Hello all!
After a few years of not cycling, I got back into it at the end of 2024 (orange line on chart). Did a rather intense 2025 (purple/pink lines) without any serious plans or workouts, just doing some fun cycling outdoors, the occasional sportive and quite a lot of Zwift racing - 400+ hours of cycling in total. Now, I´ve realized there is quite an obvious dip in my powerchart, I don´t even have to point it out, but in the 2-10 minute range, 3-5m especially (Chart is for “M under 40”).
What did I not do properly, what can I do to raise that dip up, and would improving that area drag the rest of my power up with it (20 minute power, for example)? Im quite curious how I ended up where I´m at, it feels as if I´ve painted myself into a corner so to speak (while Zwift may not be the best platform for comparing oneself to others, it is basically telling me that my only odds of decent results are reaching a sprint, but getting there with the lead group is often hindered by mentioned 2-5 minute climbs). Does the fact that my graph has kept its shape since starting over reveal anything?
What training have you done to target your power over durations of between 3 and 8 minutes?
When did you last do max efforts at those sort of durations? If you haven’t done any and other riders in that population have, you’ll be artificially low.
Thanks for replying!
My last intentional rested 5 minute max effort (with the intent of trying to “break the chart”) was on Dec 15th, resulting in a 3rd all time best for that duration (just a few watts difference from the 2 stronger efforts).
During the outdoor season I like to chase random segments in the range of 30 seconds to 30 minutes - if one wants to consider those specific training, but I haven´t done structured interval training last year (only the odd interval workout here and there).
I suppose I could try rested 2-10 minute efforts on odd days to see if I can break the pattern, but that only really solves one part of the puzzle as I would still be getting dropped in the races
Some of the efforts mid-race are taxing enough to have me gagging or vomiting on occasion (usually/relatively often from the mid-range stuff, very rarely after sprints, never from TT´s or similar), so I dare consider them all-out (but obviously as part of prolonged stress/without rest).
For further comparison;
8 minute best of 2025 was 126% of my best 2025 1 hour power.
5 min best was 131% of 1hr.
I see people mentioning numbers like 140% for 8 minutes?
Would a Vo2-block lift the range of 2-10 minutes? Or would working strictly on the FTP-end of the range pull the 2-10 range up with it? I really don’t know what to focus on, and feel frustrated with having seen a big increase overall but not where it seems to matter.
Just looked at mine, and it really tells a “Be Careful of the Data” story. Apparently I wasn’t good at doing Max Efforts by the time I got in-season and my FTP was at it’s peak. According to intervals, my 20 minute MMP for the season is lower than my peak FTP from last year…
What does it look like on the Coggan chart? Maybe age-groupers have strange distributions of what durations they’re willing to suffer. I hate 1-2 minute efforts, and my power vs. duration curve has an obvious hole in that range.
