FTP Test
I like to pretend that setting up my trainer is a much bigger deal than it is because I’m DRAMATIC. I set myself a deadline of getting this done by the end of this lovely three day weekend that we just had.
The bike room is currently a work in progress, so for now, the trainer is the latest object decorating my tiny living room.
Another complaint I normally have is related to connectivity issues with my smart trainer and my laptop. At times, this has been enough of a deterrent and I have skipped riding all together. This time, I decided to use my iPad and while I didn’t have any issues getting things up and running, I don’t think the interactive portion of the trainer connected. Normally, the trainer will simulate inclines, but on this day, it wasn’t. Probably for the best, since I hate hills anyway, but I wonder if this is an iPad vs. computer issue.
I had no plan in mind for this ride, so at first I just absent-mindedly began riding for a few minutes. Then I decided to try and be a little more productive and do a FTP Test on Zwift (after Polly and I had been discussing this on our ride a few weeks ago). FTP stands for “Functional Threshold Power,” and is basically the measure of power (measured in watts) you can sustain for an hour of cycling. There is a lot more behind FTP and for all those data lovers out there, it’s something that can be measured and tracked over time. Maybe I should be more concerned about this value, but I’m not. Not yet anyway.
Zwift offers a short FTP test, and a longer one, which takes about 72 minutes to complete. Since I’m always lazy, I decided to not be on this day, and committed to the longer version of the test:
The test includes fifteen stages, beginning with a warmup and then several stages of ramping power up and down, all leading up to the twenty minute “free ride,” where you are supposed to ride as hard as you can.
I am not someone who necessarily avoids discomfort or challenges (would I subject my butt to seventy-five mile bike rides if I did?), but I can say with 99% certainty that I don’t know if I have ever actually pushed myself to my physical limits. Sure, I’ve bikepacked, carrying all of my belongings on my bicycle for fifty plus miles, and yes, I’ve ridden to the point of vomiting before, but never have I reached the end of something and felt like I had nothing left to give. Maybe this is self-preservation, or my way of protecting myself to make sure I’m still capable if some other challenge were to come my way. Maybe I’m afraid of failing. Maybe I just really am that lazy!
Suffice it to say, I am not sure if I gave it my all for those twenty minutes of stage fourteen, the “free ride.” I started out hard, but it’s supposed to be a measurement of my sustained output. I started pedaling at what I thought was a high output, but then began questioning if I could maintain that for twenty minutes. So I self-adjusted and changed the pace to one that seemed more reasonable to me. As the end of the twenty minutes was approaching, I continued to push, focusing softly on the wall ahead of me, avoiding any chance of seeing the screen and in turn, how much more time actually remained. Finally, the FTP test was over and all that was left was the ten minute cooldown.
My score? 157 watts, or 2.23 W/kg.
My score when I last took the short FTP test in 2020? 157, but I weighed slightly more then, so my FTP was 1.98 W/kg.
I will forever be an amateur cyclist…
A few caveats:
I had ridden laps in Prospect Park the day before and pushed myself on the hills (WHYYYY? IDK BUT I DID)
Connectivity issues eventually revealed themselves and Zwift didn’t seem to be accurately measuring my output as I tried to pace across the different stages of wattage; it shows me as failing two (2) of the ten second stages LOL
The radiator my bicycle was next to decided to spring a leak DURING the FTP test
Cats
I’m happy I did this, if only to establish a new baseline of cycling fitness for myself. Zwift does have FTP training programs available, so that I can work on improving this metric but… do I really wannaaaa? Something to have contemplated more with Eleanor, while enjoying my recovery beverage.
