I’m doing the Intermediate 30 Week OFF Season plan and loving the structure and results so far. I completed the weights section of the 30 Off-Season and just started the Sweet Spot Base component of the plan.
The Sweet Spot Base component of the plan starts with an FTP test that I attempted this Tuesday morning but I ended up needing to bail after 30 minutes in… I wasn’t able to max out my power, my legs were still heavy and sore from the weekend group ride fun and stiff from the first Monday off in a long time. The last week of power and standing starts was a final step-up in load from the previous weeks with the addition of 30 minutes for 3 hours Saturday ride (which I hit hard…, strong group, and beautiful weather) and a 3 hour Zone 2 Sunday ride.
I’m ready to hit Sweet Spot however I’m just left wondering if my FTP is lower than it should be because my test was taken in a fatigued state, and if so should I be keeping an eye out for that with my training in the coming weeks and adjust anything?
Instead of FTPing it first thing in the a.m., I used the morning ride to loosen up the legs, fueled well during the day, took a 30-minute lunch nap at work, and hit it again that night. While I feel I was able to hit the test with all I had yesterday my FTP ended up exactly the same as when I started the 30 week OFF Season Plan.
It’s my understanding and what I’ve read and heard here and in other places, FTP tests are best completed after following a lower output week in order to be fresh for the test.
Is the FTP test in this plan different from that strategy and placed after step-up weeks on purpose?
If it’s best to test after a rest week then this post is a suggestion to update the plan to have a lower output week before starting the Sweet Spot section of the 30 Week Off-Season for a well-rested FTP test base point for Sweet Spot.
All this being said, I feel my FTP is probably close enough… is it? Should I just carry on until the next test or should I look at anything to adjust if necessary, baring taking a second test?
Tough to answer Josh - without looking at your data. WRT to testing - give it your best effort, don’t give up and let the data speak for where you are @ - don’t try to read into anything but the raw results.
Update your zones and use this test as a way to measure your improvement the next time you test!
also consider your form (TSB) coming into this most recent FTP test compared to the previous one. you likely did have some residual fatigue which may have negatively impacted the test result whereas prior to embarking on the plan you might have been well rested.
Making things even more complicated, over the Winter I’ve been training indoors on my wife’s Peloton and taking my FTP tests on it since that is where I’ve been doing my weekly early morning training rides before work.
The fun happens when comparing my normalized power between the Peloton and my road bike with the Powertap rear hub. I just started back up on the local Saturday group rides and have a few full gas NP data points that end up being out of whack with the Peloton’s NP.
So for example on the Peloton, this week’s FTP Test resulted in an NP of 247 W when selecting Peak 20:00 min. Two of the last three Saturday rides selecting Peak 20:00 min Power result in NP of 352 W and 321 W. Those two rides were earlier in the month. This last Saturday ride I felt orders of magnitude stronger, but my head uint tweaked out so I don’t have Peak 20:00 for that last ride.
I think I’m between a rock and hard place regarding managing my power overall and need to figure out how to manage my zones between indoor and outdoor training.
I hate setting my bike up on the old CycleOps trainer since it wears out the rear tire, I have to swap skewers, and it’s not as comfortable or convenient as the Peleton for indoors… and the trainers’ fan is super loud for 5 am rides when the family is still sleeping.
Needless to say, the Training Peaks Fatigue numbers and TSS are going to be out of wack as well.
I just started 30weeks training plan. I am an experienced rider with no events to follow this year. My goal is to be fit and be fast on the bike. I was listening to fascat podcast and I want to plan to add 1 hr extra a week on my long rides.
Any suggestions?
Hi. I am 45 yrs old. I am 30 weeks off season + weights + sweet spot advanced.
Before fascat plan I was doing my own training with 600-700 tss weekly.
I was referring on my long rides or group rides add on 1 hr weekly in zone 2 endurance.
My event is around Nov 1.
