it to the max, and pushing it to the point of boogering the test. In the end I feel I could have gone a smidge harder, but just a bit. It was pretty much right on the money. That's a great workout no matter what!
Carrie mentioend a few weeks ago that Steve used some profanity in the middle of a workout. So at about the 12' mark, of the second one, I channeled Steve, did the same, and brought it home strong. Nothing like a a good ol' f-bomb to get the juices fired up for a good finish.
Gained 4 watts--170 to 174. I'm very happy with that because--for me--170 was is a pretty solid FT going into the OS. I'm not expecting huge jumps, but any increase is a good one!
Great work everyone! Very inspiring to read. Go big to those of you who still have the test to come!
@ Trent and Steve - huge gains! Sincere congrats on seeing the consistent, hard work payoff big!
All below the IF shows 112% - basically went from 251 - 280 both watts and w/kg. improved in 8 weeks, have not gained weight.
Am happy with the output yet a bit worried about the next 12 weeks and new baseline......
Sincere congrats to all knocking this one down today!
Power-Tap #2:
Duration: 41:52
Work: 696 kJ
TSS: 87.3 (intensity factor 1.118)
Norm Power: 280
VI: 1.01
Pw:HR: -2.77%
Pa:HR: -2.49%
Distance: 16.751 mi
Min Max Avg
Power: 0 426 277 watts
Heart Rate: 125 170 161 bpm
Cadence: 59 106 93 rpm
Speed: 13.5 33.3 24.0 mph
I think Rich would say "Monsters, Inc.!" You people are crushing it!
Emerged from the pain cave gaining 15 watts since November 1, a 7% gain. That puts me at 230w.
I'm most intrigued by the change in my average heart rate. It was 171 bpm 7 weeks ago, but only 158 today. Fitness bumping up for sure!
I've also been riding a higher cadence this year just 'cause I want to give it a try. This was my highest test ever at 96 rpm ave. All around really pleased. I traditionally get a really big wattage bump in the spring as I transition to riding on the road. My goal is, and has been forever, 270 watts, which would get me to 4.0 w/kg.
Bring on the VO2 max stuff!
Up from 237 to 253!
Power-Tap #2:
I must say, it has been quite inspiring to read about everyone's tests. I won't be able to do mine until later this evening and it's killing me. Oh, the anticipation!
Regardless of the number, the improvements have been tremendous.
@Linda - I want some of the calm inner peace entering the test you had. I get as nervous before one of these as I do my bike races. It's insane!
@Keith - Damn! Talk about a perfect storm of buzzards luck and murphy's law. I feel for you.
Great job everyone! Some big gains out there. Congrats!
Dave
Bravo Guys!! Enjoy the new level of pain. You are all a great inspiration.
Please throw a little mojo- jojo my way. I test tomorrow morning due to a busy schedule today.
P
@Dave--re the mind game, as Captain Kirk would say to Sulu--just "make it so."
It's my own "Ironmind" strategy I use to fix myself up before these things. It's one of the gifts EN gave me in the first year--I had to figure out the mental Zen once and for all. But it's Zen sometimes spiced with spiked teeth to rip my legs off when I need to! It was a huge bit of personal growth that came directly from training here. Don't let that test push you around. Make it bend to you! (And we know you can do that!)
@P--4.25 it is! That is so cool, we have to get you there!
Super job everyone. I love reading the reports on testing day. Even if it doesn't go as planned, there's soemthing to be learned.
Geez P thanks for making me feel weak and fat
Just awesome results all around. Great to read everyone's wars. I think I'm channelling Linda Patch for the rest of the OS as she seems to have something serious going on with the positive in all directions. Love it and keep it up LP.
@Mancona: I would love 5.0 w/kg but my goal has me at 300 FTP and weight of 138lbs. if I get there that would be 4.8w/kg sooo close.
@Tom C: Can't wait to see your results. You are going to show some big time gains. Just wait till you get to do the workouts with the new numbers
Well, that didn't go as planned, but I had a bad feeling it might based on my past week of bike workouts. I didn't feel strong from the get go. Looking at WKO+, I started to fade at 12' and it was a struggle to keep it at FTP.
I thought maybe I'd bag it, but I thought why should I quit just because I wasn't getting an increase. I sucked it up (seems like I've been saying that a lot lately
) and finished the second 20' and believe me that was a victory in and of itself.
The ugly truth:
290 down from 300.
1st 20' 299
2nd 20' 288
My self assessment is, I suck. I'm worthless and weak and I should take up fishing.
Just kidding. Seriously, I think I've dug myself a big old fashioned hole. I'm going to start another thread with my thoughts and questions so I don't bog this thread down.
Thanks to all for your motivation. Depsite my less than stellar results, knowing you were all suffering is what kept me going.
Dave
Woo hoo! Congrats to everyone for the great bumps and all the hard work. I face the beast tomorrow morning and all this mojo has got me pumped with excitment (and a small amount of dread). Will be channeling everyone when things get tough. Just imagining where this group will be come spring. We shall emerge from our collective caves ready to lay down some hurt!
-Chris
Test done and ftp is 167. I'll take it, but with a note that I'm still a power baby. I don't seem to be as fast as last year, but I'm guessing new tri bike versus old road bike = different numbers. And it is not last year.
Patience + discipline.
Patience + discipline.
And now, dinner.
Bumped up from 213ftp to 217 ftp. I was glad for the increase but want more.
These test seem hard indoors. Great job everyone.
