With the start of training season, that means it is time to set base lines. Or more specifically, time to test current fitness levels in order to set training zones and target where I need to improve. Last night was the first of those tests, the infamous bike FTP test. The FTP, or Functional Threshold Power is a number that, in theory at least, an athlete can maintain for an hour without going into the zones where your muscle begin to accumulate lactate.

As a triathlete, I target about 80% of that FTP number as my average power output for a long course race. For sprint courses, I’ll go at or above 100% of that number, because it’s “only” a 5k run off the bike :), but I never claimed that I race sprints “smart”.

For this year, I decided to use Zwift’s workout mode to test it, and to run a comparison with both power meters running at the same time. They produced similar numbers, so for the future, I will likely rely on the trainer numbers, which with Zwift came out very close to what was expected.

The number for the test came up at 237 watts as my FTP, which is fine, but invariably, people get an FTP and immediately want to start comparing their numbers to mine. Don’t do it, it is a comparison that means absolutely nothing, because watts produced is only a small part of the picture. IF you must compare something, the number you would want to compare is watts per kilogram, because that is a far more accurate indicator of strength.

Looking at it that way, I am an almost 200b male (195 lbs. November and December were not good months for my weight). Converted to kilograms, that is about 88.5kg. 237 watts divided by 88.5 kilograms, gives you a number that has some meaning, roughly 2.7 watts/kg. To put that into some perspective, Andrew Coggan put together a chart of how W/kg numbers compare, and it is largely accepted as the baseline. Looking at that chart, what you will quickly see is that my numbers puts me firmly into the “Fair” grouping.

If I want to improve that number I need to improve my W/kg. That becomes an interesting balance of work. Let’s say I want to climb into that “Moderate” group. That would require an increase to a 3.25 W/kg. In order to get there without changing my weight, I would need to pick up an additional 50 watts. Those kinds of gains are unreasonable in a single season, so that really is not a realistic goal. Looking at weight though, could that help?

If you figure 1 kilogram is 2.2 pounds, then getting back to my race weight from the end of last summer of 180 lbs, would put me at 81.7 kg. Now all of the sudden a 3.25 W/kg is an FTP of 266 watts, only a 30 point jump, which is still a massive uptick for someone with a decent base of fitness, but 20 points is probably in reach, which would be roughly 3.1 W/kg, or right at the bridge between Fair and Moderate. Considering my size and age, that is probably nearing the upper limits of where pure power training will get me.

Everything else becomes about riding the bike, learning to use the terrain to my advantage, good aero and body positions and proper nutrition, because at the end of the day, you cannot overpower bad form, bad nutrition or poor bike skills out not he course.

This season, I will be posting my progress on my improvements, and talking about some of the tools, because the biggest lesson I took away from last year was that triathlon success, be it finishing, hitting a time goal, or a podium is all built on the training.