FTP is a snapshot. Durability is the real story.

FTP is a snapshot. Durability is the real story.

Episode #181 of the SCYENCE Podcast dives into the training of Jonas Abrahamsen from Uno‑X Mobility. The takeaway is simple and decisive: elite performance is a system, not a collection of heroic efforts.

Below we unpack the training patterns that create race‑ready durability, why FTP alone is an incomplete measure, and how to translate pro principles into your next block — without chasing ego or burning out.

Key patterns from Abrahamsen’s training

• High aerobic volume at controlled intensity — most “easy” miles are still impressive power.

  • Pro riders get more stimulus from long aerobic hours than most riders expect. That sustained, sub‑threshold work builds the mitochondrial and capillary base that supports repeated hard efforts.

• Precisely placed high‑intensity blocks, designed to mimic race stress.

  • Short, sharp blocks give the neuromuscular and metabolic signaling needed to raise your upper limits without wrecking the base.

• Fatigue resistance prioritized over fresh watts — repeatable performance after 4–5 hours matters more than a single peak effort.

  • The metric that predicts success in long races is not your single maximal 20‑minute power; it’s the power you can deliver, repeatedly, after hours in the saddle.

• Race‑specific simulations: breakaways, stage efforts, and classics‑style intensity are all replicated in training.

  • Training specificity means practicing the exact pattern of stress you’ll face in a race: duration, cadence, intensity, and recovery windows.

• Recovery‑informed adjustments: HRV coupling, supercompensation, and contextualized TSS guide daily loads.

  • Progress is a result of planned stress plus measured recovery. Data informs whether you push, hold, or back off.

Why FTP is only a snapshot

Functional Threshold Power (FTP) is useful — it’s a standard, repeatable test that helps prescribe zones. But FTP is a single point on a power‑duration curve. It describes a near‑maximal steady state, not how your body handles the compounding effects of hours in the saddle.

Limitations of treating FTP as the whole story:

• It ignores repeatability. Can you do three 12‑minute efforts at FTP with only short recovery between them? That’s durability.
• It downplays the importance of sub‑threshold volume. Aerobic capacity is built in the long, controlled rides that don’t feel flashy.
• It doesn't capture late‑race neuromuscular fatigue, dehydration effects, or glycogen preservation strategies.

For more on the foundations of FTP and how to use it properly, see Understanding FTP: The Foundation of Power‑Based Training.

What durability actually means

Durability is the capacity to sustain performance across time and accumulated stress. Practically, it looks like this:

• Holding a high percentage of FTP after 3–6 hours of riding.
• Repeating hard efforts (attacks, climbs, tempo segments) with minimal decay.
• Maintaining neuromuscular sharpness when glycogen is low and the body is tired.

Durability is multidimensional: it’s aerobic economy, muscular endurance, heat and fuel management, and the ability to recover between efforts. Metrics that speak to durability include power‑duration curves, repeatability of submaximal efforts, and markers of fatigue such as HRV trends, RPE drift, and normalized power vs. actual power shifts.

Read more about lactate threshold, functional reserve, and endurance physiology in Understanding Lactate Threshold and Functional Reserve.

How to train for durability (practical, science‑based steps)

1. Build a large, controlled aerobic base (Zone 2)

Train slow to go fast. Consistent Zone 2 volume increases mitochondrial density, improves fat oxidation, and raises sustainable percentages of FTP. These miles look 'easy' but they shift your entire power‑duration curve.

Reference: Zone 2 Endurance Training: How Easy Miles Build Your Aerobic Foundation.

2. Place high‑intensity blocks strategically

Short blocks of Vo2max work, threshold repeats, or race‑specific efforts should be placed when accumulated fatigue allows adaptation — not when you’re already fried. These blocks create neural and metabolic adaptations that raise ceiling power and make hard efforts feel less costly.

3. Practice race simulations

Recreate the patterns you’ll face in competition: e.g., 20–40 minute tempo efforts followed by short explosive surges, repeated over a long ride. Train the combination of heavy legs plus a fast finish.

