Working above vs below FTP vs time

[themagicspanner]

I’m going to come right out and say this: Your FTP isn’t 202 Watts!

Regulars on here will think I sound like a broken record, but if you can’t hold your FTP for at least 30 minutes, then it’s not your FTP, it was just the result of your ramp test - simple as that.

You’ve struggled to hold 202 x 0.88 = 178 Watts for 10 minutes, so I’d respectfully suggest that even that number that is actually a little above your true FTP.

There’s quite a detailed discussion about sweetspot interval length here:

Sweet Spot Interval Length

Hi Guys , new to trainer road , just wondering about interval length at sweet spot and FTP. Previously used to do longer interval lengths of SST & FTP lasting 40 - 50 mins without break or rest , but now when I started trainer road it seems that the longest interval at SST or FTP is 20 / 30 mins then rest 5 mins or 10 mins and then repeat. Example was Lamarck which I did yesterday and found it not that hard and the rest interval intensity was very low … Is there any logic for this as it would …

Specifically, my own thoughts are in this reply:

Sweet Spot Interval Length

I’m with @Captain_Doughnutman on this one (for a change ). I found the answer to the question in Episode 194 about why sweet spot is so hard quite perplexing, in all honesty. FTP is meant to be a good approximation of Maximum Lactate Steady State - which you should be able to maintain for 30 to 70 minutes depending on how well trained you are. Anything less than that and it really isn’t your FTP, it’s just how long you can hold a certain power for, above MLSS. In the example on the podc…

Mike