Day Fifty-five: Matt Wilpers 20 min FTP test 9.20.17

I had been close to three months since I did an FTP test.  I knew I was stronger.  About day forty of the streak, I saw that I was able to push much higher wattage.  This test showed me how much stronger I was.  

In early June, just a few weeks after I had gotten the bike, a month after my last marathon, I tested at an FTP of 133.  Because I had done these FTP tests during my Ironman training, I didn't really consider myself a newbie, I knew how to pace myself throughout the test.  Perhaps I took it a little too easy in the first five minutes, but I was definitely giving it my all for the last fifteen.  

When I took this test, I had sort of forgotten what my FTP was in June.  I knew that I could probably start the test pushing somewhere in the 150s for wattage.  What I was surprised by was that I ended up at 177 at the end, which puts my FTP at... drum roll 168!  35 points higher?  I'm unlikely to see such gains again.  I know that often when people aren't in bike shape they see a big jump in the beginning and then smaller jumps throughout.  Still, this averages about 9 points up per month!  These are big number jumps!  Some of it must have to do with the streak.  

I haven't really seen changes in my body, but that isn't unusual for me.  I usually get a little bit more toned when I am working out a lot, but my weight doesn't change much.  Even when training for an Ironman this was the case.  I've decided not to complain about it. After all, my body does every thing I ask it to do.  It would be ungrateful to complain that it doesn't do it in the "right" silhouette.  

I think I'm going to take 3 Power Zone classes (one of which will be an endurance) for the final five weeks of the streak and then test again.