Prep Recap

PHOTO OF THE MONTH: THE LONG ROAD AHEAD.

What I did: Two and half weeks of levels I and II endurance rides to reacquaint myself with cycling, ending this past weekend with a weigh-in and FTP and CP6 tests.


Total miles: 412


Total hours: 26


Weight: 138 pounds (62.7 kilos)


Functional Threshold Power (FTP): 205 watts


FTP/Weight: 3.27 watts per kilo


CP6: 248 watts


Chronic Training Load (CTL): 39.2


Thoughts from the saddle: I felt like I hadn't ridden in six weeks after that first ride on Jan. 14 because, well, I hadn't. That was my longest break ever. ... After about the first 200 miles, heartrate and RPE went down and power increased (110-115 watts), letting me know the training effect was taking place. ... I was holding back a lot after those initial miles, telling myself I have a long way to go and a long time to get there. Don't race. It's a hard habit to break. ... I rode once a week off-road, skipping some of the toughest, technical trails at Markham Park so I could keep a steady pace and get in a low-key 17-mile ride. ... I was really happy to get in that first three-hour solo road ride on Jan. 21. (The three-quarters-into-the-ride stop at Starbucks for a dopio was the carrot.) I was able to go two hours the next day, so I knew I didn't overdo it; I was comfortably tired. ... My FTP and CP6 tests were sobering. I paced both well and felt powerful -- until I looked at the average watts. Need to keep reminding myself I have a long way to go and a long time to get there. Maybe that should be my Base theme? ... Because I'm starting training much earlier than in the past, it's been really nice to ride in comfortable South Florida weather in the morning. I'm normally fighting high humidity in late May when I traditionally begin. This has been less taxing. So far.