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Thread: Diagnosing Results

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    Default Diagnosing Results

    I've worked through a structured FTP building program on Zwift over the winter, and the 1, 5 and 10 minute CP tests fit the Monod curve, while 20 minute under achieves by ~10% (and are lower than my typical results.) Weekly long rides are 2.5 hours in Zone 1-2, and I'm doing the equivalent of 400-500km per month. Longer intervals were 2x10 minutes @95% of FTP.

    My feeling is I need to get the long rides to 3hr+ (spring, please hurry), and continue to add time to the longer intervals, but if I listen to myself I'd have fool for a client;-). Given the above, what do you think the limiters likely are?
    Larry Sampson

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    Default Re: Diagnosing Results

    oh, I like this kind of stuff...from my own experience I need to go much much longer before I add intensity. Up to 5-6 hours steady (don't mean slow),
    I then add long chunks of faster pace in the middle (up to 2 hours) of my rides. When I feel strong at those faster paces, it's time for some all out 7 minute efforts uphill. simple as that
    Angel Jauregui

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    Default Re: Diagnosing Results

    Quote Originally Posted by LarryA View Post
    20 minute under achieves by ~10% (and are lower than my typical results.) Weekly long rides are 2.5 hours in Zone 1-2, and I'm doing the equivalent of 400-500km per month. Longer intervals were 2x10 minutes @95% of FTP.
    what's your average weekly load in hours?

    what are typical results for 20 min? outdoor rides? In that case it's likely thermoregulation that contributes.
    One other thought I have is that 2 x 10' may be a little short if you're looking for improvements on 20' and up. How many of those are you doing each week?

    Personally, I'd also bump the long ride out of z1 but that's mostly out of sheer boredom.

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    Default Re: Diagnosing Results

    I'm doing 6-7 hours per week. This is all indoors as the snow and -30° temps have not been conducive to riding outside, although I am getting 3-4 hours per week of skate skiing in as well.

    Last FTP test was 210w for 20 minutes. Shorter efforts project to 230-235.

    Doing 1-2 quality sessions per week with easy spins, x-country, and yoga in between.

    There are longer (12-15 minutes) efforts at 90%, but normally only one set preceded by shorter, punchier efforts.

    The program is here if you're so inclined. I did it over 8 weeks rather than hitting it hard every day.

    Zwift workouts: 4wk FTP Booster | What's on Zwift?

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    Default Re: Diagnosing Results

    I think your likely limiter is weekly volume. When you can increase to 8-10+ hours per week you should see improvements continue. Hard to say whether the 20 minute number is due to overall volume being lower or due to being indoors. Also those workouts at the link are mostly 1-5min duration. A true max 20 minute effort is hard to pace w/o practice. For me it seems like you either save too much early or die in the last 5 minutes if you haven't done one in a few months. What was the power data like for your 20 minute test? Steady line? Fading towards the end? Ramping towards the end?

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    Default Re: Diagnosing Results

    Maybe not totally relatable, but I bought a Wahoo KICKR late last year to work on my fitness over the winter. I'm in NW Arizona and winters are cold and windy, not much snow. I use the Zwift Watopia figure 8 route as my control. I use the average wattage for that ride to determine how I'm progressing. In late December I was averaging around 185 watts and have since worked my way up to 213 watts. I don't think I've had a 15% improvement but I think I've improved my efforts between the climbs, the ability to motor along at 200+ watts before settling into the climbs. I've been doing Zwift four days a week and boot camp workouts twice a week. I've improved my core strength with the boot camp.
    Retired Sailor, Marine dad, semi-professional cyclist, fly fisherman, and Indian School STEM teacher.
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    Default Re: Diagnosing Results

    What are your resting biological measures after a week of this workout schedule? You're measuring performance but if you're not improving at distance you may be dealing with a recovery issue. The old saw is very true -- how you recover is almost more important than how you train.
    Lane DeCamp

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    Default Re: Diagnosing Results

    Quote Originally Posted by BSUdude View Post
    I think your likely limiter is weekly volume. When you can increase to 8-10+ hours per week you should see improvements continue. Hard to say whether the 20 minute number is due to overall volume being lower or due to being indoors. Also those workouts at the link are mostly 1-5min duration. A true max 20 minute effort is hard to pace w/o practice. For me it seems like you either save too much early or die in the last 5 minutes if you haven't done one in a few months. What was the power data like for your 20 minute test? Steady line? Fading towards the end? Ramping towards the end?
    Volume is what my gut says as well. There are some pacing issues over the 20 minute effort - started 10 watts or so over where I ended up (fading towards the end), but it wasn't too egregious;-)

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    Default Re: Diagnosing Results

    Quote Originally Posted by 11.4 View Post
    What are your resting biological measures after a week of this workout schedule? You're measuring performance but if you're not improving at distance you may be dealing with a recovery issue. The old saw is very true -- how you recover is almost more important than how you train.
    Sleep was good, weight was stable, and morning resting HR was normal. I had 2 easy days (yoga, but no skiing, and no riding) going into the test.

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