Cycling Fitness / Training Advice

249w so +11w.

You’ll get fitter and better at testiig over the next couple of months so plenty of headroom to grow.

Plus, if you’re anything like me, you get turbo-adapted and get stronger from learning to overcome low inertia. I’ve always found myself flying on the road after a good block on the turbo.

I mean 11W is pretty well within the scope of 'having a good day' or 'testing better with experience' but it's also possible all the gains were from training. Really hard to tell with just numbers. You could tell us how the tests felt compared to each other or if you had HR data you could identify which was smoother with lower HR over the course of the test, lower finishing HR could indicate fitness adaptations but then again it could also be you were less anxious going into a second test. I'm guessing you didn't do blood lactate testing at the same time :)

Right, I've foolishly signed up to a 205mile ride in June so have been cracking on with trying to get fit again after a few years of bad health and very little riding. I got my FTP up to 244 in August last year, then broke my bike. Didn't start riding again til early Dec, and sporadically did TR rides with an assumed FTP of 230.
6 week base plan done, and I retested last week and hit 261, which surprised me. However this week I feel absolutely fucked, cannot hit power targets even on some Z2 workouts. Felt a bit better today but in no way feel I can hit the TSS that TR is suggesting.

Its making me worry that I set my guesstimate FTP too high and I've burnt myself out, but is that even possible in six weeks?

I've burnt myself out, but is that even possible in six weeks?

Very unlikely.

What have the weekly TSS figures been like?

Also, have you been resting and recovering well?

That would be my first line of questioning, I.e. have you been including a recovery week in that six week block?

250-400, roughly. I've done outdoor rides too which bumped the odd week up a bit. This current plan started around 400TSS a week and it's killing me

One bad night's sleep, but upped my calorie intake considerably so I think I'm recovering ok. I don't actually feel tired, just really weak on the bike.

Few days off, sleep well and get your carbs in before trying your next session.

What sort of FTP test? Did you cheat it? If not, then it should be accurate but everyone has off days/weeks. Have a rest. There's also a psychological element when you know you've bumped up the requirements of your training. I set a new FTP level this week and the first workout after caused me some concern. It was fine, but there was definitely a "shit, I hope I can handle this" feeling and that was only a small FTP increase.

Maybe you just need more time off. Also, everyone seems sick right now so maybe you've caught something. Also, what real world stress have you had?

Wait, you're worried about 'hitting the TSS' or worried about hitting the power targets? If it's TSS maybe it's a volume thing. Often it's better to commit to smaller volume and add stuff than get freaked out by setting lofty "January" goals and then missing stuff because it's just too much.

I backed everything off for a week over New Year, halved the TSS, a did some long walks instead. That was before the retesting though.

Just looked again and I actually did the test on Tuesday this week, so perhaps I'm worrying over nothing

don't actually feel tired, just really weak on the bike.

Under-fueling for workouts?

I retested on Tuesday too :) Testie buddies. Hmm that doesn't sound right.

My missus is sick and I was out on the piss until 3am last night so I expect to come down with something real soon to fuck me up.

Have all your power zones changed since the ftp went up?
What is the power target for the endurance rides that you cant meet?
Are you sure that 261w is true, I'd re test?
What powermeter are you using?
Have you been very stressed with work over the past few weeks?

TR Ramp Test, didn't cheat it at all. Its actually the first test I've done that I quite enjoyed

I've had a very minor cold but otherwise feel fine, so who knows.

Both. I was struggling to reach some of the power targets on Weds and Thurs this week (less so today) and that's put me off-track for TSS. So yeah maybe I've got myself on the wrong plan, too much volume too quick?

No work stress as I'm not working at the moment. I'm the least stressed I've been for years, thankfully.

Stages single sided. Ive got no reason to think it's reading wrong. Yeah every zone has been bumped up a bit, Z4 is around 230-240 now and it felt fucking hard work today

EDIT: Z4 I meant, not 3

You're not hitting the power targets though, so that's not necessarily an issue with volume unless what you did earlier in the week has left you running in fumes towards the end of the week.

So, do you think the power targets are sort of out of reach for all workouts or would you say that previous workouts have left you flat?

What was your HR in that zone compared with old?
You're zones dont just suddenly bump up so it's quite a startle as you're suddenly asking the body to work a lot harder.

I'd re test tbh, it's easy and quick. And go from there.

If your threshold is actually 260 ridingat 230 should be pretty easy.

Re test. See what that says and come back.
Then either take a few days off, if you are tired. Or dial back the numbers a little so you can complete the prescribed sessions. The numbers dont matter, the work does. I've all but given up riding to power. I ride to perceived effort now, and power is whatever it is for the energy system I want to target. And I use HR to confirm where I am.

No idea about HR, I've never had a HRM read correctly. I have a feeling that my arrhythmia confuses all chest straps.

I'm away for the next three days, so hoping rest might help things

400TSS

That is a decent amount of work on a turbo trainer. I assume you're using a TR plan so it has scheduled easy days and full rest days?

That's why I'm struggling! That amount feels much more achievable outside. Yeah there's rest days and easy days, have occasionally sacked off the two weekend indoor rides for one longer ride outside

I wouldn't bother retesting. I'd only retest if the value was oddly low.
I'd see how the week goes, drop any sessions I felt useless during and then reevaluate after a couple of weeks if you feel you're digging a hole. I often manually set my FTP in TR anyway as it doesn't take into account anything I'm doing outside and so I tend to have an intentionally lower FTP for TR stuff.

You reminded me of the adjuster slider. That's very useful. If you can notch it down 5% and still get through the workouts you'll soon not have to back it off.

I'll chill for a few days, stuff my face with chips at the beach and see how things are next week. Cheers for the advice everyone 👍

For me and I assume this applies to a lot of other people, turbo training is mentally draining. It's boring and can be painful so your brain is gonna be sending a lot of "come on man, please don't do this" signals. I'd see how you go after time off, back the workout intensity down, fuel properly and see then what state you're in. If it's still too much then choose a lower volume plan or manually adjust your FTP down a bit, or retest but I think that's less valuable as you'll probably hit the same numbers if you do it properly.

A ramp test takes less that 15min. If the value is oddly high then it makes sense to confirm. Given that all the training is based around the number.

Yeah, but if he's tired then the test is likely to be falsely low. I just wouldn't bother, I don't take TR's FTP as gospel, it's just a starting point and I tailor workouts up and down as I see fit. Since, he's taking a few days off, a retest will probably be worth it but I wouldn't do one as well as trying to continue the workouts.