Simon Vincent, Bike Fit Wales
The 20 minute “best effort FTP test less XXX percent” protocol has been used by many amateur endurance athletes for years as a guide to training. So why are those same athletes often left frustrated at a lack of real progress, when they believe they can and should be faster than they are over their chosen long distance triathlon races?
It all comes down to that “F word” and for most, an output in respect of either power or heart rate training zones based on such a 20-minute max (Non- Functional) effort may be the very reason for that lack of progress.
Consider the race performance stats of the professional athletes who seem to achieve super human finish times with average heart rates below 150bpm (and below 140bpm in some cases) then stop and ask yourself; “I am really going to get faster or remain healthy and injury free trying to push at a pace that sees my heart rate above 165bpm for most of my training and races?”
…if you trust in the process, you may finally see your just rewards and in turn become your own story of success!
Simon vincent
If the honest answer you gave yourself is a resounding “NO” then it’s time you took action to ascertain your true “ego free” training zones based on actual Blood Lactate levels.
This will enable you to finally obtain training zones unique to you while taking out of the equation one’s ability to suffer (a high lactate tolerance is never a guarantee of a faster pace). Most importantly, such an approach will enable you to finally understand that key point (threshold) at which your body switches from operating aerobically (good) to anaerobically (bad) when it comes to achieving your dream performance over any longer and ultra-race distance.
Will this result in you having to slow down initially? YES, it will and in some cases, when it comes to running, you may have to walk the hills to begin with. Having done over 500 blood lactate tests with clients to date, I have lost track of the number of times prior to starting testing they have stated “My FTP is ……. and my Lactate Threshold is ………..” yet they still wonder why they are not faster despite years of training at such levels?
Post test results always provide their answer with much lower end figures and most clients finally end up realising they have been training in that dreaded “grey zone” for years, kidding themselves that one day, they were going to start get faster simply by trying to push “harder” at a higher heart rate, or do more hours each week using their previously incorrect training zones.
We are not all destined to qualify for Kona that is granted, but there is no reason why you cannot become much faster through finally training and racing based on your own truly functional zones.
Such an approach could just be that missing link you have been searching for all these years and although it will not happen overnight, if you trust in the process, you may finally see your just rewards and in turn become your own story of success!
Simon Vincent, Bike Fit Wales
Established in 2011, Bike Fit Wales works with clients from all over the UK. Run exclusively by Simon Vincent who can relate his life long passion for cycling, fell running and extensive sports science studies to enable every endurance sports participant, regardless of ability, improve their achievements and enjoyment of our great sports.
The benefits that coaching, performance testing, correct bike set up and supplement free nutritional practices can bring to one’s endurance sports participation should not be the sole preserve of the professional athletes.