js, supposedly 38F on Friday, maybe you can arrange a long lunch <wink, wink>.
bg, thanks for the encouragement. The short stint in the hospital came at what would have been the last big push in my first build cycle, so basically just re-jiggered the plan to accommodate a shift in easy weeks (made last week my rest instead of this week).
On the upside, and still taking it somewhat easy (so 2x18's instead of 2x20's), managed today at what felt like an easier intensity than the last pair of pre-hospital SST intervals, and finished them strong. I was only doing a modest 220W before the hospital (and probably could have a gone a wee bit harder as I never feel as though I can't pull off the 2nd set, and always like to finish strong), but today found myself drifting up to 235 and had to reign it in. Corresponding HR was also down a bit:
Pre-hospital (2 weeks ago)
1st int @ ~220W = ending HR of 159 (85% maxHR)
2nd int @ ~225W = ending HR of 159
Today
1st int @ ~225W = ending HR of 149 (80% maxHR)
2nd int @ ~235W = ending HR of 153
After steadily loosing weight over the last months am now 150lbs on the button which if I'm just guessing puts me at around 3.4W/kg. Nothing to write home about, but right in the meaty part of Coggan's bell curve for Cat4, and I still have 4 big weeks of build before the final rest and taper so feeling pretty good all things considered.
Which begs the question:
I know FTP can be extrapolated from a 20 minute effort, but I'm sure a more accurate SWAG could be made off two 20 minute SST intervals (with about 6-7minutes of easier pedaling between). I seem to remember RapDaddyo posting something to this effect (my next true FTP effort isn't scheduled in my plan for another few weeks so more curious than anything else), and wondering if anyone is privvy?
Edit: Another point that has me feeling good is the above #'s come from Conti 4-seasons on the rollers. If the data Dave Ryan posted sometime back is correct and if one is to believe the figures from the German magazine Tour, which tested a number of tires a few years ago, I could add 15-20W for the same effort just by swapping out to a set of GP4000's and regardless of how we feel about Tour magazine, or their testing criteria, the measured Crr of the two tires was relatively apples to apples, reads
both German