"Sprinter" Profile wanting more FTP

[hammonjj]

I haven't been training seriously for very long, but since i started trakcing my progress I've noticed that I have a severe sprinter profile. My 5sec power is in the mid cat 4 while my other numbers slope down until FTP which is in the middle of the untrained category.

My main focus, the last week and continuing onward, has been on L2 rides to increase aerobic capacity, but previously I was more FTP/L3/SST focused. I heard that in order to raise FTP I need to set myself up with a strong aerobic base.

Am I on the right track? It seems every time I retest, my 5sec power shoots up while my FTP crawls. I've only tested twice and I've only been at it about 6 weeks this year, as I cracked my heel in mid winter.

Do you think that I am doomed to have a good sprint, but always have trouble finishing the races in general? I've only done a couple of races and wasn't able to get myself to a place where I could contest the sprint at the end.

 

[waterrockets]

I came into the same profile back in December, when I got my PowerTap. Once I realized what my profile looked like, I stopped training sprints and 1m intervals completely, and focused on SST and VO2Max. In about 3 months, I had bumped my FTP from 306W to 345W.

The thing that surprised me was that my 5s and 1m power jumped about the same %. Recently, I had a 9.9W/kg 1m power test, and I've just started training that duration again. So, FTP rules, and it will bring the other stuff with it.

So, now my FTP gains have slowed (expected), and I am switching to longer (20m, 15m) intervals instead of SST. I have started the 1m intervals again, every week or two. I still don't train sprints, since my 5s power has gone up 100W without even training it.

So, I'd say to stick to a plan for a few weeks and see what the effects are. If you can get a few days in with a LOT of endurance miles, then I think you can call it done for a while, and get to the SST or long intervals.

 

[Spunout]

Common for new athletes. Anyone can stomp on the pedals, but it takes years of training to do it at the end of a hard 3 hour race.

Keep training, study, get a coach, etc. etc.