Cracking My Final Goal of the Year - Early!
Well, the last goal I set for myself this year is officially in the books—and I still have a month to spare.
Back in January, I set out to increase my very humble FTP (Functional Threshold Power) by 5% each quarter. For anyone who’s not a cyclist or a Peloton data nerd, your FTP is the highest average power, measured in watts, that you can sustain for one hour. Think of it as your personal “engine size.” It also sets your training zones and is one of the clearest ways to track fitness gains over time.
If you want a deeper dive into FTP and why it matters, this video does a great job explaining it.
How I Test My FTP
There are several ways to take an FTP test, but I use the Peloton version. It starts with a 10-minute warm-up followed by a 20-minute all-out test. The goal is simple: go as hard as you can sustain for the full 20 minutes without blowing up too early.
When the stars align (and my pacing is halfway decent), the effort starts hard and gets steadily harder as the minutes tick by. At the end, I get my average power for the test—Peloton then uses that number to calculate my power zones.
The Numbers Don’t Lie
If you’re still with me, here’s where it gets fun.
The graph on the left shows every FTP test I’ve taken over the years. The test marked with a vertical bar is from January 2025, when my FTP was sitting at 115 watts. From there, you can see a steady climb throughout the year.
Today’s test was meant to be a simple check-in, since my year-end goal was 144 watts. But it turns out…I’ve already hit it. Goal achieved!
What Happens Next
Over the next few weeks, my training will shift away from long, punishing rides and toward shorter sessions focused on shorter rides, strength, and stability. When that happens, my FTP will likely dip a bit—and that’s normal. The body needs time to repair and rebuild before kicking off the next training block in late January.
Today’s FTP Ride
Here’s the chart from today’s test so you can see the pacing and effort curve in action. I start in Zone 4 and gradually increase. At the 10 minute mark I go into Zone 5 for the last 2 minutes it’s all out.
Power output during my 20 minute FTP test
Thanks for riding along with me on this journey. If you’ve got your own fitness goals—or questions about building strength later in life—I’d love to hear them. Drop a comment, share your latest win, or follow the blog for more updates as I train toward the San Diego Medio Fondo and beyond.
