Last week I did my SST session at 96%, today I nudged it up 1% to 97%, and it sure felt like enough. This was really hard work today.
My gut feeling is that with being in a phase of recovery, easier riding, and generally working at a far lower intensity, I have lost probably 10w off the FTP, and these workouts are really pushing me harder than they are intended – if your FTP is set properly.
Just a guess, of course. The only way to be sure is to do an FTP Test, and I will happily wait until the end of Quarter 1 for that… just another 4 weeks now. Yikes.
I had lofty ambitions of racing tomorrow.
Maybe I still will. It really depends on how the mood takes me, and I haven’t yet looked at what the course is. I do reckon I will really struggle whatever is in store. The fact is I found the races incredibly challenging when at my fittest, so to be off form is going to be a real test. But equally a good and fairly true measure of where I really am at, and maybe a kick up the arse to do better?
The alternative is an endurance or tempo session tomorrow, aim for a full hour on the bike, and then look to race hard on Thursday. See how I feel in the morning.
