No burn during Reinstein — retest FTP?

I am relatively new to structured training, I started last summer just playing it by ear and have recently bought a power meter and a trainer. I have started Sweet Spot Base 1 Mid Volume, and am loving it. I have tested my FTP twice, the first time while I was sick (277 W @ 73.0–73.5 kg) and then a second time (280 W). I did Reinstein today, and the text emphasized I was supposed to feel a burning sensation but there was nothing. Instead the 105 % spike felt more like 95 %. So I upped the intensity to 105 % and it was better, although I could have gone harder and there was plenty of gas left in the tank.

Is Reinstein supposed to feel that easy? Should I retest my FTP? Or should I just keep the intensity at 105 % and continue?

Keep it where it is. For over unders, 0.82 is a fairly low IF. Try Palisade and if it’s still not hard your FTP is definitely too low.

I have a story from when I started TR last September, I did SSB LB. after having followed the talk on the podcast I really wanted to find out how over-under workouts felt and try them ASAP. so I did Reinstein from the MV plan instead of some other workout I actually had planned.
so far so good, but at the same time I was still figuring out if my training zones were ok. My ramp test went fine, but people had said that it may take a few ramp tests to get used to it. I felt during the workouts and from my prior training experience that I probably could hold 1-2% more intensity and still be in ‘sweet spot’ effort range. so on the day I did Reinstein I decided for the first time to go with 105% for the whole workout.

I made it through, barely hanging on, but I was totally spent afterwards. my legs were completely emptied. it was a lovely, sunny day outside so I decided to walk through the neighbourhood and go for a coffee. after reading the newspaper and chilling for an hour or so I wanted to get home (~10 min walk) but there was no way I could make myself walk again. I ended up getting an uber, totally ridiculous for that small distance. I was pretty sore the next days.

of course I finished the workout, but this would not have been pleasant on a regular level. I considered it a worthwhile lesson and went with 103% intensity for the rest of the block.

so my message for you from this: sounds like you can hold more than your 100%. I would try how other workouts go at 103-105% and if this is fine keep it, maybe even try a bit harder %. don’t retest, rather keep doing the workouts and adjust as you go.
doing a workout at somewhat less % intensity than your absolute max will not reduce the training effect a lot so there is not much harm in having a little less %.

by the way, today - after many months of TR - I look at Reinstein and think, such short over/unders, looks so easy, how could that have happened? :stuck_out_tongue:

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In regards to over/unders, which I love by the way, I find having completed both GBLV and GBMV that Avalanche Spire is one of the worst. If your legs don’t burn during the last O/U then your FTP probably isn’t right. Sure it’s fairly OK to get used to O/U but they should still be tough but managable.

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Thanks for the advice. I can feel my legs more today than I thought, more akin to a four hour ride on the road, but I am still in good shape to get my session in today. Next week I will enter my first race, though, so I think I will skip the weekend workout the day before.