4. Sweet spot for time‑efficient durability

For riders with limited time, sweet spot work (≈88–94% FTP) offers high stimulus with sustainable fatigue. Properly dosed, it enhances both threshold and endurance without destroying your recovery bank.

See Sweet Spot Training: Maximum Gain for Sustainable Pain.

5. Prioritize recovery and fueling

Durability depends on recovery hygiene: sleep, nutrition during and after rides, hydration, and day‑to‑day load management. Without recovery, durability gains are lost.

See Post‑Workout Nutrition and Cycling Recovery Techniques That Actually Work.

Measuring progress: metrics that matter

If FTP is a snapshot, your dashboard for durability should be a movie — trends not single moments.

• Power‑duration curve: track improvements across multiple durations, not just the 20‑minute marker.
• Repeatability tests: measure how power drops across repeat efforts with short recovery.
• Training load balance (CTL, ATL, TSB): steady chronic load with sensible acute spikes builds robustness. (Yes — the math matters: CTL + ATL = TSB in practical terms.)
• HRV and training readiness: physiological readiness guides when to target intensity vs. when to prioritize recovery.

For a primer on the load math, see Understanding Training Load: How CTL, ATL, and TSB Guide Your Training Progression. For practical daily readiness tools, see Training Readiness: Optimize Your Performance.

A sample durable week (example block)

This is a general, illustrative block. N+One will adapt this in real time to your sleep, HRV, and recent load.

• Monday: Recovery ride or off (easy spin 60–90m, <55% FTP)
• Tuesday: Sweet spot intervals 3×20m @ 88–92% FTP, 10m easy between
• Wednesday: Long aerobic ride 3–4 hours zone 2
• Thursday: Vo2max 6×3m @ 110–120% FTP, full recovery between efforts
• Friday: Active recovery or strength session (45–60m easy + gym)
• Saturday: Race simulation: 4h with repeated 15–30m tempo blocks and 10×30s hard surges
• Sunday: Long endurance ride 4–6h, prioritise nutrition and pacing

Key point: the plan above is a template. The real work is deciding whether Tuesday stays as scheduled or gets moved based on readiness — that’s where adaptive planning wins.

The N+One advantage: adapt in real time

The difference between a good plan and a great one is the ability to re‑calculate when life happens. N+One’s Adaptive Intelligence Layer does the planning math for you: it reads your recent load, sleep, HRV, and ride history, then recommends the right session in the moment.

Why that matters for durability:

• No failed workouts: if life steals a session, the plan re‑optimizes so you preserve training balance.
• Contextualized TSS: stress is interpreted relative to your chronic load and recovery, not as an isolated number.
• Readiness‑driven intensity: power and interval targets adapt to physiological readiness so you get stimulus without unnecessary fatigue.

Explore how the coach works in How N+One AI Cycling Coach Works and learn more about Adaptive Training Plans: Real‑Time Adjustments for Cyclists.

Measuring the return: what to look for over months

Durability gains appear as:

• Higher sustained power in 2–6 hour efforts.
• Smaller percentage drops across repeated hard efforts.
• Improved late‑race positional strength and sprint capacity after long days.
• Fewer training interruptions due to overreach or illness when training is adaptive.

If your FTP edges up modestly but you can ride 20–30 watts higher after 4 hours, you’ve won the contest that matters.

Closing: the right next session

Pros don’t chase ego in the saddle. They design stress with precision, monitor recovery with intelligence, and prioritize repeatability over flash. Durability is not glamorous — it’s quietly decisive.

Listen to Episode #181 of SCYENCE for the full conversation. Then take the same systems approach into your next session with N+One:

1. Check your training readiness.
2. Trust the adaptive recommendation (it’s designed to preserve long‑term progress).
3. Execute the session with intentional pacing and fueling — focus on outcomes, not agony-for-agony’s sake.

The next session is the most important one. Make it count.