So alongside TrainerRoad i’m also using a free trial of Sufferfest, just to see what it’s like. I was curious so this morning I did the 4DP fitness / hardness test, and the results are here:
The test suffers from the same problems as any test–it’s sensitive to pacing, it’s just a “snapshot” in time, you probably maintain a level of psychological arousal that you really can’t maintain for training purposes, etc. It’s definitely more sensitive to pacing than, say, something like the ramp test. Using WKO4 and periodically doing a variety of max efforts is probably the best way to get a power profile.
But at the same time, it offers a quantum of actionable insight that other single-test protocols don’t, and you can use it as a stopgap when you don’t have enough max efforts for the WKO4 profile to be meaningful.
For example, I always knew that I was punchy and used this to my advantage. I never had a great sprint, but if you dragged me to 5k to go, you might be in trouble. And, i knew that my 20 minute power overstated my MLSS when using 20 mins x .95 test protocols.
I thought that meant i had poor endurance but good Vo2max, but i can see from this that i was wrong. Rather, i have pretty poor Vo2max ability but a strong anaerobic capacity that was propping everything up. Granted, i probably could have gone harder in the 5 minute test (this was more about early-season lack of confidence vs. consciously trying ot save something for the 20 mins), but still.
It also probably reflects training focus. I just spent an off-season doing mostly easy rides plus lifting weights. Heavy weights might be mostly ATP-CP but i think it’s clear that like, sets of 12 at 65% 1RM are strongly anaerobic (my guess is that the body back-fills from the next-most-quickly-available energy source after running out of CP). I’ve done hard rides but they were mostly chasing strava KOMs, which of course, when you do that, you’re not training your weaknesses but rather using your strengths. So, i’ll be curious to see how this changes over time after doing some hard intervals that are 2 mins or longer.
For comparison, WKO4 puts my FTP somewhere around 270. I may or may not be able to really compare a recent ramp test because my ramp test might not be a valid result. I.e., my only ramp test was a few weeks ago and I got 237. It’s possible that low Vo2max scuttled me before AC could take over, but it also could be that I had just spent a week skiing at elevation and was all goofed up from that.
Anyway, just food for thought. I know TR has a power profiling workout but the team should consider publishing knowledge base articles / blog entries about how to use the insights from that to (very carefully) modify TR’s plans to individualize them, if warranted.
), plus they do it all in one workout vs. collecting maxes.
