I see many triathletes getting super caught up in all these metrics and testing protocols, sometimes missing the forest for the trees.
If we're looking at Critical Power vs FTP models for Ironman racing where our real battle is actually against fatigue over many hours while maintaining good form (swim, bike, run), should our primary focus be on maximizing our "rare best days" metrics (like CP/W'), or rather on building a really solid aerobic engine that consistently performs just below threshold over longer durations?
I see many coches and athletes getting almost paralyzed trying to figure out which model to follow, doing test after test, when maybe we should be focusing more on that consistent aerobic development that lets us actually finish the marathon strong - particularly by not over doing the bike, which is very frequent in Ironman racing.
The training implications could be quite different, especially when we factor in that we're juggling 3 sports and need to stay fresh enough to run well off the bike.
What’s interesting is that neither critical power nor FTP accurately model efforts longer than 1 hour. For that, we can use power-time modeling with a power law, which allows us to reliably estimate long-duration training sessions. I refer you to my latest podcast, where we talk about it and how we can use it (I will write an article on Substack).
Another tool to avoid the bias caused by exceptionally good days is using submaximal tests and measuring performance from session to session. This way, we can observe trends with many more data points and avoid being influenced by extreme outliers.
eFTP is also used in the TrainerRoad, Rouvy, and the JOIN cycling softwares, but I haven’t researched to see if they are the same, or if they independently invented their own eFTPs.
I see many triathletes getting super caught up in all these metrics and testing protocols, sometimes missing the forest for the trees.
If we're looking at Critical Power vs FTP models for Ironman racing where our real battle is actually against fatigue over many hours while maintaining good form (swim, bike, run), should our primary focus be on maximizing our "rare best days" metrics (like CP/W'), or rather on building a really solid aerobic engine that consistently performs just below threshold over longer durations?
I see many coches and athletes getting almost paralyzed trying to figure out which model to follow, doing test after test, when maybe we should be focusing more on that consistent aerobic development that lets us actually finish the marathon strong - particularly by not over doing the bike, which is very frequent in Ironman racing.
The training implications could be quite different, especially when we factor in that we're juggling 3 sports and need to stay fresh enough to run well off the bike.
Would love to hear your thoughts on this!
Totally agree.
What’s interesting is that neither critical power nor FTP accurately model efforts longer than 1 hour. For that, we can use power-time modeling with a power law, which allows us to reliably estimate long-duration training sessions. I refer you to my latest podcast, where we talk about it and how we can use it (I will write an article on Substack).
Another tool to avoid the bias caused by exceptionally good days is using submaximal tests and measuring performance from session to session. This way, we can observe trends with many more data points and avoid being influenced by extreme outliers.
Thank you Manu, I will check the podcast this week 🤙
eFTP is also used in the TrainerRoad, Rouvy, and the JOIN cycling softwares, but I haven’t researched to see if they are the same, or if they independently invented their own eFTPs.
Probably they don´t refer to the same physiological point as I do ;-)
I laughed at your definition - well played. :-)