I’m wondering how other’s progress after training with TR for a year. I started TR back in January this year. A bit of background, I’m 50 yo and was new to structured training when I started. I’m loving TR more and more. I started paying monthly and decided to switch to the annual membership back in the Summer.
So this is my FTP progress. Initially I had good progress until I had a crash and had quite an interesting ramp test results today.
01/21 - 164 (SSB1 MV)
05/05 - 181 (GB MV)
08/18 - 191 (Multiple SSB1 LV and outside riding)
10/28 - Bike Crash (Broke collarbone)
12/07 - 178 (Start of SSB1 MV)
12/29 - 174 (End of SSB1 MV)
What’s really surprising to me, after completing SSB1 MV, my FTP actually went down. This is unlike the first time I completed SSB1, back in February.
Wondering if it’s considered to be normal for our FTP to go down after successfully completing SSB, and I should just stay on course with SSB2 and then GB?
Or, maybe I should increase my training volume to SSB2 HV, since my TSS was constantly higher during the summer (around 600-700 in the summer, compared to around 450 of SSB MV1).
As a 51yo newbie, I have found that to be a big limiter for me. Within the past week, I’ve visited a nutritionist who revealed I was definitely not eating enough throughout the week (let alone on rides). Even in just a short few days, I’m noticing significant positive recovery and endurance changes.
Stay positive and hoping your collarbone is recovering well!
I would be very hesitant to do HV. In fact I might even suggest dropping to LV and maybe adding endurance workouts if you want a little more.
As a fellow masters athlete, I think look first to recovery or lack thereof as a reason for poor performance. I’ve been getting some of my best gains by doing MV but subbing the Sunday long ride for the SS ride. Keeps me to only 3 harder workouts per week. And I fuel a lot with carbs and focus on getting 8 hours sleep. So try all that first and don’t just go to doing more work!
Perhaps over the summer we could say you responded to volume? Or something about the type of rides you were doing? Or both? Hard to say without a deeper dive into your data, and even then… In any case I seem to get bigger bumps from doing structure outside.
First off, did you take time off between the collarbone and start of SSB-1?
Second, 178 vs 174 is a 2% difference and within the specs of most power meters. Or maybe you were slightly off today vs the 7th. Some of us are a ramp test outliers, its unlikely but I’ll toss that out as I’ve seen some inconsistent ramp test results.
Regardless, I’d call 178 vs 174 a wash. You likely regained consistency and built up some muscular endurance, gains aren’t always based on FTP.
Third, did you really start SSB1 MV on December 7th and just finish? That is only 3 weeks of a 6 week block. Is that an artifact of plan builder, or something else? Back in January did you do a full 6 week block of SSB1?
From personal experience I wouldn’t recommend jumping to SSB1 HV, its hard in a repetitive boring type of way and the return on investment was an awesome 2.5 hour HC climb at the end of week 5 (muscular endurance hooray!) but only a modest bump in FTP. Was half a decade older than you at the time, and that was my first TR training block. Later I did SSB MV and basically got the same FTP bump. I’m currently a fan of the other side of the boring coin - a lot of zone2 rides.
Thanks a lot for your input. I feel disappointed for sure, but nevertheles as you pointed out, nutrition is probably one of my weaknesses. Although I try to eat healthy during the week, taking loads of carbs during the hard interval days, on weekends, I tend to give in and enjoy whatever food my children want to have (which end up being lots of tasty greasy and salty foods like burgers and pizza) .
Great input. I know I have to do better here for sure.
@bbarrera, Thanks a lot for your comprehensive input. Great insight!
Correct. I was off for about a month after my injury. I noticed a big loss of fitness when starting SSB1 again, mostly from elevated heart rate.
Good suggestion. I will not update my FTP and just continue with my old one. By the way, good point on the date of the FTP test. I put the wrong date.I actually started SSB1 on 11/17.
And also, the advice given here seem to be consistent with yours. Stay with the current volume, so I will do that. Thanks for your insightful feedback.
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