TL;DR Summary at Bottom
September 2013 - ? FTP - ? W/KG - Weight 110KG/220LBS : First recorded ride on Strava. What’s FTP? Just bought a mtn bike to ride with my coworkers and hoepfully get in better shape. Hurt me good, but I loved it! I would continue to ride religiously every weekend weather permitted and started P90X in October 2013 to get in better shape for mtn bike (so I thought).
May 2017 - 200ish? FTP - 2.26? W/KG - Weight 88.6KG/195LBS : 2 knee surgerys later (P90X injury & bike wreck) I decide as part of my last knee surgery recovery, I want to get serious about cycling training by joining a local gym/spin class. Didn’t know the power meter on the spin bike was roughly 100 watts off. Everyone thought I was a beast starting at a FTP of 300, but realistically probably closer to 200 FTP…LOL. Started racing off and on in local MTB Race Series. Buddy tells me about Leadville MTB 100, so I join lottery - but denied. At this point I am thinking I need to step it up if I ever want to be in shape for Leadville.
May 2018 - 300ish? FTP - 3.53? W/KG - Weight 85KG/187LBS : Consistently hitting the spin class 4 days a week. Change to HFLC in February 2018. Get up to 400 FTP off 20 minute test on spin bike thinking I am a beast, again not knowing the PM was roughly 100 watts off. Still, I saw massive improvements in the past year being consistent with a spin class and going low carb/keto. Lost more weight and definitely improved my FTP&W/KG. I went from a 10th place Cat 2 finisher in the local MTB Race Series to starting podium the races. At this point I was hooked on training and wanted more. I begin to use the recent local success and Leadville as a carrots to keep getting faster.
June 15, 2018 - 309 FTP - 3.77 W/KG - Weight 82KG/180.5LBS : First real FTP test. In a quest for more structured training and being able to drop my gym\spin class membership, I buy a Cycleops Hammer and join Zwift. First real FTP test with proper PM was eye opening. Realize I am nothing special, but excited to move forward and get better. I had heard of TR at this point, but couldn’t justify staring at a screen with numbers. I mistakenly wrote TR off as a glorified spin class for the home. Looking back, I was in no way or form ready for TR anyway. Zwift was the kiddie pool I needed to begin modest structured training. I threw myself into Zwift training plans riding every day possible while hitting outdoor rides 2-3 times a week. Finished local MTB Series strong winning the Cat 2 division. After the race series ended in November, I fell of the training band wagon. I enter the Leadville MTB 100 lottery in December thinking if I get in, I will hit it hard again in January.
January 14, 2019 - 261 FTP - 2.96 W/KG - Weight 88KG/194LBS - Start of HVSSB1 : Missed the Leadville lottery again and now start thinking about getting in through a qualifier. At this point, I had been listening to the TR podcast for several months and started thinking more about joining. I started hearing a lot of Leadville success stories following TR plans and the accolades of truly focused structured training TR offered. I committed and bought a full year up front of TR as motivation to train for a Leadville qualifier and hopefully MTB 100. First ramp test was eye opening again. I’m two months I had lost a lot of fitness and gained weight. I was committed, so I had the brilliant idea do high volume SSB1. How hard can it be?
February 26, 2019 - 327 FTP - 3.73 W/KG - Weight 87KG/193LBS - Start of HVSSB2 : OVER-TEST! Finish HVSSB1 barely and get caught up in thread on how to get the most out of a ramp test. I change my gearing from Small Ring/Big Cog to Big Gear/Small Cog for the ramp test. 25% increase in FTP - NOT! Not know the big picture I begin HVSSB2 using the same Big Gear/Small Cog. Right before my first local race of the seasonFirst race of the local MTB Series Cat 1 and I have not punch up climbs and very little above threshold/VO2 ability. On flats I am a beast when I get into a higher gear. Finish the race, but wondering what is going on. Three weeks later I begin to fail workouts. Jump on the forum and come across thread on Big vs Small Chainring. I then realized I had sabotaged myself by testing and training in an unrealistic gear option for my focus on MTB. With Big Gear/Small Cog I had over-tested and could not backup the HVSSB2 workouts. Plus, I don’t think high volume did me any favors as I don’t think there is enough O/U and VO2 max efforts for MTB - JMO.
April 10 2019 - 303 FTP - 3.53 W/KG - Weight 86KG/189LBS - Start of LVSSB2 : I change my gearing to as close as possible to my averaging gear on MTB with 34 chainring which meant Small Ring/Middle of cassette on trainer bike. Ramp Test again as I change the last 3 weeks of HVSSB2 to LVSSB1 in attempt to save my training progress heading into Austin Rattler Leadville Qualifier. 303 FTP is more realistic jump from first ramp test of 261 FTP. With 303 as my base FTP, I ran the Rattler, but didn’t get into Leadville. The punchy climbs killed me as I had nothing to give.
