FTP much higher than I thought? Help with analyzing intervals for FTP!

[frenchyge]

I would do some formal testing, but right now, I'm following a schedule of set intervals and with racing in two weeks, I don't really want to diverge from the plan right now.

What interval routine are you doing regularly? The big point I've heard over and over on this thread is that the workout you chose to post is about the worst kind that you could use to base an FTP estimate from. Don't you have some more typical workouts (interval, or otherwise) that you could have us estimate your FTP from instead? Is there some reason that your regular interval workouts don't support an FTP higher than 220w?

 

[cshong88]

Shouldn't you be doing some longer threshold-level efforts then?

The intervals are to get a quick spike in fitness going and then we go back to building with longer intervals. These intervals are just all out 30 sec ones.

 

[cshong88]

What interval routine are you doing regularly? The big point I've heard over and over on this thread is that the workout you chose to post is about the worst kind that you could use to base an FTP estimate from. Don't you have some more typical workouts (interval, or otherwise) that you could have us estimate your FTP from instead? Is there some reason that your regular interval workouts don't support an FTP higher than 220w?

Like I was telling whoawhoa I'm just getting into intensity and these short intervals are to spike some fitness. Then we go to longer interval building...but the 220w is just my estimate from my experience with Ascutney, and my experience with my riding these past couple months.

 

[daveryanwyoming]

The intervals are to get a quick spike in fitness going and then we go back to building with longer intervals. These intervals are just all out 30 sec ones.

Have you read Training and Racing With a Power Meter or the threads in the power forums here? In particular do you understand the idea of targeting workouts to specific energy systems? Your 30 second all out efforts will target neuromuscular adaptations, good stuff for sprinters and certain athletes on the track. Good stuff to have in your bag of tricks for any mass start racer, but they won't "get a quick spike in fitness going" in terms of road racing, crits, hill climbs, TTs or other longer efforts.

If you had to pick one thing to get your fitness and overall chances of success up on the road it would be longer intervals in the 10 to 30 minute range with 2x20s being popular. Even that won't be enough for the varying demands of road racing but it's a better bet than 30 second full tilt NM work.

 

[frenchyge]

Like I was telling whoawhoa I'm just getting into intensity and these short intervals are to spike some fitness. Then we go to longer interval building...but the 220w is just my estimate from my experience with Ascutney, and my experience with my riding these past couple months.

I see. Sub-maximal workouts don't show fitness improvements very clearly. I've been working from an FTP swag for the past few months while doing exclusively sweet-spot training. Every sub-maximal workout made me wonder just a little if my FTP weren't a bit lower than I'd estimated, so last night I had to hammer a 3x20 workout just to be sure.

Bumped up my FTP by 5w, and now it's back to SST.

 

[peterpen]

Have you read Training and Racing With a Power Meter or the threads in the power forums here? In particular do you understand the idea of targeting workouts to specific energy systems? Your 30 second all out efforts will target neuromuscular adaptations, good stuff for sprinters and certain athletes on the track. Good stuff to have in your bag of tricks for any mass start racer, but they won't "get a quick spike in fitness going" in terms of road racing, crits, hill climbs, TTs or other longer efforts.

If you had to pick one thing to get your fitness and overall chances of success up on the road it would be longer intervals in the 10 to 30 minute range with 2x20s being popular. Even that won't be enough for the varying demands of road racing but it's a better bet than 30 second full tilt NM work.

Not trying to be the voice of dissent (any more than I always am ) but I wouldn't necessarily discount this type of workout *given his immediate goals.* For one, repeated 30s all out efforts with z3 'rest' periods are probably going to provide a training stimulus for more than just the neuromuscular system. For another, it sounds like he's trying to get a little peak (or raise VO2max?), not build FTP, right now - longer intervals may be fine at another point in his season, but I'd probably be doing other things if I was trying to get a little peak for a few races. The nice thing is, we don't have to "pick one thing" when we train.