Hi guys, I feel like I have a good grasp on training with power zones but I guess I just want to understand exactly how repeatable FTP should be.
My eFTP gets estimated around 242 W (~4.0 W/kg), but I find that I can repeat this or very close to it for long, 30-60 minute intervals on 5-7 hour rides. I live in the mountains and love doing climbing efforts on long rides. I do not stop for more than 15-20 minutes total on these rides, so I don’t think recovery time is a factor.
For example, some of my climbing effort lap stats from the past 2 weekends:
I also have a lot of trouble with top-end efforts and my sprint is embarrassing at best (or just struggle compared to the men I ride with haha). I’m wondering if genetics are playing a role, and I’m just predisposed to be able to handle/recover and repeat from a ton of Z3-Z4 but not do well in the anaerobic range? Is my FTP underestimated since I don’t explicitly test too often, or should FTP actually be this repeatable?
There’s no rule for that. All ‘zones’ can be trained in at least two different ways:
You can increase power output and raise your ceiling for a zone target
you can increase duration as in ‘longer intervals’ or ‘more intervals’ to increase ‘capacity’ at that level
In your case, if those efforts are from one ride, and I think that each table represents one single ride, you have either have:
An underestimated FTP
A very high capacity at FTP
My first intuition would think that your FTP is at least 15-20W higher. What was your feeling after that 57m effort? If that was at or very close to FTP, you would have been quite close to ‘cooked’.
A second thought is that if your FTP was more or less in the ballpark before those 2 weekends, it surely increased now after that hard work.
If FTP is close and you find yourself on a plateau, try doing some supra-threshold work the next couple of weeks to break through that plateau. Less intervals at higher power with more rest in between will raise your ceiling. Then go back to doing what you’re doing now with the raised FTP and increase capacity.
Some sprint work will help you develop a better anaerobic performance. And you might be surprised how quickly that develops.
Anyway, congrats on those numbers! You are most likely very hard to beat on the terrain you’re describing. Even people with a slightly higher FTP will get dropped if you can repeat those efforts that many times
Strength training is recommended with all cycling training. And, that includes squats and a whole host of other exercises. We hear every coach say this yet we, me, often pass it by. It’s not in the training plans is it? But, buried in every book and every interview are those words.
Yes, you can increase FTP with HIIT. But, the most stress you can place on your legs, core, etc., comes from Strength training. All the cyclists who excell do it. In my experience it doesn’t create much of a load and can be judiciously added.
Catie,
I fully agree with @MedTechCD with the FTP being set bit on the low side, but I wonder what here rides looks between the climbs? → 30min coasting down hill? I would have you try doing just one of these at 263+W to see if s you hold it for 20+ min at ~FTP.
Also these are quite low cadence numbers- time to improve.
Good luck !
As always have fun
hey catie,
the best way to know, even thinking that you’re already used to do long intervals, would be like an all-out, well paced 30-40min test. it’ll be a great estimation of exactly what you can do for an hour.
about the efforts, i’d say that you have a great aerobic power (anything till just the beginning of your z4 zone). there are athletes with a z2 that goes up to 85% of ftp, wich means they can sustain really long efforts at, just say, 95%. that doesn’t mean that their ftp is higher… usually they can start to suffer really quick when crossing the 100%, or just doesn’t respond that well above, at 105,100% and beyond.
seeing that you do some crazy long training rides, it’s no surprise you have such a big aerobic base. i see you have one or two long intervals at just 100%, and shorter one just above. how you feel on those in comparison with the really long ones can get you an idea if the number is right also… like, would they be sustainable for 50min also? really hard, but doable? if yes, you can be spot on.
sometimes 5% of more or less on an effort can make you endure much more longer or way shorter. a 95% effort, like most of yours, could feel light years doable, sustainable and repeatable than a 100%.
