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Cazakstan
After the joy of setting a new, best-ever FTP value (only by 2 watts, I think, but still), I've suffered the rest of the week feeling my workouts are utterly crushing.
TBH it has been a while since I've seen a reasonable rise in FTP. I just checked TrainingPeaks and I only did 2 x FTP tests in the whole of 2020 (because Coronavirus, so very few races other than hillclimb season).
I took a few months away from structured training from November, and only started back up really at the end of December. When I did that I just guesstimated my FTP as 5% less than where I had been in October. Workouts were feeling good, I was consistently able to complete them with really good adherence.
Then on Monday I did an FTP test (20 minute standard protocol, as I always do), and saw a 15% increase versus my previously-estimated FTP. Since then I've done a 2x20 SS, an over-under, and a 3x10 mins of 15 second microburst interval sessions. The over-under session today nearly broke me mentally, and I just wasn't able to hit the target wattage on the "under" intervals. The other 2 were okay, but felt very close to the limit of what I could do, which I'm not used to for 2x20 SS.
The increase in FTP I think is mainly due to a new routine of strengthening I started back in December. My legs and core are noticeably more muscular. However, as a result I weigh a bit more than I used to, so my watts/kg at estimated FTP is close to, but not quite as high as my previous highest value, which was in the summer of 2019.
I'm looking for some internet opinions, obviously. Is this just normal to suffer this much following a decent increase in FTP, but it's been so long that I've forgotten the feeling? Is this just a shock to my body after 4 weeks of doing workouts where I had underestimated my FTP? Should I reduce my FTP by 10W, do another 4 weeks, and then re-test? Or something else I hadn't thought of?