FTP test #1, Oct 19 2011

I did my first ever FTP (Functional Threshold Power) test yesterday and it was very weird because I had no idea what I can do, thus no benchmark or anything. Just go out as hard as I can for 20min and then subtract 5% and that it my FTP. I think that next time I do this it will be higher only because I will know what I can shoot for.

Avg power: 224.2 (236 – 5%)
Avg HR: 181
Avg cadence: 86
Weight: 150lb; 68.04kg
FTP: 3.29 watts/kg = 1.49 watts/lb

So I guess that no cycling coach is going to knock on my door anytime soon :)

I told my biking friend my avg power and he said not bad for a girl and then he calculated my FTP and he looked at me and said “I am sure you can do better than that”. Moron:)

According to Coogan’s book (which I have not read because I have other things to do right now), I am in a “good” category. To be in excellent category (~1.95 watts/lb) I would have to push 280-290 and to be a world class cat (~2.38 watts/lb) I would have to push 345-360. To be able to compete in TdF I would have to push 450+ or something like that :)

Or I can lose weight. I kind of let myself go in past 2 months so I put on some weight, 5-6 pounds maybe. I have read somewhere that Leandra Cave is 5’11’ and weighs 128 pounds. That’s like I would have to lose 20 pounds to match that. That does not sound very reasonable to me but who knows. I will probably try to make a conscious effort to lose some extra weight next year. If I eat right that it should tae care of itself since I will be training for IM.

People also told me that the difference between doing FTP test indoors and outdoors might be quite big, 15-20 watts. Outdoors higher than in.

You see, I am trying to make excuses why I did not push bigger number:)

Anyway, although the absolute number matters a lot because the bigger number it is, faster I am able to go, I am not going to dwell on it right now. It is the improvement that matters and since I am going to ride indoors for next couple months having test number from trainer is good.

And I better improve my FTP because Mont Tremblant is quite hilly (~6000 feet of climbing, although I have no notion what that means but people say that it means that it is hilly, mostly long not too steep hills) and higher FTP would be beneficial to ride well there.