# A thank you trainer road, failure turned success story **URL:** \ **Category:** Results\ **Created:** [March 29, 2021, 10:28am UTC](https://www.trainerroad.com/forum/t/a-thank-you-trainer-road-failure-turned-success-story/56440 "2021-03-29T10:28:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Walshie](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/trainerroad/forum/user_avatar/www.trainerroad.com/walshie/32/57558_2.png) [@Walshie](https://www.trainerroad.com/forum/u/Walshie)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2021, 10:28am UTC](https://www.trainerroad.com/forum/t/a-thank-you-trainer-road-failure-turned-success-story/56440/1 "2021-03-29T10:28:26Z")
Hi all, I started on trainer road in November using plan builder with a road race climbing specialty and kept pretty faithfully to the plan through Nov and Dec, missed a few sessions here and there and supplemented with ski touring as seasonally appropriate. I became disillusioned with TR right at the end of my build phase after failing a few workouts and also having to lower the intensity on workouts that had me doing 105% FTP for 8+ minutes (those are soul destroying, dont know why they exist). I ignored my calendar beeping at me last week and didn’t work out at all (so I missed the last two scheduled workouts of the plan, they were fairly low intensity ones, but I literally was done) HOWEVER. Went for a Saturday spin with a buddy this past weekend and absolutely smashed all the climbs. Took 35 seconds off my previous PR up a segment I’ve done loads of times (think its roughly 800m at 7%, a nice tester). Rolled up a 2km climb that had sections of 19% gradient that previously I’d have had to walk up, and it felt not exactly easy, but definitely like i had more in the tank. I am genuinely stunned, surprised and really really happy with the result. So this post is a thank you to the trainer road folks, you did what you said you’d do and helped me be faster. My FTP hasn’t moved a lot, I’m not heading for the pro peloton anytime soon, but I’m so happy with the real world outcome for my cycling. Woop! ---
**Author:** ![PhilippePhlop](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/trainerroad/forum/user_avatar/www.trainerroad.com/philippephlop/32/25540_2.png) [@PhilippePhlop](https://www.trainerroad.com/forum/u/PhilippePhlop)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2021, 2:48pm UTC](https://www.trainerroad.com/forum/t/a-thank-you-trainer-road-failure-turned-success-story/56440/2 "2021-03-29T14:48:05Z")
> and it felt not exactly easy, but definitely like i had more in the tank It doesn’t get easier, you just get faster 😛 Good job on the improvement! ---
**Author:** ![Craig\_G](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/trainerroad/forum/user_avatar/www.trainerroad.com/craig_g/32/14217_2.png) [@Craig\_G](https://www.trainerroad.com/forum/u/Craig_G)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2021, 3:03pm UTC](https://www.trainerroad.com/forum/t/a-thank-you-trainer-road-failure-turned-success-story/56440/3 "2021-03-29T15:03:24Z")
> [@Walshie](#): > > and also having to lower the intensity on workouts that had me doing 105% FTP for 8+ minutes (those are soul destroying, dont know why they exist) If you were doing Sustained Power Build, they kinda pop up out of no where without much preparation. I also found them difficult and challenging but I think the biggest benefits I noticed from doing these was the increased mental toughness and ‘RPE recalibration’. Threshold intervals suddenly didn’t feel so bad. 😅 ---
**Author:** ![Walshie](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/trainerroad/forum/user_avatar/www.trainerroad.com/walshie/32/57558_2.png) [@Walshie](https://www.trainerroad.com/forum/u/Walshie)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2021, 3:26pm UTC](https://www.trainerroad.com/forum/t/a-thank-you-trainer-road-failure-turned-success-story/56440/4 "2021-03-29T15:26:09Z")
> [@Craig\_G](#): > > Threshold intervals suddenly didn’t feel so bad. 😅 I get that, VO2 max intervals are a lot easier now than before, the progression from 1 min to 2 mins 30 of them doesn’t feel as bad as it could! Still the 8-10 min one just over FTP i just really struggle to do, its a head wrecker.