Well, I no longer think that those very short interval numbers were a fluke. I had a good ride yesterday and reset almost half of the values in my power curve. All numbers are seated on a cargo bike - I am curious what (if any) difference it would make if I was on my proper bike, and able to get out of the saddle for those <30s numbers.
I'm seeing some improvement in my "fitness age" and V02 Max values, despite not losing weight - so my fitness is improving. My FTP estimate has not changed in weeks, which makes me wonder if something is jammed up there - a fluke of the software and/or an outlier ride.
As noted before, I've been 100% disciplined about staying off booze, but have really struggled with food intake. This year has shown me that while I have let alcohol get a bit out of hand at times, my bigger personal issues (by a wide margin) are with food. There's nothing unique about my story here - food is a powerful and addictive mood-altering drug, and I have decades of training myself to use it in unhealthy ways: celebrating good times and mitigating bad times. The last 6 months have been filled with stress for reasons personal and professional, and if I want to be a bit kind to myself I can note that it's almost an accomplishment to have maintained my weight through such a time, when my natural response would be to gain quite a bit. I don't know if that resonates with anyone outside the Clyde/Athena forum, but there you go.