August 2010

Bit of back and forth emailing with another friend/athlete I've worked with has lead me to have a bit of a think about targets for the coming year.

For Lanza i'm aiming to get my FTP back up over 4.2w.kg-1 where i am when racing at about 76kg, so about 320W (336W Normalised Power for 20mins). That'd be equivalent to about 4mmol blood lactate at that point. With a peak aerobic PO of about 400W (LT2 occuring at 86% Vo2max - i wont get this much higher i fear), so talking a Vo2 of ~70ml.kg.min-1 (5.4L.min-1) for the last season. That would put me at about 250W for LT1 and at my most economical (RER less than 1)

I have recorded lab tests at 5.6L.min-1 and PO's of 425W when i was 77kg, and ive done tests at 73kg (to light for me, all goes pear shaped). Ideal situation would be up at 76kg, Peak Aerobic PO about 425W, LT2 at 86% POmax -> 374W, and LT 1 at 65% POmax -> 276W. So riding at that. Have done 185km this summer at 265W NP and felt ok after, just not flexible happy. Ran 2km off the back and felt not great TBH. Would have to look at fuel use at that point, but thats a while ahead yet. Great thing about this plan is it'd put me at 3.6W.kg-1 @ LT1, and 4.9W.kg-1 (!!!!) at LT2. problem will be if i go over FTP i will go KABOOM! leave me good for climbing and longer stuff, but not much in between or short.

So if that's all it takes from a science point of view to do what I want on the bike, how do I get there?

That's what I plan to do here. Document where I am, where iI am going, and try to get there on time for Ironman Lanzarote. 276 days. Not that anyone is counting.