Keith and I are going to form the "FTP test from hell club", while I'm pretty sure Keith has me beat, here is my tale of woe: up at 4:30am ready to crank out a new and improved FTP (current # is 228). Grab some coffee, mess around with email and hop on the bike at 5:30 am. At precisely 5:31 am bike slips out of the CT and rear wheel (with PT) gets bent. I spend an hour trying to true it myself and end up making it look like a pretzel -am now out of a PT until 12/30
. Go to work totally pissed off and bummed that I need to do the test at night on my computrainer. Get home get the CT all set up and into the ride we go - whats this, no Pnorm being displayed????? WTF? its on my dashboard just staying at 0. So I bang out the intervals and need to estimate pnorm as for some reason my CT only decided to show avg watts and not my norm power. Oh well, all in all still pretty psyched, went from 228 to 241 (conservative on the averaging). Thinking 265 before we get outside again is a definite possibility. VDOT test here we come!!!!!
Happy but not satisfied. Really lost the watts in the last 8 mins. I think more mental than physical. I knew I was crushing it and kinda let the mental demons in....Up 10% from my first test of 237.
First 20' = 270
Second 20' = 256
its hard to complain though, I'm at an all time high!!
Selection:
Duration: 42:01
Work: 641 kJ
TSS: 83 (intensity factor 1.089)
Norm Power: 260
VI: 1.02
Pw:HR: n/a
Pa:HR: n/a
Distance: 14.54 mi
The work just got harder
Good effort, I started out a bit conservative but felt my legs just go after I settled in. Doing these indoors really sucks.
Interval 1:
Duration: 41:59
Work: 823 kJ
TSS: 118.1 (intensity factor 1.299)
Norm Power: 331
VI: 1.01
Pw:HR: 6.91%
Pa:HR: 3.1%
Distance: 15.979 mi
Min Max Avg
Power: 0 422 327 watts
Heart Rate: 110 161 149 bpm
Cadence: 44 98 83 rpm
Speed: 13.3 24.3 22.8 mph
Pace 2:28 4:31 2:38 min/mi
Hub Torque: 0 123 94 lb-in
Crank Torque: 0 503 333 lb-in
These tests are definitely tough! Very happy to see the numbers headed in the right direction. Up from 155 to 169 and test was way more consistent that the first one. Still not back to where I would like to be but since I couldn't walk this time last year (broken tib/fib) I'm just happy to be headed in the right direction.
Test:
Duration: 41:59
Work: 422 kJ
TSS: 82.9 (intensity factor 1.088)
Norm Power: 169
VI: 1.01
Pw:HR: 3.06%
Pa:HR: 5.1%
Distance: 11.758 mi
Min Max Avg
Power: 65 208 168 watts
Heart Rate: 103 178 162 bpm
Speed: 11.9 17.8 16.8 mph
Pace 3:22 5:03 3:35 min/mi
Hub Torque: 36 77 66 lb-in
INSPIRATIONAL is the only word I can think of for the NOV OS Peeps!
Glad to know I am hanging with such a dedicated bunch. Thinking about my competition up here in CDA who are eating/chilling while I am out in the garage kicking my own a--! Payday will come June 27th!!
Great work everyone!
@Halligan - Keep the chin up dude. You were doing a lot of racing/riding and sure you have accumulated more fatique than you realize!
Way to go everyone! Awesome results all around! No one went down (so far)...keep pushing.
20' at 277w
2' at 177w
20' at 287w
Averages out at 277w, I don't think the NP will be much different or am I talking rubbish. Anyway FTP in week 1 of 258w, to average 277w now, a 7% increase. One of the OS podcasts had some great advice on testing and I used that to go "steady but hard" (about the wattage of the best interval I had done) in the first one and then gave it horns in the second. Second interval I was having trouble holding the average of 282/283w but some gear changes and a push in the last 3' got me to 287w. Could I have gone harder......no. Legs had the wobbles and the first 2 minutes of coold own were done at about 50-60w!
Coach P? Ouch! How tall are you? Awesome power.
Peter Archambault...what planet did you drop in from? Very Impressive.
There are so many people here that make this entire process fun and very humbling at the same time.
Vince
McCrann, YOU MAGNIFICENT BASTARD!!!
)
(you suck
Nice work, everyone.
Got into z3 breaking trail out to the hurt barn. First 20'@ 314.4, second 20'@315.4. I wanted to neg split and I did but not the jump up I expected out of the second 20'.
Just not in the pain embracing mode. Good news, it's a 10 point bump up. Bad news, I think my w/kg is actually going down.
Happy holidays. Team!
Defnintely lots of motivation to get this test done. I guess it pays to be late sometimes...
Previous FTP test was at beginning of week 2, 180 watts.
first 20' - 203 ; second 20' - 205. My new FTP 201, an 11.6% increase.
I think I left just a little on the table today as my HR did not see 180's like last time. I know why and before the next test I won't bartend my uncle's 65th birthday
. I did feel dizzy close to the end so I know I was working but a 9.5 not a 10 like last time.
Here's the whole test:
5 watt bump for me this go around from 200 to 205 watts. Happy with that considering my run focus! time to settle back in to the bike and start getting the work done.
Wow, awesome displays by this group. I actually had trouble sleeping last night I was so nervous -- sort of like the night before a race. But legs felt good this morning (glad I took it easy Sun/Mon).
Previous FTP = 295. New FTP = 306. Weight at 172 means new w/kg = 3.9. Me = psyched.
First 20' was 306 and second was 315. So I was definiitely a bit too conservative on the first rep. I'm always worried about going out too hard early and dying at the end but maybe next time I push it a bit harder on the first rep. No complaints though. First time over 300. And up from 251 this past March. My goal was to make 4.0 w/kg by spring but I just bumped that goal to 4.1 so I can keep slaying myself on this OS plan.
Excited (and a little bit fearful) of the upcoming 30/30 regimen. Anyone else notice that the Saturday workouts just continue to get harder on top of all the weekday V02 madness? January is going to be "fun" in a painful kind of way...
-Chris