BTinNYC 

Decision time. We're getting a week of unusually good weather while I have an off week in my plan; rest days, FTP test and then recovery days.

Third week of October and it might hit 80 degrees. I feel discipline sloghing away 😉.

TakingMyTime

Sometimes you just gotta' go with what you're given. No telling what tomorrow may bring. You can always rest later.

force10

At this time of year I wouldnt hesitate to break training schedule for some good riding weather. Of course, I just entered the second week of my self-prescribed month off from structured training to do just fun riding...

Even my rest weeks during the summer had at least one longish 'fartlek" type of ride mixed in with a 3 hour group ride and a 2 hour zone 2 ride. This the perfect weather for something like that. Or do you want to get out and really hammer?

In any event, the FTP test can wait. Are you training for something near-term???

easyupbug 

As i have aged I have found taking advantage of fine weather a priority.

staehpj1

Different strokes. I haven't raced in years, but still I have a hard time relating since I never forced time completely off the bike. Time off of hard training never, for me at least, precluded going for easy pleasant rides. Going out for even longish rides with an easy heart rate is always okay as far as I am concerned unless maybe an injury says I need to be off bike.

Also I am one of those weird people who loves "bad"weather and likes to go out in rain, sleet, and cold weather too. That has become easier since I have focused more on trails than roads and since I moved south, but on the trails before I moved south the weather sometimes did force me off the bike and onto snowshoes or xc skiis. I think I enjoyed those bad days as much or more.

BTinNYC 

I'm pushing training out a week and just riding during this last blast of 70 degree weather
I had to think about this for a bit, and my truth is I'm training because I'm a happier and more considerate person when I'm training.

I do have event(s) in the spring but my cycling goal is keeping up with my oldest best buddy, who is stronger and faster. We're still the competitive man-children we were in 1976, AND we're going to ride in the Pyrenees next year.

smontanaro 

Schedule? What schedule? We don't need no stinking schedule!
​​​​​​

PeteHski

Good choice. You might as well make the most of the good weather. The entire winter awaits you for training. An FTP test can wait.

staehpj1

This all does raise the question in my mind. Do folks really have schedules that require periods of zero riding? Or is easy riding allowed in your schedule?

force10

Riding in nice fall weather will probably make you happier and more considerate than doing an FTP test instead.

I think you made the right call and knew the answer before you even asked.

BTinNYC 

I think you're right. A bit of Look At Me intersecting need for validation, and boom, a new post! ;P

rsbob 

Living in the PNW, I schedule my riding and rest days around rain. I do ride in the rain when fed up with the trainer, but rain riding lost the macho factor it had in my 30s.

I tried a couple of ZWIFT training programs but they do not account for age + FTP, only FTP. I know there are far stronger 68 YOs than me, but their ‘one size fits all’ programs didn’t work. A 15 YO with my FTP running the same program would have little difficulty, but it was frying me. Unfortunately I am not disciplined or motivated to follow a plan outdoors, so the weather is my coach. The good news is that I do see incremental improvement.

bbbean 

Easy Z2 rides or even unstructured rides are a fine way to take advantage of good weather.

Mtracer

If you're a pro, or training for the Olympics, then stick to your schedule. Likely you are not, and perhaps are just training to get fitter. In that case, ride. But what the heck, just ride easy and relaxed and make it a recovery week. Maybe avoid the temptation to hammer any segments or take on any steep climbs.

rumrunn6

some day the choice won’t be yours. your destiny is your own making. accept & enjoy your choices