Hey there
Former competitive athlete (not cycling), spent my 20’s eating burgers, drinking booze and smoking.
I am on year 2 of regularly cycling… Last January I bought a smart trainer and used Zwift for workouts and was not really following a structure - was just rotating between sweet spot workouts and interval work. After 1 month I went from an FTP of 295w in Jan '19 to 318w Feb '19 (20 min FTP test both times). The work felt really hard after my FTP hit 318 so I will not rule out the fact it may have been overestimated as much as I don’t want to haha.
I rode a lot spring/summer 2019 - more than I ever have before as it was the first time that I viewed cycling as my main sport. Before it was a fun hobby that I did 3x a month while focusing on other sports. In late August '19 my second child was born and I was only able to ride once a week until November which is when I planned to begin TrainerRoad.
So I began my TrainerRoad journey in November looking to get my first real offseason structured training in. I began with SSB1MV at FTP 292 (Ramp test) which was disappointing as I thought I would be stronger… I finished the 6 weeks and my FTP was 301. I completed the 6 weeks of SSB2MV and my FTP is now 315.
I have just finished week one of short power build and am feeling strong, no workouts and not a single interval missed. I am really determined to squeeze every bit of gains out of this build phase…
So when this offseason was set to begin… I figured my FTP would start around the 319 I last tested at in 2019 but began about 25W lower so should have possibly re-calibrated my goals but I didn’t… I want 350 and the dream is 400. I know that the most significant gains are made within your first 2 years and am looking to take advantage while I am in this window.
Do you guys think 350W+ FTP is possible by the end of build? Has anyone found gains in their specialty phase? - from what I read, SSB and build are where the FTP gains are found so I am feeling a bit pressed in this current phase to get while the gettin’s good.
A bit about me:
34 years old.
I will never quit on any workout unless my body fails/injury occurs. I intend to be mentally stronger than others. I am willing to put in the work.
I have studied diet/nutrition extensively so that area is great.
With a 2.5 year old and 6 month old, my sleep could be better. I do prioritize getting solid rest but it is not optimal at this time. I’d guess that 7 hours of sleep is my average.
Fun facts: I went from racing at 190lbs in 2019 and am already down to 175lbs. I am 6’ and have a goal weight of 165/170lbs come May 2020. I definitely realize that I am walking a fine line of fueling/recovering properly while having a caloric deficit.