Do you mean you were able to ride the test 10 watts harder? or that your calculated FTP was 10 watts higher?
Because the book talks about that. FTP is roughly 90% of the 8 minute number or 95% of the 20 minute number.
lightheir wrote:
I've also found that it isn't as important as the authors/coaches say it is to go 'uber-100%' or 'all-out 110% effort' for that FTP test seem to imply it is.
Even if 'only' go 97% effort of your true FTP (3% sounds like a small difference, but it's a really noticeable power gap when you are pushing your absolute limits, not trivial at all) you will still get all the improvements you need from the training plan. In my case, in retrospect, I def would have been better off with a lower FTP than I actually tested myself at (I used both 8 min CTS and 2 x 20 standard FTP tests, the 8 min tests usually tested 10watts higher than my 2 x 20s despite white Carmichael says), as my workouts wouldn't have been as crushingly hard and probably would have been more sustainable in the long run.
And if you really do lowball your FTP test, you'll know it if your workouts are too easy and you just dial it up. So not a big deal, especially at the start of training.
It matters a little more near race day if you plan to peg your race effort to %FTP, but even then, I'll bet there are far more athletes (like myself) who did themselves a disservice by trying too hard to hit their %FTP in a race rather than acknowledging harder conditions and backing off for a more level effort given the following run.
Swimming Workout of the Day: Favourite Swim Sets: 2020 National Masters Champion - M50-54 - 50m Butterfly