Aerobic fitness takes decades to develop

Please don’t do that. Cycling is supposed to be fun and most faster people are nice human beings who’d happily wait for you at the top of a climb. And even if you are fast, there is always someone who is faster. Once you reach 4 W/kg, you are eying people with 5 W/kg. And I am sure if I ever were to reach that, then I’d still know that there is a gulf between me and a pro.

You are not your FTP, you are not your W/kg. Try to compete with yourself. Try to become a healthier, more well-rounded athlete and human being.

Nevertheless, while I am ignorant about the science that exists, doing endurance sports for decades helps, yes. As does good genetics. The latter means your soil is more fertile than others, and you see more gains more quickly. The former means you will have spent a lot of time training your body to endure. But we all started somewhere.

My advice? Focus on the process. Take yourself as your personal yardstick and do not pick goals that aren’t attainable (at least in the near term). Keep in mind that things like strength training can help you be more well-rounded, and you won’t necessarily see any improvements in your FTP. Sleep well. Be realistic about your other obligations (family, job, etc.). And most importantly: have fun. Let sports be one of your outlets that helps you balance you mentally.

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