I went to Boston to find out exactly how far I was from racing shape.
The answer was encouraging and annoying.
I had won my age group at duathlon nationals in 2021. I kept riding and running after that, usually six to twelve hours a week, but the training became mostly unstructured. Eighteen months of work travel and turning 40 did not help. I had gained weight and stopped feeling like the athlete who won that race.
Then I rode across the country, which proved the engine still worked. It did not prove I was ready to race fast again.
Human Powered Health put me through a full day of testing. The respiratory mask in the photo was part of it. The reports that came back later gave me heart-rate zones, power zones, movement scores, and a very direct list of things to work on.
The good part was good. My VO2 max was superior for my age. My measured max heart rate was 170 and my FTP was 275 watts. I was not starting from zero.
The rest was less flattering. I arrived dehydrated, possibly from the holiday travel. My resting metabolic rate was 1,587 calories and I was burning more carbohydrates than fat at rest. The recommendation was more real Zone 2 work, with easy sessions actually kept easy. For me that meant 129 to 139 beats per minute on heart rate, or roughly 154 to 206 watts on the bike.
The movement report gave me an overall score of 72. My right ankle dorsiflexion measured 39 degrees. My left was 24. The overhead squat scored 46, below the expected range, with a seven-degree difference in knee flexion. The force-plate work found more asymmetry and a need for strength and explosiveness.
None of that required a magical training plan. I needed easy volume, strength work, mobility, better nutrition, and enough consistency for the numbers to change.
I wrote back that I was excited to give it a good three-month push, get back into racing shape, and then test again in June or July. The larger target was the Powerman long-distance duathlon world championship in Switzerland. If the first block went well, I could use the retest to make final changes before the last twelve-week build.
That is the useful thing about a lab day. “Get fit again” is vague. A 24-degree left ankle, a 275-watt FTP, and a Zone 2 ceiling of 139 are not.
Three months. Then test it again.