Ok so I feel great my FTP has gone up from 163 to 199 and I could probably do better on the 4DP with some training.
Question is given the stats here what do I focus on to get better?
Does SYSTM provide suggestions on training plans for improvement
I need to ensure I beat my 100 mile time from last year in the ridelondon
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Hi @Jonty , another relatively new Systm user here. Looking at that, the MAP building block might be a good place to start. Then one of the longer plans (there are ones aimed at Gran Fondos and centuries, I believe). The targets in workouts are tailored to you by the software.
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Congraulations on the test results @Jonty ! Great improvements!
If you look at your Athlete Profile in SYSTM (Top Left Icon → My Profile → Athlete Profile):
and scroll down towards the bottom, you should see a summary of your strengths and weaknesses. This can give you some guidance about what to work on in your training.
Also, I notice there is a flag on your test results, saying that your 5 minute power is less than 115% of your 20 minute power. That’s usually an indication that you maybe could have gone a little bit harder in the 5 minute test. These tests are learning experiences every time, especially the first few, and you get improvements over time both from the training, and learning how to better execute the test.
There is some more information about the test results here: https://support.wahoofitness.com/hc/en-us/articles/4406048660114-Your-Full-Frontal-Results
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Good suggestions above…
I just did a little bit of sleuthing and I think I have determined that the Tour of Sufferlandria (ahem) training is going to be announced soon. This is a good way to get a good tour of what SYSTM has to offer, have a little fun (maybe Type 2 fun 
) and help a good charity if so inclined. This virtual Tour is a fund-raiser for the Davis Phinney Foundation if you want to participate and is a week long event from February 25th to March 2.
You might have just about enough time to squeeze in a three-week Building Block plan beforehand. I’d suggest MAP, Threshold or possibly Tempo. If the Tour Plan encroached on that plan, you can end the Building Blocks plan and start the Tour Plan.
For the Tour info watch this thread:
Post the Tour, I would suggest you might follow the Century plan in prep for your Ride London event. That would be quite a training block.
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Signed up on the MAP plan the 100 isn’t a problem the pace the 100 is done maybe.
Some big Etape and sportives signed up for this year at least on 100 every month from April through September - definitely going to sign up for Wahooligan.
Incentive is that if I can do a sub 5:30 - 100 the wife says I can procure a new bike.
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Why is it even though you have 3 you always need another and I can’t ever think about giving any of them up.
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Anyone else like me?
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@Jonty Just to add on to the other comments - and if you don’t know - the Systm algorithm tailors ANY plan to target your weaknesses, independent of the plan goal. So your workouts and weekly TSS should skew toward whatever rider type you’re classed into by FM (as @way9e0 mentioned).
Welcome and congrats on launching your training!
(nice flex btw, Sir Wayne - you rouleur/all-around beast you!)
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@Jonty Congrats! I have a few questions:
- Confirming you are doing 100 mile rides/races every month?
- Is this your 1st 4DP test and if so where did you get your previous FTP metric?
- How much organized training have you done in the past?
If you are new to organized training it isn’t unusual to see faster gains. Also 4DP is a hard test so you can probably improve there just with some additional strategy coming into the test. This thread is helpful:
Doing events each month is great but you need to be sure that you are periodizing your training so that you are not going into the red and potentially setting yourself back. If you haven’t already, I would suggest categorizing each race as an A, B or C race - A is the primary focus and C is for testing out nutrition, pacing and working on technique with B being somewhere in the middle. I add my other races to the calendar - you can use something like 4 hour endurance as a placeholder.
Leading up to each race I would make sure that you are tapering properly - more important for your A race, less important for B and not important for C especially if you are just treating it as one of the long rides in your training plan.
SYSTM does have a plan selector but it is really geared toward 12 weeks to prepare for one race with perhaps a practice race midway through the plan. So you can select something like Road Century to help you train for the distance but you need to go through the plan and alter it based on the other races that you are putting on the calendar. Ideally you will want a 2:1 or 3:1 ratio with respect to training volume. With that many events 2:1 probably is better. Don’t worry if you have to go to a 3:1 now and then or even a 1:1 based on specific dates. The calendar allows you to move stuff around. It is confusing at 1st but if you read through the plans you will see lots of roadmaps on how to best balance the work - lots of trial and error in the process.
You do have a weakness in MAP. You can do a MAP block but I would be careful with that. However, as @CPT_A notes, you are going to get a lot of MAP and FTP improvement just by riding a general plan and also have less risk of getting into the red especially with the number of events that you have as the plans take your 4DP numbers into account.
Also depending on the timing of your events, be careful with the Tour of Wahoo. As an example, I have a race in late March - 85 mile gravel event. I will do the tour but I plan to do a combination of scaling down some days and also doubling up some rides using the Sufferlandrian 52 hour day calendar to its full extent so that I get more rest days. You might want to think about a similar approach. Each workout has a “cost” and you want to make sure that the cost is worth the benefit. Yes you improve from working out but you also improve from recovery so it is important to keep that balance.
For distance events I try to concentrate on roughly 80% of my efforts below FTP and 20% at or above. I also regularly work in cadence drills, yoga, mobility and some strength as well - especially core but I also do some of my own weight work (squats, deadlifts, push and pull stuff). While the weights don’t really improve cycling power they are important when you on the bike a lot as you are not getting much load on your bones. Note that any weight program needs to start slow and it will affect your on bike stuff until you acclimate and overall take it slow.
Finally don’t discount a consistent good nights sleep and healthy eating and hydration. It can really help you drive those gains.
Hope that helps!
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