2020 Structured Training
- Thread starter Ming the Merciless
- Start date
Page may contain affiliate links. Please see terms for details.
mattobrien
Guru
- Location
- Sunny Suffolk
I wish I had your confidence in the restart of the season. I’m just hoping 2021 will go ahead as planned.
yep I know what you mean, hopefully things have got better and some things can happen by then, on a good note, pushed my FTP up to 284W doing virtual Huez ! now to lose 10kg !
SWSteve
Guru
- Location
- Bristol...ish
7 weeks of training. Have seen FTP (on Zwift with a kinetic smart trainer) move from 185-225( around week 4) - 249 (this morning on the Alpe du Zwift stage of Tour for All).
Surprised about such a big proportional change, although ~3 sessions a week and 2-3 steady/tempo runs a week since lockdown started are obviously making a difference.
Haven’t gone out on the road since lockdown but actually looking forward to hitting climbs in the future. A couple of good 4-5% average climbs where getting the power down for a long time will be beneficial.
Maybe now it’s time to knock off a couple of kilo as well
Surprised about such a big proportional change, although ~3 sessions a week and 2-3 steady/tempo runs a week since lockdown started are obviously making a difference.
Haven’t gone out on the road since lockdown but actually looking forward to hitting climbs in the future. A couple of good 4-5% average climbs where getting the power down for a long time will be beneficial.
Maybe now it’s time to knock off a couple of kilo as well
it is no surprise to see people's FTP go up as trainers are perfect for it. I went out on the road yesterday to a 150M climb into he lent hills and only 10 secs being my PB (only because had to stop at temp traffic lights). for comparison last PB was two years ago and same PM and HRM and average power up by 20W and HR down by 8bpm ... so if I had pushed it ??
OP
OP
Ming the Merciless
There is no mercy
- Location
- Inside my skull
This week, after exercise duration restrictions removed, I’ve done a 125km and 120km rides two days apart. Did them at low intensity and my average speed was up 4km/h since Jan. I’ve been following polarized training. So lockdown hadn’t necessarily dented long distance endurance and speed. I’m now planning a 200km for next Friday. It’ll be two 100km loops returning home between. Totally self sufficient.
HLaB
Marie Attoinette Fan
I've only took my FTP up by 2w which is easily a margin of error, it might be higher but I haven't pushed to the extreme. Outside though I am going reasonably faster for less effort which might suggest it is higher; a big change however, is now the chemo is getting out of my body I am feeling the pedal better and pedalling more smoothly (my chemo wrecked my periphery nerves), so maybe its accurate
. For a 69% paced effort for a 33mile course on Saturday I found out on analysis I was only 3s slower than my with chaingang pb up a local hill (bump). So I went back on Sunday and upped it slightly to 77% and beat it by 3secs. Our climbs aren't significant though but I do look forward to when I feel confident to give it 100% 
Dogtrousers
Kilometre nibbler
My FTP rise was a bit fraudulent as the previous measurement was taken not long after I'd been ill. And the new improved one is pretty close to what it was at the latter end of last year. Add on the fact that I'm pretty unskilled at pacing the 20 min efforts, which will probably add to the margin of error.
Last edited:
OP
OP
Ming the Merciless
There is no mercy
- Location
- Inside my skull
VO2 max work today. Recovery walk tomorrow then I have three back to back longish days culminating in my first 200km since lockdown started. I’m not testing ftp at moment and probably won’t till there’s something I’m definitely aiming at. I’ve decided that if my VO2 workout max HR drops down to 90% of max HR I’ll retest. Otherwise I’ll just stick with current FTP value.
OP
OP
Ming the Merciless
There is no mercy
- Location
- Inside my skull
Day early for VO2 max workout today so can do easy ride with wife tomorrow. Session went well.
HLaB
Marie Attoinette Fan
It was supposed to be an easy week for me (which it was) but I replaced the hour long recoveries and rest days with slightly longer but even lower intensity OS tile bagging rides to get out of the flat and stay sane.
OP
OP
Ming the Merciless
There is no mercy
- Location
- Inside my skull
If you are new to it you can see rapid gains in FTP in the early days. But the longer you've been training the harder it gets to improve. But what you can improve is how long you can sustain the higher intensities. Don't forget the odd recovery week so you don't run yourself into the ground with your training.
OP
OP
Ming the Merciless
There is no mercy
- Location
- Inside my skull
Just started my first recovery week since lockdown started. Normally do them about once every 4 weeks, so only 6 weeks late 
Dropping intensity and duration down this week. If I'm in the mood I might even do a ramp test end of the week, to get a proper assessment of where my fitness currently is. No events to aim at right now, but I want to keep my fitness as high as my sanity can manage.
Dropping intensity and duration down this week. If I'm in the mood I might even do a ramp test end of the week, to get a proper assessment of where my fitness currently is. No events to aim at right now, but I want to keep my fitness as high as my sanity can manage.SWSteve
Guru
- Location
- Bristol...ish
Thanks, to be honest I took last week pretty easy, relaxing on food and intensity as felt burnt ou5. Feeling much better now, but starting to search for a goal as all events I was registered for have been bumped to 2021
OP
OP
Ming the Merciless
There is no mercy
- Location
- Inside my skull
Yeah burn out is far too easy when you first discover structured training. You got to pace it for long term if you want to keep seeing gains.
