Enjoy the rabbit hole(s)!!
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I disagree, sure top end wonāt be as sharp but it could and in my experience will be pushed up from below. All those extra mitochondria, extra power houses ready when you do push the button. There is enough high end SST work its not just all low and mid zone 2.
Also it only take 4 - 6 weeks to really sharpen that top end.
This is what I have found as well, with the volume being 10 - 14 hours per week and some SST ~ 90 - 94% FTP.
Maybe true for TR ātraditional baseā, I donāt know. I was thinking more of a traditional ātraditional baseā ā aka Z1/2 only.
When I did almost only z1/z2 last month, everything longer than my 5min power improved.
Oh my. This is like saying only waterboarding is real suffering and Chinese water torture is a day at the spa.
This type of discernment is a marker of the difference between pros and amateurs.
Good luck with your training. 
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I comes back fast. Thatās the point.
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The long stuff is not long enough then. Long slow stuff really builds character, you just get into that grim Iāve fatigued all the muscle fibres the body would rather use and usually uses place. It builds a different kind of strength and toughness. I would argue the high intensity stuff is easier to cope with, a few mental tricks get you through, and the real suffering is only brief. Tricking yourself that you are okay for another hour or two when starting to feel drained and empty is really tough no doubt about it.
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Ah that makes sense. I donāt think there are generally many cyclist that enjoy the long stuff (4 plus hours) because they are good at the short explosive stuff, Crits, CX, MTB etc with all those spiky surges.
Iām more a diesel, go out and do back to back 4 - 5 hours rides on the weekend normally that second day last hour can be grim, if I get it just right its just the last 15 minutes home. I love to push these at a IF of 0.68 - 0.72.
Edit: Iām crap at the short stuff so maybe it doesnāt hurt as much as some push themselves, although even at the end of a VO2Max block when I can push more decent watts, I find way to mentally trick myself.
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youād be slow in a group but your efficiency and ability to ride longer and farther would improve. but yeah, any group ride and youād probably be blasted out the back asap. If thats okay with you, just go ride!
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Long slow outdoors - fun!
Long slow indoors - just torture.
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I think you are on the right way! As many people have suggested before me if you have the time to do z2 base there are just benefits. Make the z2 rides really disciplined, no coasting, lock in that power or hr and do long mileage. Your FTP will raise, slow but steady.
You can always build your 2-8min power at anytime from that good ae base. Build up the intensity work gradually and 2-3months later you have a race ready engine.
Good luck! And keep us updated
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Every long ride I do is ALWAYS about half an hour too long irrespective of the duration.
They talk about training without events in mind some about an hour into episode 198: Attacking vs. Tailgunning, Pre-Workout Supplements and More ā Ask a Cycling Coach 198 - TrainerRoad Blog
Just like in other realms of fitness, thereās definitely something to be gained by changing up your training now and then. You can drop specialty if you donāt have any events in mind.
You might consider alternating traditional base with sustained power build, or traditional then SSB then SPB, or some other combination
But like others have said, it doesnāt take a lot to maintain your base once itās established, and you can reap greater overall benefits by alternating between base and build. Youāll be able to maintain the same speed in Z2 at a lower percentage of your FTP, and stay in Z2 at a higher wattage
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At the moment Iām following traditional base low volume, plus weekend rides (plus strength work). I would prefer to be doing some VO2 max sessions, but at the moment I canāt, due to a medical issue which will hopefully be resolved in the not too distant future.
I am one of those people who can only do 2 high intensity sessions a week, or I risk digging myself a hole.
One of the things Iāve noticed just doing Z2 is how easy it is to regulate my stress levels - both mind and body. (and I have some significant life stresses going on at the moment). i think we all need to check in with ourselves from time to time and make sure we have not just become accustomed to high stress levels.
I often think some of my friends are tired but wired, but in that state they are less likely to listen.
A few years ago I trained for a 24 hour mtb race by doing 3 months of only Z2. Once I was scheduled to put in a few efforts I was the fastest Iād ever been. I only stopped once in the race - to get changed as it rained for 10 hours straight and won my age group. It didnāt impair my ability to suffer.
I donāt want to ride for 7 hours at a time in training and I donāt do 24 solo anymore, but my current training is reminding me of the benefits of early nurturing for future gains.
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This is perhaps the single greatest benefit to Z2 training. Training below AeT provides heaps of fitness gains but barely stresses the various systems of your body. Itās also the very first I noticed when I stated low-HR training, I wasnāt āwired & tiredā all the time.
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I know this post was from 5 years ago, but I just found itā¦so what happened after a year of just doing traditional base training
Anything is possible, but I wouldnāt hold your breath on an answer since the OP hasnāt visited here in over a year.
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Last year I focused on way more easy volume with the occasional hard workout, so more polarised than traditional but close to traditional. I think I didnāt do to badly
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Excellent outcome.
What sort of weekly volume were you doing and what would be the longest ride of the week typically be?
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