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.
High aerobic volume at controlled intensity — most “easy” miles are still impressive power.
Precisely placed high‑intensity blocks, designed to mimic race stress.
Fatigue resistance prioritized over fresh watts — repeatable performance after 4–5 hours matters more than a single peak effort.
Race‑specific simulations: breakaways, stage efforts, and classics‑style intensity are all replicated in training.
Recovery‑informed adjustments: HRV coupling, supercompensation, and contextualized TSS guide daily loads.
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:
For more on the foundations of FTP and how to use it properly, see Understanding FTP: The Foundation of Power‑Based Training.
Durability is the capacity to sustain performance across time and accumulated stress. Practically, it looks like this:
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
If FTP is a snapshot, your dashboard for durability should be a movie — trends not single moments.
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.
This is a general, illustrative block. N+One will adapt this in real time to your sleep, HRV, and recent load.
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 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:
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.
Durability gains appear as:
If your FTP edges up modestly but you can ride 20–30 watts higher after 4 hours, you’ve won the contest that matters.
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:
The next session is the most important one. Make it count.
AI-driven plans that adapt to your daily readiness.
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