I test every 4 to 6 weeks
jaretj
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i do something similar too, just that it’s usually one long interval rather than short intervals. i do a lot of 60-80 minute sessions because of time constraints, and my IF for these workouts is never below 0.9, usually around the .93-.96 range. Occasionally, i do a test session (every 3 weeks or so) and will get the odd 1.0x IF and that’s when i revise my FTP to the new ave power of that test and set it to be effective from the day before that test, so that the test workout calculates the IF back down to 0.9x.
Yes I am serious, if the OP want’s to go faster by training with power over the winter, that’s how you do it.
I’ve been doing it for about 20 weeks now.
jaretj
What improvement have you seen in your FTP over that 20 weeks?
Rik
First I need to preface this with:
The fact that I came off of an “A” race 2 weeks before I started so I was in pretty good shape (for me).
I was also riding about 8 hours a week during the race season
At 210 watts I’m going about 24 mph cuz I’m pretty small
I started at 210 watts and have gone up to 225 so that’s about 7%
Compared to last year at this time I’m allmost 20% higher.
The fact that I was able to improve on 3 to 5 hours a week on a trainer says a lot to me about riding intervals compared to how I was training before. I can only imagine if I was able to ride 8 hours a week where I could be.
Now this could mean that I’m just getting better at riding on a trainer but I’ve allways found that riding on the trainer is more difficult for me.
It could also mean that I’m getting good at riding for an hour and I won’t see the same increase for longer periods on the road. I suppose that’s just a chance I’ll have to take since I’m not able to train longer and have held my entire training volume to under 12 hours a week.
I’m open to other opinions as to this being the right course for me and I’m sure I’ll hear them.
I feel that starting with my FTP 20% higher than last year will allow me to reach a higher level for the next season. I would like to ride faster than 1:03’s for Oly races and 2:25’s for HIM’s and still be able to run well afterwards.
The first real test will be at Triple T, an early season race that I’ve done for the last 3 years. I’ll know then if I wasted my time during the off season.
Hope this helps someone.
jaretj
It could also mean that I’m getting good at riding for an hour and I won’t see the same increase for longer periods on the road. I suppose that’s just a chance I’ll have to take since I’m not able to train longer and have held my entire training volume to under 12 hours a week.
Nonsense. Your increase in FTP will serve you well riding both long and short.
Im 6’2 185lbs, ride purely on my computrainer now… began training with FTP @ 285watts jan 4th, did purely base work ( higher volume) with one single tempo workout per week of MAYBE 30 minutes total hard volume (1.5hrs total workout) at around 260 watts… FTP was up to 310 at the start of february. I’m not entirely sure as to what speeds this correlates to though… I’ll just keep looking to improve.
I think you should swap one of those threshold sessions for a VO2 session of 3-5 minute intervals. Is that your plan as the season gets closer?
As to the guy calling it a recipe for burnout…there is room for variation in these workouts… Doing one that is 1x40-60 at 95% and another at 4x8-10 at 105%…those are different workouts…and provide some mental approach variability to keep things fresh.
That said…these ARE tough workouts and will force an athlete to work on mental focus and preparation as much as the physical.
This is a very efficient way to train if you are time limited, particularly if they are done on a trainer.
I didn’t notice intervals that short in my plan but I really didn’t think to look for them either. I need to look for a discussion or info on what they will do for me and where to put them. Thanks for the thought.
I have done 30"/30"s for a few weeks. I thought they were easy and felt that they were too short to get a response from. They were a nice break from the 2X20’s though.
A few years ago when I was using Mike Plumb, he had me doing a session of 10X3 min hard 1 min easy. Now I realize what they were for, they were real killers too.
jaretj
jaret,
I got a powertap last fall. the last 6-7 weeks i’ve been doing the 95-105% intervals you mentioned in your previous post. Seeing great results FTP increase.
I have also been toying around with doing some 30/30’s. I felt pretty similar in that they were too easy and not much of a response in them. Sometimes I’ll do 4x 5 mins of (30/30) and in between the sets jump off and do deadlift, squat or lunges for a minute or two. Or 20-30 minutes of straight 30/30.
What % of FTP were you doing your 30/30 at, or the 3x10@ 1 min.
Did triple T last year. Will never do it again. Only sprints this year. Have fun!
30/30s should be around 120% of ftp I have seed good results from doing those workouts about twice per week for the past month with one FTP maintenance session usually like 2x20 @ftp, then 2x20 @ 80-85% of ftp. Everybody is going to be different and put out different numbers. If you are stuck indoors you might see a big difference in numbers when you go outdoors. I know I do, indoors I train my FTP around 285, when I go outside I sometimes to a route with 2-25 minute climbs and on both climbs I am usually around 300-320 for the both of the climbs in their entirety, I think it has lots to do with the hub torque that you can put out on a climb in a lower gear because when I do my FTP sessions on the trainer, I con only hold 310 for about 10 minutes…if im lucky, usually about 5-6 minutes. The numbers can be wierd, I rode 100 miles today in 4:46 and my average power for the ride was 170.
FWIW, im 6’3 and around 176 at the moment.
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I started at 210 watts and have gone up to 225 so that’s about 7%
Compared to last year at this time I’m allmost 20% higher.
The fact that I was able to improve on 3 to 5 hours a week on a trainer says a lot to me about riding intervals compared to how I was training before. I can only imagine if I was able to ride 8 hours a week where I could be.
That’s the big question. I think you would find that incremental gains get harder and harder. And if you are doing triathlons, those extra hours on the bike to get increasingly smaller gains are going to come at a cost to your running and swimming.
IMO, you can get a lot out of a few hours a week on the bike, as long as you have lots of intensity.
Although your (estimated) FTP is about 20% higher than last year at this time, one key question is whether your FTP is higher than your best from last year. I’m finding it incredibly easy to get where I was the previous season. But to break through that level is really hard.
It could also mean that I’m getting good at riding for an hour and I won’t see the same increase for longer periods on the road.
Nah. FTP increase will translate to longer periods. Just get a longer ride in every now and then which it sounds like you are doing already)
I’d second the recommendation for getting some shorter interval work in - VO2Max type stuff at 4-6 minutes a pop. Substitute that for one of your FTP interval sessions.
And if you want to really feel those 30 second intervals, start busting them all out with a good 3-4 minutes rest interval between them. That’ll make your eyeballs bleed (in a good way)
Rik
I agree with the diminishing returns.
I am close to my highest estimated FTP from last season if not above it. I didn’t do any formal testing last summer. What I did do was use my power output from Oly distance races to set my zones. I did that for the run too.
I’m really working on a breakthrough this year, at 41 I’m not getting any younger.
One thing about doing these intervals is that they are not fun and I don’t look forward to doing them. If I don’t get outside soon I’ll go crazy. I thank Seth Green for his Robot Chicken shows to get me through them.
I was doing the 30/30’s at 120% like another poster mentioned, I’d like to try your idea with them.
Thanks
jaretj
The 30/30’s were at 120% of FTP. I don’t agree with lifing but that is a personal issue and one that should be seperate from this discussion.
Looking over my data from 2006 it appears that I was about 115% for the 10X3 min. At that time I wasn’t riding to a specific power, I was riding as hard and evenly as I could.
I really have to say that that year I had a real breakthrough on the bike and it was due to Mike Plumb’s workouts. I went a different way for 2007 and 2008 but I have come back to his type of workouts through someone else for this year.
Triple T is awesome and is now a permenant fixture on my schedule. I’ll never win it but I have so much fun each year 
jaretj