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Sunday, December 8, 2013

Sharing my data - Establishing Benchmarks


As I mentioned a couple months ago, I allowed my fitness to drop pretty low this past summer. Things got away from me. Enough that it became a concern. After a few substandard Functional Threshold Power (FTP) tests, I needed to get my act together in preparation for upcoming goals.

We typically want to benchmark the beginning and end of a training plan. What was our level of fitness as we begin and how much did we improve? The FTP test is also used to establish our training zones. Those zones will change as our fitness improves. That is especially true for those training with a power meter. We repeat the test as required to ensure that our training zones are accurate. When fitness progresses at expected rates, we can get by without testing. When fitness levels becomes uncertain, we test to confirm our training zones and continue forward.

After a couple months of improved focus in training, it was time to see if I was getting myself back on track. I also wanted to create a benchmark for comparison. Benchmarks are important as we need to monitor fitness trends both up and down. How does my current fitness compare to this point in previous years. Establish a personal database of fitness levels at critical junctions on the training calendar. As with any scientific experiment, the more you repeat the test, the greater the value of the results.

My previous FTP test was September 13th. I have been training consistently since then. I did a couple recent races. Then took a few days to rest and re-energize. On Thursday, I repeated the FTP test

The result was a pleasant surprise. From April 2013 to Sept, I benchmarked a slow but steady decline of 11%. This recent FTP test result illustrated a 10% increase. That is something to get excited about.

As power is influenced by body mass, we also have to consider weight gain or loss as we create our benchmarks. A person with more mass, has the opportunity for more muscle mass and greater strength. Additionally, gravity is pulling our mass down on the pedals. Typically, higher mass creates higher power.

We know that higher mass is often a burden when cycling. Especially when climbing. Ideally, we want to increase power while minimizing body mass. The reason I mention it is because during the time between my recent FTP tests, I lost 5-7 pounds of body weight. That makes the 10% power improvement a little more exciting.

How did I make such a noticeable gain? One day each week, I did a long ride of up to three hours containing a 60-minute Tempo interval. Two days per week, I did shorter rides containing Sweet Spot Training (SST) intervals. I worked up to 4x20min SST intervals. Those are the intervals that build our engines. It is not a coincidence that I did 20-minute intervals. I was preparing to repeat the 20-minute FTP test. When you do 4x20minute intervals just below FTP, one interval doesn't seem so bad. That is exactly what intervals are for. Overload in training to stimulate an adaptation in the body. The results of the adaptation make the test, race, or event seem easier.

So, I got a little boost as I get ready to begin my next segment of training. Am I back to my old self? All race-ready? Absolutely NOT. I have not been doing the shorter and more intense efforts required in the races I plan to do. I have not been climbing which will determine the outcome of my events. I am just beginning to get race-oriented. I have plenty of work remaining to be done. I am on schedule and ready to continue.
 
Thanks for reading.

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