We are currently in lockdown because of Covid 19 and I’ve lost all motivation for cycling as everything I was working towards has been cancelled, I need a way out of this hole.
I don’t usually do ftp tests to measure where I am, I much prefer to use Training Peaks to measure the work I am doing weekly and the real results show on the sportives. But with this year’s training camp in Mallorca cancelled and the Mallorca 312 not happening yet I need a quick benchmark.
By doing an ftp test I can see where I am, commit to a 3 month training plan and give myself something to work for, we all need a goal.
However, on week 3 of lockdown I’m feeling a little sad and under the weather so it’s not going to be a pleasant experience. I’m going to do the Team Alpeccin FTP test which is based upon my current ftp of 266 W :-
- G1 Warm up20 min @ 168 W
Zone 2 - Ramp up in 9 steps
- 20 sec @ 232 W
Zone 3 - 20 sec @ 284 W
Zone 5 - 20 sec @ 335 W
Zone 6 - 20 sec @ 232 W
Zone 3 - 20 sec @ 284 W
Zone 5 - 20 sec @ 335 W
Zone 6 - 20 sec @ 232 W
Zone 3 - 20 sec @ 284 W
Zone 5 - 20 sec @ 335 W
Zone 6
- 20 sec @ 232 W
- G15 min @ 155 W
Zone 2 - G15 min @ 284 W
Zone 5 - G110 min @ 155 W
Zone 2 - FTP Test20 min @ 258-310 W
Zone 4-5 - Cool Down12 min @ 129 W
Zone 1
This is the longer version of the test, I find that doing 40 minutes at these levels before the actual test takes too much out of me and I struggle to keep going flat out for the full 20 minutes.
So how did it go? Not very well…. I averaged 258 W which is an FTP of 245 W.
Looking back over the last 6 months on Training Peaks that’s not even in my top 10….
This made me feel a little sad as I have been training about 8hrs per week, have I been wasting my time? Once I’d had time to think about it I decided its just a test and I will just have to train harder, at 56 its getting harder to put in my best efforts consistently so I’m just going to put the result down as one of my poor days.