Good luck tomorrow I hope you get it.
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Thanks. I need 7 watts haha 
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Yep, I switch focus from first half and second half, with sustained work in the spring to short power in the fall. I do see gains, I just don’t see it ever going high enough.
I was actually a very good runner, ran low 4’s in the mile. Was great short and middle distance guy too. Played football through college on the back of my speed mostly, and loving to hit (was a DB).
With cycling, it’s just muscle endurance. I don’t have it and never really will. At best I can be not terrible at it.
With running I have a good aerobic engine, and was just super efficient naturally.
Oh no question about this. I embrace the suffering!
That was a awsome read thanks for sharing that information. I’m always so surprised at how knowledgeable all the users on here are. Thanks again
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We should keep this thread going, gang – it is cool to know that there are as many folks trying to hit 4.0 w/kg at our age. Sometimes you feel like you’re just grinding it out alone to be below average. But in reality, we’re in pretty rare company if we get there.
Maybe even a tee shirt?
“4.0 after 40” or something kitschy like that 
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There’s no fundamental reason you can’t as long as you train consistently.
I’m 58 and sitting at 4.2 w/kg. Still in Base II so I hope to improve on that in the near future.
I started at 2.9 w/kg three years ago.
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Also – I will say this . . . because I think it helps:
In your mid-40’s, if you had an extended period of being sedentary (I barely worked out at all for 4 years) – doing an 8-12 block week of strength training is key. This is true for a number of reasons –
– but I heard Chad say something like in a podcast once: you can only aerobically condition existing muscle so much, after that you need to generate new muscle which you can then aerobically condition.
I know I lost muscle, and putting it back on made me feel better overall – and has had a long term positive impact on my cycling metrics. But you will take a short term hit when lifting – although you might be able to maintain FTP if you do it just right…
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Yeah, this is so key.
Will be 60 next month… I’m definitely blessed to have a smaller build, perfect for climbing, standing at 5’6"ish, 154lbs (69.85kg) and 295W, which puts me at 4.22 currently. First event in two months and just about to start Century plan. I plan to get down to 148lbs (67kg), which will put me at 4.39 for first Century of the year.
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47, still as fit as early 40s - Age is definitely not the limiter even in your forties, rather it’s lack of training time that holds us back…
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Youth is wasted on the young
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I would never trade the advantages of commitment, discipline and organization I possess now at age 41 to have back the physical advantages I had, but made no use of, when I was younger. I am in the best shape of my life, and that was also true last year and the year before that.
Old man speed is real.
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Absolutely. I lost sight of that in the latter half of 2018. My vo2 was fine back in Sept (at 56), then I did traditional base and sweet spot base. By December my vo2 dropped down to just above ftp and I started “failing” ramp tests. By fail I mean the ramp test gave 190W, and I was manually setting ftp to 230.
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I’m 51 (and a half), and a flyweight (a little under 52kg); FTP 7 weeks ago was 186w (3.6). I test again tomorrow, I’m guessing I’m around 210, which will push me just over 4.0. So yes, absolutely doable
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Curious. Say a 4 week block of vo2, then a 4 week block of SS? And then back at what, a TR plan?
I’m always on a TrainerRoad plan of one type or another – but I modify them to both my work schedule and my rest requirements.
So, for instance – if I finish a block of Vo2 work . . . or even if I’m in the middle of a block, like with General Build . . . if I find my self dreading the work for more than 2 days, I’ll pause and do a week or two of SS/threshold work, and then resume the Vo2 work.
Also, I use Sweet Spot work to stitch together training plans if I have a two week gap or something to fill to make sure I am peaking for an “A” event.
Lastly, if I am trying to lose weight I will revert back to SS work and mix in some runs – I find that running outside gives me adequate cycling recovery for SS work, while also helping accelerate the fat loss.
A typical Sweet Spot week with 3 workouts for me would look like:
Day 1: Sweet Spot: 60-90 mins
Day 2: Over/Unders: 60-75 mins
Day3: Sweet spot: 60-90 mins
Then maybe add and endurance day if you want.
How you sprinkle in rest is up to you. If I’m trying to lose weight, I would run before and after Day 2.
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Don’t get too hung up about a number target. 4 W/kg is a nice to have but getting there is the fun part. You will not be magically different once you hit that target.
Sorry, don’t want to be a party pooper.
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Hi there,
No - you’re not too old, I’m 43 this week and managed 4.12 W/kg just this morning (FTP 263, 63.8kg).
I started on TR about 12 months ago and was the first structured training I’d done on a bike, if at all in my adult life.
It was never a target, though I’ll admit, as it edged closer it did become one!
Like others have said, enjoy the journey…
Cheers
J
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