First, all of the FTP intervals on the trainer are really paying off. I'm consistently hitting 290 watts+ (tested at 271 in week 1). That would be almost a 7% jump in FTP in 4 weeks. Of course, I wouldn't know my true FTP unless I tested, and if the training plan doesn't call for it then I'm not going to do it - they are tough! Week 8 is where I have a FTP test scheduled, so I'll just wait until then to know my true number. I can identify several reasons why I'm seeing such a quick FTP improvement but I really think it just comes down to focusing on the workout at hand and getting it done. I'm hungry to see those numbers go up and to hit my FTP goal (315 watts) by the end of the Endurance Nation Out-Season plan so I just keep pushing.
On the injury recovery front...I started doing some elliptical machine work to get my body one step closer to remembering how to run. Two elliptical sessions along with a deep water running session and a fast-pace 3 mile walk had me pain-free the entire week! I'm pretty confident I'll be testing out the run legs next week.
So, here are the numbers:
Time spent training: 6:50
Time spent at or above FTP on bike: 1:43
Avg bike Intensity Factor (% of FTP): 92% (week 1=86.1%, week 2=83.7%, week 3=88.1%)
Mileage: 98
Training Stress Score (TSS): 496
Chronic Training Load (CTL): 50.8 TSS/d
Training Stress Balance (TSB): -18
Weight: 175.0 lbs
Functional Threshold Power (FTP): 271 watts (guessing it's about 290 watts now)
Vdot: Won't test until March
PMC through week 4:
Hey Jim,
ReplyDeleteI didn't know you kept a blog! Awesome!
Looks like you're doing a good job tracking your data. If the data, and your legs and the dial, are telling your FTP has risen above 271, then you a day and change your FTP to 290 or whatever effective after that day. This ensures that your data above remains accurate.
1:43 @ or above FTP is awesome. Put up 2+hrs of straight up time trialing across my week last week and my legs are pretty stiff today.
Rich