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Written by Vince
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Sunday, 31 May 2009 05:57 |
While talking to my coach the other day, she suggested I do another functional threshold power (FTP) test this week. For those just tuning in, this is cycling test with a powermeter and it consists of warming up for 20 minutes, an all out effort for 5 minutes, a 10 minute recovery, and finally an even but maximum effort for 20 minutes.
I performed this test back in March, determined my adjusted FTP, and based my training around that number. Between my two solid performances at Ironman Oceanside and Wildflower, I don't need any other data which makes this threshold test an academic exercise. When she suggested the test, I hesitated for a moment which she picked up on. She asked why I hesitated and I proceeded to explain that I didn't think the test was necessary nor would I want to change ANYTHING we were doing. Despite my protest, she still thought it would be a good idea.
This test has been looming over my head for the entire week and I've been dreading it. There will be nothing to gain and regardless of what the test shows, I'm not changing anything because I feel like I've got my numbers dialed in and it's just a matter of keeping the training consistent between now and Lake Placid.
I got up yesterday morning and dragged my feet for three hours before I finally set out on my ride -- I just didn't want to do it. This should've been the first indication and I should've bailed on the workout but I decided to continue on with it anyway.
Finishing my warm up, I started the 5 minute all out effort which truly was all out. Despite the ups and downs in the terrain, I held an average of 266 watts which is huge for me. I started to feel a little more positive about the test but not nearly as much as when I performed it the first time.
Arriving at the starting point, I quickly ripped off excess clothing, downed a bar, and proceeded to perform the test. I don't really know how to describe the actual process other than it's basically pushing as hard as you can for 20 minutes without going over the edge. I teeter tottered back and forth over that line and when 20 minutes finally arrived, I was glad to be done.
The unfortunate part of using a PowerTap is that it doesn't give me the ability (or I don't know how) to look back on the previous lap so I had to wait patiently to finish my ride in order to see the results. With 20 miles remaining, I patiently waited for the ride to end in order to plug the unit into my computer.
Finally! I arrived back at the house and immediately jumped on the computer to download the results but the results were disappointing. My average power for the 20 minute test was 275 watts which basically shows that I had lost 5 watts from my previous test. And this is what I had dreaded from the moment my coach had suggested the test. This number is in the abstract as far as my training is concerned but it could potentially change how I feel and it has. The number changes absolutely nothing but now I'm in a foul mood.
I immediately pulled up the other power file and started crisscrossing back and forth to see if there was something different but I couldn't find much other than the 5 minute effort being quite a bit harder than the previous attempt. I even thought that perhaps my weight might be slightly lower now which would actually make the test today a better performance but my weight was almost the same. After spending 15 minutes going back and forth and coming up with a dozen reasons why I lost 5 watts, the end result was still the same... I lost 5 watts and I'm annoyed.
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