So I finished sweet spot base with a 191 FTP, which was pretty flat for most of 2018. When I took the ramp test at the beginning of the build plan, I knew I had significant gains. The ramp test took over 21 minutes, and I tested at 206, a 7% gain. But now, a few workouts in to build, I feel like the workouts are still too easy and I have been increasing the intensity a bit, even in “over-unders”
My question is this: when testing a significant gain, does the ramp test limit your gains since the test is so long? Is it worth re-testing at this point or waiting until the next one on the calendar, in about 2 weeks? My thought, in hindsight, is that If I had approached the test with an estimated gain of say 10% it would have taken less time to get to the same wattage, and I may have been able to go a little further.
This is NOT normal. I’d up your intensity by 2-5% or manually raise your FTP by 2-5%. Over/unders should be hard and demanding with thoughts of quitting or reducing intensity creeping into your mind for that last interval. Pushing through that last interval should be a mental victory that you feel really challenged you.
You should be finding the workouts pretty tough…avalanche spire is O/Us so should be really loading your legs up with little respite. Do you have a link to your FTP test?
Your ramp test is only 2 weeks away, no point retesting now, you could up the intensity a bit 3-5%. But its only for two weeks.
As mentioned above a 21 minute ramp test is pretty normal, nothing worth changing regarding that either. You’re not going to lose or gain much if anything in 2 weeks changing your FTP so just hang in there and do the ramp test as scheduled
Just did a ramp test Jan 13th and a 24 positive change, the first workout in part 2 of short power build was not to bad, the second workout this week kicked my tail and I had to lower the intensity …
Cant wait to see what today has in store with Richardson +3.
