Decreasing performance during Build

Training
1

Hi there. Long time user of the platform. I have been decreasing riding volume over the years, but trying to keep on track with the indoor training. In the earlier years, I would come out of Sweet Spot Base super strong and then be too tired to Build from there. Now I am trying to use full AI for training and FTP prediction.

I have suspected for a while now that FTP prediction is not my actual hour power, though it could maybe be close depending on where I am in progression levels. For example, once I get to 5.5-6.0 threshold workouts, I think I may be getting close to the predicted FTP being hour power.

This season, I decided to not immediately accept FTP bumps and instead work on increasing progression level, and then maybe start accepting (or making smaller bumps) as I got to mid 5’s-6 progression level range. My focus is typically sustained power, so I think this makes sense.

I was jamming along doing SS and Threshold workouts each week and making increases in progression level. Then the predicted FTP functionality came along and I accepted to be a part of that. One condition is that you can no longer self-set your FTP or deny changes. This came right as I was about to begin Build from my base phase (I believe I selected gravel focused plan to improve fitness). It immediately bumped my FTP 3-4% and decreased my progression level, which I understand is normal. But throughout the 3 weeks of Build, I was unable to finish the first week Threshold workout, so it bumped my progression level down, then I did even worse on the second week Threshold workout, so it bumped down again, then I did even worse today. It’s not just motivation based, as I can see my HR is higher during the first interval (and the subsequent intervals) each week, though the target power and interval structure has been the same. Alas, I am losing fitness again in Build.

I guess I am wondering whether there is a less aggressive FTP increase approach available for training, where we can primarily focus on progression level increase first (especially for a sustained power focus)? And I am wondering if anyone else always seems to not be able to Build in the Build phase…I feel like Base always helps me more than any other phase, and then I lose steam…every single season.

Thanks!!

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Back at it again. After Build phase 1 blunder described in my previous post, AI FTP downgraded my FTP only 0.8%. In the last week of Build, I failed a 2.7 Threshold workout worse than I failed the 4.1 in Week 1.

Fresh off of recovery week now. Traditional VO2 max workout (level 5.6) went fine on Monday. Added some extra days between VO2 max and Threshold (specifically easy 30min endurance on Tuesday and 1 hour endurance on Wednesday and day off Thursday) to hopefully increase success rate for my Threshold workout. Though I got moved down 0.8% in FTP after failing a 2.7 workout, AI gave me a 3.0 Threshold workout today. Not sure why…this seems to negate the FTP decrease. Anyway, I failed today’s threshold workout worse than I did the one in Week 3 of the last build. So, my decreased fitness is just continuing into Build 2. I will be back to where I started in November pretty soon if I am not already there. AI is giving me a 4.5 Threshold workout next week…not sure why it thinks I can do that?

I tried to manually adjust my FTP down another 2.5% (where I was before I started Build 1), but when I do that it gives me a 5.0 Threshold workout for next week.

Something is not right here, and I am increasingly frustrated by my inability to build fitness during Build. I feel like I should just stay in Base phase forever, and just increase my FTP as I increase in progression level.

Any thoughts? My profile is public if you want to take a peek.

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