This is the moment you have been waiting for, the testing is done and now you are anticipating what's next. What will the next few weeks look like, what will you be working on?
Testing can help define your next block of training even though it's not the funnest part of being a bike rider. On the upside, it is a great way to get insights into how your training is going.
The next block of training should be focused on one of three main types of training, from highest to lowest intensity:
VO2 to build top end anaerobic strength
Tempo to build repeatability and your aerobic base
Endurance to develop your aerobic base
The question is which type of training do you need to do to improve as a rider?
In your testing week you did several workouts. These workouts provide different perspectives on your fitness that will determine what you should focus on next. Looking at them in relation to one another will provide some valuable clues.
Ramp Test - The ramp test and the 5-minute time trial give you some good insight into your maximal aerobic power (MAP - the max one-minute you were able to hold on the ramp) and VO2 abilities.
Tempo Hour - The tempo hour by heart rate takes a look at your aerobic capabilities.
20 Minute TT - The 20-minute time trial was there as a way to check-in on your FTP using the traditional method. The traditional FTP calculation is your average power from the 20-minutes x 95%, and this is your FTP.
Interpreting your results:
Step 1 Tempo to MAP - Our first analysis will look at how your tempo (aerobic) and MAP (anaerobic) abilities relate to one another.
To check how your systems relate, divide the average wattage from your tempo hour into your MAP number. This will give you a ratio that will help refine your choices.
Step 2 - Consider what type of rider you are. Which of the riders are you that we defined in the The workouts don’t change: who you are as a rider changes how you should do the workouts..
At one end, the left, we have riders that need to improve their strength; in the middle we have riders that are fairly fit and have a good balance of fitness; and on the right we have riders that are very fit with mature fitness.
If you are a rider that falls to the left of the slider then you should do a VO2 block. Your coming training may look something like this:
If you are a rider that falls in the middle of the slider then you should use your tempo to MAP ratio to determine your next block of training.
<70% and you should do a block of tempo training
70-75% you should do a block of tempo training to try and push this ratio higher - then move on to VO2
>75% and you should do a VO2 block
As a rider in middle of the slider your coming training may look something like this:
If you are a rider that falls to the right of the slider you should also use the tempo to MAP ratio, as above, to decide what to do next. For you as a rider the key to improvement will be avoiding the pitfall of overdoing things and having to take a break. Be sure to have read The workouts don’t change: who you are as a rider changes how you should do the workouts to manage your rides going forward. Your taining may look like this:
Picking your next training block isn’t an easy task. You will pick one area to work on, say VO2, but need to be aware that it may negatively impact your other systems. You may be able to increase your wattage in the efforts throughout the VO2 block, but it may negatively impact your aerobic systems. It's like a seesaw. When one ability moves up the others may go down, it's a matter of how much. Our fitness doesn’t always change in the way we are expecting it to. And it most definitely is not a linear path to success. This is where some experimentation, experience and testing to keep track of your numbers plays a role.