Well I was hoping that my fatigue resistance had improved (riding longer at threshold is a goal for me), but I honestly don’t see it in the numbers, if I compare 22 with 21. I’m doing MV and I’m 46. Maybe age just hit me really hard since last year!
FTP is not the only measure of fitness, even though it’s what we tend to gravitate to because it is the easiest to assess. What is your time to exhaustion at power zones that are related to your cycling goals? Can you do 3 or even 5 minute VO2 intervals at power that you couldn’t last year? How long can you do threshold repeats? Etc. What is your longest endurance ride at 0.7 IF? 0.75? 0.8? Etc.
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That’s really interesting. I spent October to Dec in Germany and as it got to around freezing the group rides and my own got quite short (1.5-2.5h) as opposed to the 5h weekend rides I was used to and I did think that I probably needed more time on the bike to build my fitness. And the motivation level was also more ‘get it done’ than ‘I’m really enjoying this’. Well I live in hope that thing will improve.
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Channeling my inner Chad, through a meme.
Kidding aside, keep your chin up. Don’t forget we do this for fun
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Now this party is getting started! 
Regular calibration of power meter is also important for comparison
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One thing I would experiment with is maybe more rest. Even with MV, I think 3 days of intensity at 46 might be too much, and you may get more bang for
Your buck doing two hard sessions and 3 endurance days.
I’m doing 3 days intensity at +14 years, just not doing as many intervals. More consistency, more volume, and getting faster versus when I was trying to do more intervals in same number of days. I know TR has stated on the forums that masters plans not needed because of AT, but I have a very different opinion. Just trying to help others with what has worked for me.
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Good god. - yes! Amazes me people spend £££/$$$ on power meters, agonise over small changes in FTP… And then never calibrate/zero it. I zero mine before each and every ride…they are assioma so supposed to self calibrate…but why risk it!
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No party from me.
In 2018 I had a heart procedure that found a defect and lost 50 watts on my FTP. In 2019 I had ‘liver cancer surgery’, turned out to be a wild goose chase, but I ‘lost’ nearly 100 watts on my FTP. In 2021 I had hip replacement surgery and lost another 40 watts. I felt so bewildered that I was ‘losing’ that much. I pushed and pushed to get it back, and some of it has come back, but some of it is likely gone forever. I have had to realize that I am a human being, and things change. I’m getting older every second, and I have to realize that I can still kick my ass on a bike, and when I’m off the bike, can still wipe it too. There are bigger things in life than having a 300-something FTP. I am still able to ride it like I stole it. The police will just have a slightly easier time catching me now than 5 years ago.
Do what you can, don’t focus on the loss, focus on the now, focus on the future, focus on what you have, not what you have ‘lost’. But also, you might want to have a checkup and see if there is something that might really be holding you down all of a sudden. That heart procedure was because I was having some chest pain after Tabata rides. (I know, right)
You can still ride, keep riding, keep pushing yourself as much as you can. If your body wants to, and can get there, it will. Make sure it’s all good, and keep riding.
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Thanks, that’s really sound advice. Gave me a good sense of perspective. It sounds like you’ve been through a lot and I’m glad to read that things are ok for you now.
I know, I know! I have calibrated it. Definitely. I just have a very vague memory when that was.
I think it’s important to keep things in context and be able to laugh at yourself.
Yesterday I rode with my teammates on the Bash ride for the first time since October 2021. I know that my fitness is down but I decided that I couldn’t keep putting things off. I wanted to see and ride with my friends.
After 40 minutes all I could hear in my head was Annie Lennox singing ‘this boat is sinking…’ I just burst out laughing. My teammates started laughing too and we all agreed that winter had not been kind.
My fitness is nowhere near where it has been or even where I think it should be but, it’s moments like this that I’ll look back on and cherish, not my FTP number in March.
Training-wise, are you mixing things up? Doing the same-old same-old could be slowing your progress. A short, sharp shock to the system can yield real benefits.
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Thanks! Yes, of course you’re right. Plenty of things going on in the world that are a lot worse.
Have you considered the possibility that your 650km audax gave you PTSD?
Only half-joking 
I seriously think I would need half a year to recover mentally.
Luckily my memory of the bad moments kind of disappeared. Like the headwind straight out of a furnace that went on for hours and hours or that time when I stopped by the side of the bike path trying to figure out whether to puke or cry.
Are we still pity partying? Enough’s enough.
Go ride your bike. Be grateful you even have the opportunity and means to do so. Truly. With all that is going on right now, you’re lucky beyond meaning.
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