Not too complicated mate...eon wrote: I have no idea what FTP or VO2 or kw/kg etc etc.
FTP is basically the best average power you can hold for a one hour best effort.
VO2 is not so important as few people ever get it tested, VO2 max is basically the upper ceiling, what I suppose is important is how you close you can get to it.
watts per kg... well you already know what that is... 90kgs 1st race / 70kgs last race ... more power / less weight.
Put it all together... your ftp is 300 watts / you weigh 70kgs ... your watts per kg is 4.28 w per kilo at ftp.
I am also trying to figure out how I can step up a level... basically sandbagging in Cat 2 now but could easily run around in Cat 1 now if I wanted to. But I have decided I want to stay in Cat 2 till June next year ( not so bad as the season here is finished til March now ). Mainly because I want to do some stage races as a Cat 2 rider ( Cat 1 and 2 are combined in these and the guys winning Cat 2 could "easily" win Club level Cat 1 races on the right day )
My plan is to drop another 8-10 kgs, hopefully up the power another 5%, be totally focused on these races and not worry about my form on the smaller races as they will be used as training.
So basically lots of tempo /sweet spot / ftp work till about March with at least 1 cyclocross race per week when possible through winter for intensity. Then using racing to build my form up for June... and having fun along the way .
PS... I don't and probably won't have a power meter, I don't use a heart rate moniter. So a speedo and an ability to make my self suffer will have to do .