I figured it would be a good time to redo the 8 minute power test to adjust my FTP value - it's been over six weeks since the last one, and at the beginning of each TrainerRoad program, it starts with a power test. I suppose technically I should have done it on Tuesday instead of getting right into the workouts for the 2nd base building program, but I didn't feel like it at the time.
This was also the first full workout where I was able to use the glutes during the entire thing, since I was almost done with the last workout before I stumbled upon that little factor of power generation. At this point, I don't feel like they add a whole lot of power, and I'm thinking it is largely because it's a matter of time to train the muscles exactly how to fire - especially when mixing in the coordination of muscle firing around the entire cycle (hamstrings to pull back, hip flexors to pull up, quads to kick forward). So it might actually be a good time to revisit ILT's a bit to help with training that coordination - when I was doing them before, it was mostly quads generating power.
The first 8 minute session I went out too fast - I tried ratcheting down a bit, but it was still more than I'd be able to handle for 8 minutes, so I ended up settling around 250, with a bit of a burst towards the end. The second 8 minute interval I did the opposite - I built up power and held 250 for a while, until enough time passed when I could increase power and know I could sustain it for the remainder of the interval.
By the end of it, the FTP showed an increase of 5W, from 220W to 225W. Not stellar - but then again none of the workouts I did was really pushing things too awful much, as they were all base building and intervals between 85-90% FTP.
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