Time for a quick detour into training zones. I have a power meter on my bike, which is a device which measures how much work I am doing at any given moment. Using a power meter, your training zones are defined in terms of your Functional Threshold Power. FTP, as it’s known, is just the maximum average power you can sustain for approximately 1 hour, measured in watts (W). In my case, right now my FTP is approx. 285W.
Given that, the zones are defined as follows:
| Zone | Name | % FTP |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Active Recovery | 0-55 |
| 2 | Endurance | 56-75 |
| 3 | Tempo | 76-90 |
| 4 | Threshold | 91-105 |
| 5 | VO2Max | 106-120 |
| 6 | Anaerobic | 120+ |