FEBRUARY FTP TEST

My third FTP test in five months today.  Continuing with my promise to incent myself by publishing the results, whatever they may be….here’s how it went:

• Conditions:                                        Indoors, mild
• Physical Condition:                            2nd low intensity week, but not exactly feeling fresh and springy
• Mental Attitude:                                 Why do I do this to myself?  -and-  I really hate my coach!  -and-  PK, watch out!!
• Accompaniment:                               Large box fan; Spinerval DVD with coach Troy Jacobson yelling at me.
• Av Power over 20 mins:                    264 watts
• Av Heart Rate over 20 mins:             145 bpm
• Av Cadence:                                      83 rpm
• Post-Ride Recovery/Hydration:         Protein shake, Pringles potato chips (sour cream and onion) and a brandy coke

The bottom-line number in there is 264 watts.  Since this was a 20-minute test, multiply that by .95 to get FTP (which is defined as what you can do for an hour if you all-but-kill-yourself-from-effort) = 250 watts

So —  250 watts.  Up from 233 in Oct and 244 in December.  Nice trend.  But still down from where I was a few years ago (when I was a young, tough 50/51 yr old).

DECEMBER FTP TEST

Another FTP test today.  Continuing with my promise to incent myself by publishing the results, whatever they may be….here’s how it went:

• Conditions:                                        Indoors, mild
• Physical Condition:                            Fine
• Mental Attitude:                                 Let’s do this!
• Accompaniment:                               Large box fan; Yes playing STARSHIP TROOPERS live from the Yes Symphonic DVD (replayed the same song when it ended too soon)
• Av Power over 20 mins:                    257 watts
• Av Heart Rate over 20 mins:             144 bpm
• Av Cadence:                                      84 rpm
• Post-Ride Recovery/Hydration:         Ginger Cat cookies and a brandy coke

The bottom-line number in there is 257 watts.  Since this was a 20-minute test, multiply that by .95 to get FTP (which is defined as what you can do for an hour if you all-but-kill-yourself-from-effort) = 244 watts

So —  244 watts.  Higher than the 233 watts from my last power test in October (see here).  That’s good.  But now all future bike workouts will be based on that new number…so it means I just made things harder going forward.  Ugh.  Maybe I’ll just tell my coach I did a 230.

 

 

 

OCTOBER FTP TEST

My sadistic coach will be forcing me to do 20-minute Functional Threshold Power (FTP) tests on the bike periodically throughout the long Minnesota winter.  These tests, using a power meter (I have an old PowerTap meter on my bike) are used to baseline your power output, determine efforts for other workouts, measure improvement, and make you miserable for 20 minutes and worthless for the rest of the day.  They are very “mental” in that you have to really be up for it.  And oh yeah, I’ll be doing them indoors on the trainer – which is not nearly as motivating as being on the road or with others.  So to incent myself to perform, I have decided to share the results, whatever they may be.  Here’s how it went today:

• Conditions:                                        Indoors, mild
• Physical Condition:                            Fine
• Mental Attitude:                                 Oh Gawd, do I really have to do this?
• Accompaniment:                               Open windows; large box fan; Yes playing RITUAL live from the Yes Symphonic DVD
• During-Ride Fueling/Hydration:         Nothing
• Av Power over 20 mins:                    246 watts
• Av Heart Rate over 20 mins:             143 bpm
• Av Cadence:                                      87 rpm
• Post-Ride Recovery/Hydration:         Granola bar and a brandy coke

So the bottom-line number in there is 246 watts.  Since this was a 20-minute test, multiply that by .95 to get FTP (which is defined as what you can do for an hour if you all-but-kill-yourself-from-effort) = 233 watts

So there it is —  233 watts.  Almost four average-power light bulbs.  Woo.  Hoo.

By the way, that 233 number is:

• Lower than what I’ve done on the road in races this year.
• Lower than what I’ve done on the trainer in previous years.
• Always lower than what I “really” do.  I estimate that my Power Meter, being old, reads about 100 watts too low (wink).
• Gonna go higher.