It was FTP test on the bike this week with a 30min all out set after a 20min warm-up.
It was a very important test to gauge where my bike fitness was 6+ months after my last test. It would set my training for the next 4-6 weeks, and more importantly, it could boost my morale and motivation for the month of Feb and March. I took it very seriously, planned the night before to make sure I'd eat healthy and early enough to have enough time to digest before the test (did it at 5am on Tuesday). I went to bed early, probably around 9pm to make sure I'd get enough sleep.
I woke up at 4am, excited and impatient to get on the bike. I had a very light breakfast right away and gave myself 1 hour to digest. I felt good.
And the test begins...
I've never done a 30min all out on the trainer (or even on the road for that matter). On top of the lactic acid building up in your muscles and your breath shortening, you start having negative thoughts telling you that you cannot do it, that it burns too much. The thighs are burnings, the cadence is low and each pedal stroke gets harder and harder. I struggled a lot, having to dig deeper than I thought I'd be able to that early into my training. It got to a point where it was almost unbearable. I came close to the breaking point where I would quit and go back to the apartment, but I knew I'd be disappointed at myself if I did. More importantly, I had 10min left (which seemed an eternity!) for what would set a good benchmark for my 2015 training. I worked too hard to get here and give up. To clear up my mind I started thinking about the results I had at IM Zurich and at the Worlds of last year where I had a strong bike split. I needed to remind myself that I did it before and could do it again.
30min done...and the results are much better than expected, being only a few watts short of my FTP of last year. It instantly gave me a massive boost of confidence on my bike fitness, and more importantly it showed that I still have the mental strength to push myself way beyond my comfort zone. All this is a good sign that I am on the right track so far.
