FTP - whats yours?

['Dale]

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Monday's workout (a Hunter Allen training plan) is a bit of a "I can't wait for Tuesday" kind of workout. Only 80 minutes worth of effort, but...

• Warm up for 15-20 mins in Z2;
• 3x 5 mins in Z4 followed by 5 mins easy pedalling before the next killer;
• 6x 2 mins at 118% of FTP (Z6) with 4 minutes in between each interval.

It's not so much the workout that is intimidating, but rather the pre-workout comments:

• Set your power meter so you can see the average mode in "interval" mode.
• This will allow you to also review each interval after it is completed, so you can have a goal for the next one, or when to stop.
• STOP THE INTERVALS if your efforts fall below 118% of FTP. <--- it's this bit that I'm not looking forward to.

That'll warm up my engine ⚠️⚠️⚠️

[Veebee]

Think I'm going to bite the bullet and invest in a Stages. Time to change the junk miles to quality miles.

[FreeSoul]

Best place in Cape Town to do a 20min FTP test?

[Saudiq]

Do you guys have your power setting to include or exclude zero's?

[usxorf]

Do you guys have your power setting to include or exclude zero's?

Include zeros.

[Americo]

Do you guys have your power setting to include or exclude zero's?

Mine include the zeros.

[Olivier Leclaire]

Hi, I would be interested to know if there's anyone here that has completed the 94.7 cycle challenge in just about 3h (more or less 5min)? And what is your FTP or W/kg value? Which will give me a decent idea where I need to be to achieve 3h in this race.

[JanJan]

Hi, I would be interested to know if there's anyone here that has completed the 94.7 cycle challenge in just about 3h (more or less 5min)? And what is your FTP or W/kg value? Which will give me a decent idea where I need to be to achieve 3h in this race.

 

Before the generic "IT DEPENDS ON MANY OTHER INFLUENCES" mob answers....

 

270 W FTP, > 3.3 W/kg

[26er]

Hi, I would be interested to know if there's anyone here that has completed the 94.7 cycle challenge in just about 3h (more or less 5min)? And what is your FTP or W/kg value? Which will give me a decent idea where I need to be to achieve 3h in this race.

I reckon as low as 3 would do the trick

Starting with the right bunch though

[Karman de Lange]

Hi, I would be interested to know if there's anyone here that has completed the 94.7 cycle challenge in just about 3h (more or less 5min)? And what is your FTP or W/kg value? Which will give me a decent idea where I need to be to achieve 3h in this race.

 

Can't help with 94.7, but 2.6 w/kg gave me 3:07 argus time. (240w).  

[Olivier Leclaire]

Thanks! That tells me I am not that far then. A 20min test gave me 257w average, from which I prefer to take 90% (I find 95% optimistic), that give a FTP at about 231w. I am 66kg so my ratio would be 3,5w/kg. I can improve these numbers as I have never done any specific training for that. Of course others parameters will influence my time and the main one is to be in the right bunch for my goal. Last year I achieve 3'17", I calculate all my intermediate times based on an average speed at each water point, aiming for 3'30". I do find that the nature of the route (ups and downs) and the amount of riders at the 94.7, make it more complicated to stay with the same group from start to finish, compare to less popular and flater races. Probably, it is where I need to work on?

[Vetplant]

Do more events between now and 947 to give yourself the best possible start group and to learn how to burn your matches sensibly to stay with your start group.

 

Very important to stick with them till about the final 20km, at which point it becomes a repeated climbing exercise with very little flat sections.

 

Regarding FTP:

My best 20min value is 299W, but I weigh 95kg so doing the 90% or 95% puts me around 3W/kg mark and I clocked a 2h55 last year.

 

Keep putting in the work and you will see the gains.

 

Forgot to add, I didn't stop at a single water point last year, that way you stay with the group. So make sure you have proper supplies with you and you consume regularly enough.

Edited May 10, 2018 by Rookie85

[rudi-h]

Hi, I would be interested to know if there's anyone here that has completed the 94.7 cycle challenge in just about 3h (more or less 5min)? And what is your FTP or W/kg value? Which will give me a decent idea where I need to be to achieve 3h in this race.

 

 

did it in 2h54 last year...  power data attached.

 

I over-cooked the first half by trying to stay in the front of C batch and had a NP of ~300W for the first hour.  If you ride more conservatively, you can do a sub 3 with quite a bit lower NP.  I weighed 90 kg's at the time.

 

PS a friend of mine weighed 9kg's less than me and had the exact same NP, he came in 9 minutes faster from A batch.

 

So i guess you can say that on the 94.7 route you can work on a minute per kg less for the same power output.

 

 

Oh yes, and this average power is quite a bit higher than I had on training rides.  I typically average about 200W average and ~240 NP on a hard-ish 3h training ride, so your body can do a bit more on race day.

Edited May 11, 2018 by rudi-h

[JohanC]

Best place in Cape Town to do a 20min FTP test?

 

Where in Cape Town?

[s14phoenix]

My training data is all a scramble at this stage...

 

Seems to be either going backwards or not making any gains (a real bummer when you are trying to make gains)

 

Plus a light cold has halted everything now. Think I need a reset and then will restart.

 

The issue I have is that the workouts in the plan I have all seem way too short as they are only 60min. So I tend to do another 30-40min Z3-Z4 afterwards. But I think I am doing too much and thus "overtraining".

 

 

 

 

3hr 94.7 @ 3w/kg ave sounds about right but you will find that with all the undulations its more like 5min @ 4w/kg and then 5min @ 2w/kg. It is one event where you got to let the brakes go when going downhill. Every year I see so many people on the brakes on the downhills because they are too scared to go fast. This you need to not do if you have time goals.

[Olivier Leclaire]

Do more events between now and 947 to give yourself the best possible start group and to learn how to burn your matches sensibly to stay with your start group.

Very important to stick with them till about the final 20km, at which point it becomes a repeated climbing exercise with very little flat sections.

Regarding FTP:

My best 20min value is 299W, but I weigh 95kg so doing the 90% or 95% puts me around 3W/kg mark and I clocked a 2h55 last year.

Keep putting in the work and you will see the gains.

Forgot to add, I didn't stop at a single water point last year, that way you stay with the group. So make sure you have proper supplies with you and you consume regularly enough.

I have improve my index from 54 (2017 emperor palace classic) to 21 (2018 Wilro lion) so I am hoping to be seeded well for this year 94.7. I agree the best way is to do more races and be used to ride in big groups. Last time I haven't stop and I generally take enough water/food for the all race. Bottom line, if I stay with a good bunch till 70-75km I am confident I can manage a good finish, as I am more of a climber cos of my weight.