Just finished Spanish Needle -3 (the new version of build) and after 55ish microbursts I was pretty sure I was going to have to shut it down. I stood up and was able to plug on. I did the first two or three intervals of the remaining sets seated before standing again. I am glad I finished the workout rather than shutting it down and “failing”.
I am mostly a mountain biker so standing up is not a deadly sin in the grand scheme of things, but I wonder if I am missing the proper training stress by standing for these rather than staying seated and turning it down.
Personally I say train like you race…even if I get really good at applying power seated, I always naturally get out of the saddle a good amount on climbs and short accelerations so I make sure to get out of the saddle occasionally during trainer rides too.
My other thought on the matter was that this time spent at 150% ftp is supposed to help lift ftp and I am supposed to stay seated for the ramp test. O well.
I have to admit that I sit up during intervals occasionally. Sometimes it’s about comfort, sometimes about breathing. I figure my main goal is to finish the interval and as long as I’m not dying then I’ll do what I can to finish it. Maybe position needs to be my primary goal and I should take the intensity down when I start to find myself sitting up?
Ramp test is like that because a burst of power at the end messes with the metrics. The point of the stepped protocol is following the steps, not bursting at the end.
Yeah, I just mean that if I am training to raise my ftp, (ramp test) then I need to suffer that power lever seated.
Chad has a good point - goals. Is my goal ftp or faster on my bike? I climb a lot out of the saddle through the rocks, so no harm working out that muscle group as well.
So hard not to become fixated on testing well/raising ftp…
