It’s being a bit warm on the best coast where I am CA so I’m switching to indoor training rides. My sweet spot trainings this week are currently 2x20 but I cannot stand holding power for excruciatingly long times without a break due to boredom. I prefer shorter intervals punctuated by very short breaks in the intervals (30s) to break up the monotony into tiny mini goals. The thing is, when I choose an alternate similar training with shorter intervals with tiny breaks in-between, the workout levels show different results with the longer intervals usually having more green points shown versus the shorter interval sweet spot trainings. Am I doing a disservice to my training/FTP gains by choosing shorter intervals with short breaks even if they are listed as similar alternates?
What you’re seeing in green is how much your current levels will improve if you pass the workout.
In the first workout, you can see that you’re going to increase your Endurance, Tempo, and Sweet Spot levels, but in the second one, you won’t.
That second workout likely isn’t as productive as the first one because those 20-minute intervals take time to work up to and provide a really good stimulus that you won’t get from the shorter intervals.
Maybe there is a higher-level workout that still has some character that would make it more interesting. Otherwise, feel free to take on whichever one you want, but just know that extending time in zone for workouts at or below FTP is one of the main ways to improve over time.
So in what ways are the similar alternates similar then if the workout level results are not seemingly close at all? Seems like if I look into similar workouts, I need to find a true similar one that yields the same workout levels or look at harder ones that will yield similar results. Is that correct?
It’s hard to speak generally about this because there are a lot of different types of workouts and their alternates can vary, but I think the goal of alternates is to have options for workouts that provide a similar stimulus as the original, but have subtle differences that might fit the specifics that the athlete is looking for.
The two workouts are both Sweet Spot workouts around level 4.5, so they are pretty similar in that regard. One is a higher level than the other, though, and that’s partly due to not having so many pauses during the work.
I think if you want to progress and do something that is as productive or more so than what’s prescribed, I’d look for something with a similar amount of TSS or IF. Levels are okay to look at too, but they don’t always tell the whole picture.
That’s because the rest periods make it easier
Personally I find long SS on the trainer are not boring because they can be quite draining as you get to the end but in can see who you would equally find it boring if you like to do punchy intervals
Personally I do SS or threshold with some cycling tv or series on the screen which help with motivation!
Yeah, those long workouts can drag on, but they are really productive!
I agree that finding distractions or ways to pass the time helps.
@Songbird, you mentioned liking the breaks (even 30 seconds) in the other workouts, and I usually break down long intervals in the same way, even though there aren’t breaks.
For instance, I’m always doing a little math. I acknowledge when in 1/4, 1/3, 1/2, 2/3, and 3/4 of the way through each interval, which really helps. It’s surprising how quickly you move from one to the next when you divide the interval up into so many pieces. 