May 7, 2019 - 313 FTP - 3.49 W/KG - Weight 90KG/197LBS - Start of LVSPB : FTP improves, but weight declines. Consistency begin to go out the window as I struggle to complete any of the sustained power build workouts. Looking back I realize my low carb nutrition was holding me back. The fueling just wasn’t there. Instead of changin my nutrition, I begin focusing mor on outside riding. Training begins to slip.
May 23, 2019 - 316 FTP - 3.54 W/KG - Weight 89KG/196LBS - Start of LVSPB again : In an attempt to recommit again, I ramp test again. My thinking was over-testing the last ramp test was why I could not complete the workouts. Ultimately, commitment never happened and I faded into oblivion from a training standpoint when life happened/family issues came up. Rode outside/trainer off and on during the summer until my next ramp test in August.
August 12, 2019 - 264 FTP - 2.85 W/KG - Weight 92KG/204LBS - Start of MVSSB1 : With family issues behind me and weight on the rise, I make an attempt to commit again with a new ramp test. Basically starting over I began doing most of the workouts, but still letting little things get in way of consistency. Also, my diet wasn’t the greatest during the summer, so I went back on keto for the weight loss.
September 16, 2019 - 286 FTP - 3.23 W/KG - Weight 89KG/195LBS - Start of MVSSB1 : Ramp test again to really start MVSBB1. Encouraged by the bump in FTP and weight loss, I decide to draw a line in the sand with my commitment to consistency and TR. Moving forward I am over 90% concistent in hitting and finishing every workout in MVSSB1.
October 12, 2019 - 300 FTP - 3.43 W/KG - Weight 87KG/192LBS - Middle of MVSSB1 : With my consistency, the workouts begin to feel too easy. Ramp test again to adjust rest of MVSSB1. Nice little bump in FTP and weight loss.
October 30, 2019 - 301 FTP - 3.41 W/KG - Weight 88KG/194LBS - Start of MVSSB2 : No real change since I had already had a decent bump two weeks earlier. Consistency is still on point. Podium for the first time in Cat 1 for the local MTB Series, placing 2nd. Definitely can see a positive difference in matching my traine gearing to my average MTB gear. Trainer feel mimics what I feel on MTB now. I begin to move away from low carb/keto and move toward Endurance Diet. I also being to focus on sleep\recovery more. Wow - what a difference! Toward the end of MVSSB2 I begin to being able to add 5-10% on the intense days along with an added endurance day ride. Almost like converting a mid volume to a high volume.
December 9, 2019 - 316 FTP - 3.92 W/KG - Weight 81KG/177LBS - Start of MVSPB : Oh what a difference proper fueling and recovery make! I am the lightest I have been since college, eating like a horse, and feeling the best I have felt in years. At 43, I feel better than I did at 23. I matched my best legit FTP of 316, but 19LBS/8.6KG lighter, and I am knocking on 4W/KG door! I am knocking MVSB out of the park and now know what to do to maintain success in the workouts. I cannot stress enough proper fueling - that has been the biggest thing for me. Anyway, looking forward to my next assessment in January. Really glad I have stuck with it and learned how to steer this beast of structured training for me. My goal is to hit 4.5W/KG by the end of March 2020 for the Austin Rattler. Thanks TR!
TL;DR
September 2013 - ? FTP - ? W/KG - Weight 110KG/220LBS - First Strava recorded ride
May 2017 - 200ish? FTP - 2.26? W/KG - Weight 88.6KG/195LBS - Spin Class
May 2018 - 300ish? FTP - 3.53? W/KG - Weight 85KG/187LBS - Spin Class
June 15, 2018 - 309 FTP - 3.77 W/KG - Weight 82KG/180.5LBS - Started Zwift
January 14, 2019 - 261 FTP - 2.96 W/KG - Weight 88KG/194LBS - Start of HVSSB1
February 26, 2019 - 327 FTP - 3.73 W/KG - Weight 87KG/193LBS - Start of HVSSB2
April 10 2019 - 303 FTP - 3.53 W/KG - Weight 86KG/189LBS - Start of LVSSB2
May 7, 2019 - 313 FTP - 3.49 W/KG - Weight 90KG/197LBS - Start of LVSPB
May 23, 2019 - 316 FTP - 3.54 W/KG - Weight 89KG/196LBS - Start of LVSPB again
August 12, 2019 - 264 FTP - 2.85 W/KG - Weight 92KG/204LBS - Start of MVSSB1
September 16, 2019 - 286 FTP - 3.23 W/KG - Weight 89KG/195LBS - Start of MVSSB1
October 12, 2019 - 300 FTP - 3.43 W/KG - Weight 87KG/192LBS - Middle of MVSSB1
October 30, 2019 - 301 FTP - 3.41 W/KG - Weight 88KG/194LBS - Start of MVSSB2
December 9, 2019 - 316 FTP - 3.92 W/KG - Weight 81KG/177LBS - Start of MVSPB