Bah Humbug

I know a couple of local racers who derive their FTPs from CP curves in races. No need to run a test under those circumstances.

That said, if you don't have a pile of data to start from, you still need some sort of test to figure out where to start your workouts at.

jtaylor996

EF is usually a percentage, or 0-1 fraction. 142?

rpenmanparker 

I yield to your superior knowledge on this one. We don't eat a ton of eggs and just buy the store brand variety that come closest to being humanely produced. From what you said the other day, it is obvious that eggs are VERRRRY important to you. Makes sense.

rpenmanparker 

Typo for sure. Meant 42% Mea culpa.

jtaylor996

Thaaat makes more sense.

I got conflicting reports on this year's tests (from last month). The echo showed 50% the nuke test showed 60%. I believe 50% is right, since my EF tracks my fitness level (and FTP) directly over the past 3 years, which currently sucks. Also, that nuke test was false positive anyways causing me to go get a damn cath (not sure if they also measured EF while they were in there or not), so I have no faith in that result.

I hated Toprol, I got no restorative sleep while on that for like a whole year. The doc who 'scribed me that was apparently a quack, as it in combo with the adderall I was on at the time is apparently a super duper big no-no.

It's got to really suck for you, since your HR can't go as high as mine can. I can see why you hate hills. The trainer should be a boon to you. The zwift FTP workouts were fantastic, and measurably improved my EF. When I had done them I went from 38% to 45%. What matters is getting right zones and staying there for the right amounts of time. Not going fast or keeping up with people.

rpenmanparker 

Yeah, the hills really pose a problem. On the flats I really feel like averaging 15 mph or so isn't terribly bad, but I can't climb worth a damn. And before the MI, for a schlub who never did any kind of sports or exercise, I could ride pretty well. I averaged flat 50 mile loops at 20 mph solo more than once. A 25% loss of speed really hurt.

Funny thing is that last time I suspended the Toprol in preparation for a stress test, I did it for an extra day to really get back to baseline heart function so I could see how it affected my riding. My heart rate on a usual ride was much higher, but my average speed and sense of exertion stayed the same. So maybe my FTP wouldn't be different without the Toprol...if I ever measure it. Dunno.

Heathpack 

Amongst other things, I did two 117% five-min intervals on the TT bike this am. Ouchy. I don't remember those being that hard.


Good thing I had the distraction of the lunar eclipse.

Heathpack 

no


bread and butter type thing


I say ride an hour long test. Might as well do it right, if you're gonna do it.

Heathpack 

Nice cat, @indyfabz.

jtaylor996

I've done the zwift 45 minute tests. Am I right thinking that if you do it right you should basically collapse like a sweaty rag on the floor afterwards? Because that's how it is for me...

That may just be my heart though. Sustaining power for extended time is the hardest thing for me.

Heathpack 

If it has enough data with TT type efforts, it might be pretty accurate, as your zwift FTP (which will likely be a little lower than your road RTP).


Strava does an ok job estimating my FTP if I'm not on the mtb too much. They flatter me a little, consistently giving me more watts than coach does. That's why I pay them the big bucks, I guess.

Heathpack 

I don't really ride FTP tests, we are mostly working off data from long TT efforts.


Most of the misery comes from not processing lactic acid efficiently, and the more well-trained I am to the efforts, the less miserable I find them and the more quickly I am able to become functional after.


State TTs are usually 40K aka 1 hour efforts and at the very end of one of those, I'll be nauseous and a little shaky, I will need someone to hold the bike when I get off it. But within 15 seconds, I'll be feeling better. I swap to a road helmet while Mr H attaches my blinky and bottle cage and I'm back on the bike within a minute or two cooling down and sipping a recovery drink.


But if I'm not well-trained to these efforts, they are very very hard. But I've never been unable to ride a cool down after one.

jtaylor996

For me, zwift guessed my FTP based on weight. And it guessed way too high. So when I did the test program in zwift, the warmup/clearout portion was ****ing murder (it had me doing intervals at like 460w), and I got a crap result on the actual test portion because of it. On the second run it had that low estimate of FTP as the starting point, so the warmup was like an actual warmup and I got an accurate result.

But they'll also watch your riding in group rides and solo rides and use that to adjust your FTP. I almost exclusively did workout mode rides, and they apparently don't use that data in their calculation, so they never really gave me a number based on just general zwift activity.

indyfabz

Thanks. He shares some traits with my poor departed boy. Like him, Stephen sometimes comes tearing down the steps and jumps up into the living room window after taking a dump. Seems like such a guy thing to do.

datlas 

We skipped WF and had lunch at a local Japanese place. It was quite good.

Whole Foods can wait. Ditto for the FTP test. Both will be done, eventually.

WhyFi

Our boy (cat) totally rips off a victory lap after a poop.

rpenmanparker 

You are so going to love retirement. Perfect attitude.

rpenmanparker 

Don’t we all?

mvnsnd

Zwift, Strava premium, and Training Peaks will always analyze your ride for the best power over a 20 min effort. If 95% of that 20 min wattage is higher than your current FTP, it will suggest a new FTP. If you do workouts that don't have an interval longer than 20 min, then i don't think the calculation will provide a higher number unless FTP artificially low.

I've not done an official FTP test, but have enough data from real and virtual rides to have a good idea about FTP, and in fact my last FTP bump came from a 30 min climb up wattopia mountain.

BillyD

Pics?

datlas 

I don’t think I ever want to fully retire, but I am ready to be semi-retired (half time work) any time, the sooner the better!

RecceDG

I am going to attempt the fatbike without grooming the trail first. There's maybe 4" of fresh powder down, but I have a pair of studded tires and a crabon seatpost.

seedsbelize 

Here too. Hottest month of the year.

seedsbelize 

topslop1

New bike day for my friend in Austin. Bicycles Plus Coppell strikes again with a blow-out demo Synapse which I picked up for my buddy. I wish I had a time machine and I would have held off on the Canyon, price was stupid low.

Just as J gave me the gift of 'demo bike' I passed the opportunity on.

There is definitely something nice and refreshing about a non proprietary easy to service bike (rim brakes). I mean, discs work and work well, but it's another mech I'm not fully comfortable with yet / or in looks.