Originally Posted by
Jsiegs
your Tues/Wed combo is a bit ridiculous.
While FTP is the maximum power you can hold for one hour, that is for a rested and motivated individual. After an hour at FTP on Tuesday, I don't think you have any chance (no dig at you, I don't think anyone really has any chance). Even 2x20 at FTP (2 min rest) is a serious workout, and is a good amount of work without excessive recovery costs. I also don't know anyone (though my background is more for tri training so someone can school me here if necessary) who will actually do 60 min at FTP in training. 40k TT? Sure, go for it, but you're only gonna hit it if you're reasonably rested (if you hit it tired, your FTP is too low).
Hills aren't magic. You weigh a certain amount. You put out a certain amount of power. Those factors combine to decide your speed up the hill. Lower weight, increase power (or both) and you will get to the top faster. If you expect your centry to be a lot of work-rest-work-rest-ect due to the up-down-up-down, try to mimic that in your long ride. Use the length of the climbs in your ride (a few long ones or a lot of short ones) to dictate your work/rest periods. oh, and make sure you have the right gearing 
You are correct. That was supposed to be 80-90% FTP. In other words, an Hr of effort but not extremely hard effort.
Originally Posted by
MDcatV
i think you should just ride your bike and not really worry about "training" with intervals and threshold power, etc. that century is probably going to take the better part of 7 hours, correct? i'd do 5+ hrs. on saturday, then 3+ hrs. on sunday, take m and fri off completely and do 1.5 to 2.0 hrs./day on tu/wed/thurs. that'll give you on the order of 12 to 14 hrs/week, with 2 recovery days, which i would think result in having the physical tools in place to complete your ride.
Thanks for your input. However, finishing the ride is not the goal here. I can go there right now and complete it. Again, I ave done rides like these before and have completed them with not much of specific "training" for them. Doing that would be simply repeating what I have already accomplished. I want to do better time wise, and have never done a proper and structured training plan, so I figured this would be as good time and opportunity as ever to do so.
Originally Posted by
Racer Ex
Using FTP based intervals to get ready for a big climbing century is like taking ballet to avoid a sunburn.
So to answer:
1) Wrong question
2) Not for what you're doing.
3) You more or less repeated #2 here. But here's what I'd do: Go outside. Check wind direction. Ride hard into the wind for a long time. Come home. Rest. Repeat. Take a day and ride around in the 53/11 for as many hours as you can stand or do some long high rep weight sessions for your legs. You need endurance strength. At hour six you're going to care about your FTP as much as you'll care about the current weather in Dubai.
I get your point here, but also see above. I thought these types of structured training plans were supposed to improved your endurance strength. Correct me if I am wrong by all means, and educate me in the process. I could really care less what my FTP is really. I put it as a reference in case it was helpful to anyone to give some advice in how to modify this plan. I don't compete with others, so tracking a number is not something I've done ever. I did do the test a week ago out of curiosity and to use as a frame of reference given I am reading Coggan's book and have a power meter at my disposal.
Originally Posted by
mollusk
Eating and drinking enough will be a big challenge. You will be burning a lot of calories. Long hours of Zone 2 in your training will build up your ability to burn fat while riding. You will need this, but it won't get you to the end. Eating will be essential.
On your long rides try different foods and drinks and see which ones agree with you and which ones don't. It sucks to find out that your body rejects the food you brought when you are 80 miles into a ride.
@mollusk, I do remember you quite well. Points well taken. Since we met for that ride, I have lost about 20-25 Lb and plan to drop another 10-15 in the next 2 months before this ride. Over the last few years, I have tried several foods and have settled pretty well on what works for me for shorter and longer rides. Same with the gearing, so I have those 2 sorted out.
I apologize if I gave the impression that I am trying to complete a century with climbing for the first time. I have done lots of rides in the past with some serious climbing (Alps, Dolomites, etc. included). I have suffered tons through some and have enjoyed most of them. I just want to do little better time and pace wise for me, not for time to brag. I got over that a long time ago.
Originally Posted by
gsteinb
I'm honestly not sure what this has to do with the racing forum. I'm inclined to move it lest someone justify its existence here.
I also figured I would post it here given it seems the only group in BF that talks about or understands power meters and training plans are here. The training sub-forum gets little to no traffic. Besides this would be useful for many other applications, not just mine. Oh, and given the content of some of the threads here, I also figured it was more than relevant. Please feel free to move it if you see fit though.