A bump in the (trainer) road

So after being all cock-a-hoop last week about my ftp number rising like a rocket after my last 20 minute test, it should come as no surprise that it would all spectacularly turn to worms this week. Basically, I caught a cold. The rest of family wheezy came down with it and by Monday my throat was sore and eyes were puffy, but to be fair, I was not feeling too bad so thought that I should just man up and get my next session done. This was to be a 90 threshold session with me doing 6 x 10 minutes around my ftp. This is a tough session and with me being under the weather and chasing a new ftp number I simply couldn't keep the cranks turning after the third rep, so I bailed early. The rest of the week I was able to do a couple of easy, low intensity aerobic sessions which didn't stress me too much and this morning I felt good enough to have a crack at a one hour session with 4 x 10 minutes at threshold.

Again, it didn't go to plan. The first rep felt too easy and I was well over the 230 watts required. Second rep was better; still a bit too high, but I felt comfortably extended.

The third rep; Oh. My. Days. I was hanging on, barely, almost from the off. The last 3 minutes felt like 3 years and I was just able to keep it at 230 watts. So it was time to HTFU and get the last one done, but I simply couldn't. By this time my temperature had rising stupidly and even at rest my heart rate was extremely elevated and I simply couldn't get my power up to even 180 watts, let alone 230. I should be disappointed but this is precisely why Trainerroad is proving so useful and this is telling me a few of things. Firstly, I am ill and I need to actually let my body recover a little more before attempting a threshold session. Secondly, this confirms that my muscular endurance needs a lot of work. I can spin a light gear for hours. I can push a relatively high number of watts (for me) for a short period pretty well, but maintaining my watts near ftp for extended periods of time is a real weakness and something I need to focus on when I am back to full fitness. Thirdly, I need to put my ego in check (again) and at least temporarily bring my ftp number down while I build my fitness back up.