Finding FTP in offseason

[ballyharpat]

Hey,
I am away from competitive racing for over two years, I am about 10lbs heavier and a lot slower. I am currently 6 weeks into a 10 week prep period and will be starting base in the new year. I have been disciplined in keeping my HR to the recommended rate as per the cycling bible. I feel I would benefit from having a new FTP and wondering if the best way to do it is the 20min CTP test and if I do this, will it have a negative effect on my training, as in riding well above where I have been? ANyone with experience on this? thanks in advance.

 

[amaferanga]

Do you have a power meter? If so then why are you training with HR?

Bumbling around doing only easy rides at this time of year is very old school. It may work if you have a lot of time to train (say >15 hours), but doing higher intensity work to improve your threshold certainly won't do you any harm.

 

[black'n'yellow]

I have been disciplined in keeping my HR to the recommended rate as per the cycling bible.

what recommended rate, and what 'bible'..?

 

[Herzog]

what recommended rate, and what 'bible'..?

I'm guessing 'Black Book'...

 

[ballyharpat]

Do you have a power meter? If so then why are you training with HR?

Bumbling around doing only easy rides at this time of year is very old school. It may work if you have a lot of time to train (say >15 hours), but doing higher intensity work to improve your threshold certainly won't do you any harm.

Yeah, I have a PM, I was using HR because I only got back into it and use an mtb without a PM, I hadn't been competitive and wasn't doing enough riding/training to justify doing a CTP test.
I went and did some intense training a few years ago without having a base built up and ended up injuring my knee, I hadn't prepped my body enough and hadn't enough muscle around the joints to be able to push my limits.

 

[ballyharpat]

what recommended rate, and what 'bible'..?

Zone 2 in the Cyclists bible-Joe Friel.

lol, no not the black book, that's light reading

 

[amaferanga]

Not everyone follows that 'bible'. Do you have a power meter?

 

[ballyharpat]

Yeah, I have a PM-powermeter. I know it's different strokes for different folks and most people over here don't use the bible, I have found that most people in the USA do and I found it worked well for me, I felt I was ready for the season and had faith in what I was doing, I feel that if I were to do something differing a lot from it, that it would have to have an 8-10 month structure/periodisation that I would be able to follow.....

 

[Arsen Gere]

There's periodisation and then there is reverse periodisation. I don't care what people use as long as they can have a base reference and can clearly demonstrate repeatable consistent performance measurement.

IMHO: One mans lack of prep is another mans overload = injury.
But this does not mean you can't work on intensity over the winter and duration in the better weather. (reverse periodisation).

 

[Arsen Gere]

Here is your man on the subject http://www.joefrielsblog.com/

 

[amaferanga]

I'd recommend you get hold of Training and Racing with a Power Meter

Some people, myself included, don't think much of Joe Friel. IMO you're already a bit confused if you're training with power, but using HR to determine your effort.

 

[ballyharpat]

I have training and racing with a power meter, I may 'have' been a little confused, but only because I have faith in what Friel recommends, it has worked very well for me and I find it easy once I get past the teething problems, I see that a lot of people over here go on group rides all year,in the off-season, it didn't suit me when I was racing and I think the same will be true over here, I will use the HR as a reference and adjust the other variables accordingly, the prep/base will benefit me early in the build season and as the race season progresses.

 

[amaferanga]

Doesn't Friel have any training guides for people with power meters?

As for your original question, doing a weekly L4 session such as 2x20 and then a monthly FTP test will do more good than harm that's for sure. But if you're just bumbling around then your FTP won't be increasing so probably no point in testing.

 

[ballyharpat]

Doesn't Friel have any training guides for people with power meters?

As for your original question, doing a weekly L4 session such as 2x20 and then a monthly FTP test will do more good than harm that's for sure. But if you're just bumbling around then your FTP won't be increasing so probably no point in testing.

L4? I never said I would do 2x20? I won't be doing those again until I am doing my intervals in bild period. I also don't plan on doing an ftp test until probably the middle to the end of my build phase.

I am doing Prep, not exactly 'bumbling' around, stepping it up to base, also not 'bumbling' around, after todays FTP, I will be able to use it for the rest of my early season training, as I see my HR drop in correspondence with my ftp, I will be able to raise my FTP and in correspondence raise the power output for that particular zone.

 

[amaferanga]

How many hours are you doing? What harm do you actually think an FTP test could do?

I still think you're wasting your time using HR when you have a power meter. Maybe that's just what you're used to, but seriously, now you have a power meter it's best to train with power and not HR.