What should I say? I did not finish Fletcher 2 weeks agoā¦
Jeez! It was just Fletcher workoutā¦
We all strive for failures because it means you have room for improvement. Just learn from your mistakes 
I am sorry for you but at the same time, it calms me a bit down alsoā¦I am really not a quitter, I would call myself an opposite, I always prefer to rip my heart apart in trying before a total blow-up And today, I am really scratching my headā¦
So, I am 39y old, 75kg and apparently a plateau of FTP since a few years around 245W, which is not surprising, as I never really got to the structured training. This year, I am super motivated to train really at my best to become a better rider, butā¦
When I did some trainings last winters on Trainerroad (I rode as much outdoors as I could even in a cruel winter), it was on my rollers and I did the base phase. Sweet spots have been hard, but even enjoyable in some masochistic way, it always gave me confidence, as I was nailing those workouts.
But I canĀ“t do the rollers anymore (noise), so I got a Kickr Coreā¦at first it felt strangely harder than the rollers for me, but I managed to get the same FTP number on the Ramp test as before in spite of difficult period in my life, so I was happy. But honestly I still find that simple pedalling at around 100W is still a work (outside I barely feel anything, on the rollers the same), 150W is starting to be a job and 200W is hardly sustainable for a longer period of time. When outside, riding a hill as low as 200W is almost impossible for me, 34x28 isnĀ“t easy enough and I just go higherā¦What is strange, is that the power meter is all the time the same, Zwatt Zpider - and it should control the Kickr and give me the same result
To be even more complicated, my heart rate seems more or less relevant to the watts shown on the screenā¦
BUTā¦ yesterady I was doing Antelope, workout that I did many times before without any problem andā¦1st 10min interval was okey, I did it in the ābreakawayā position. 2nd started to be harder, but ok in the drops. But the 3rd one with a bit of watts + started to be extremely hard, I gave up any aero positioning, had to grind more and more and I just couldnĀ“t hold my prefered cadence at around 100rpm, the resistance was simply too much, slowing my legs to somewhere near 80rpm and my legs started to work soo hard for every revolution, like if there were some hand pulling them backā¦ 4th interval and I understood after one minute it was over.
I felt so down, all my plans seems to crash now and rather than becoming better, I have a fear something is so wrong with my physique that I am simply worse than everā¦
Yes, I have a hard period in work life, really stresfull. Yes, my nights are a joke as we got a puppy (oh godā¦) just when kids are becoming a bit independent. But not being able to finish a sweet spot? I just canĀ“t believe it to be so badā¦
Last thougt - on Saturday, I went on a class of hot yoga after a few tentatives some years ago and yes, it was intense, hard and I have some strange sorenesses in my body (shoulders, backā¦) and I did wrong - I was pushing a bit too much, even the teacher told me in the middleā¦and yes, in the evening I did Baxter, my night was again very very short and Sunday wasnĀ“t a resting day at all and maybe Antelope in that Sunday wasnĀ“t the best of ideas, but againā¦I just canĀ“t believe to be so exhausted by those few thing to not be able to push a sweet spot workout. ItĀ“s not meā¦
Do you please have some ideas? Some similar experiences? I am really anxious nowā¦
Thanks folks
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Recognize that sweet spot workouts are NOT easy. It will help tremendously to be rested, fueled, have a proper mindset, etc. TR recently posted a blog about it:
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Thank you brothers in arm 
Actualy I have in my memory sweet spots as relatively easy, but maybe this is just the forgiving nature of human brainĀ“s memory 
Besides, I went to a second lesson of hot yoga and I spoke about my problem with the teacher, who is also an experienced PT and and ex-commando guy, so he has a huge background in mainly, but also cardio training. He told me that he went through a similar process, when he still trained for his profession and started to do hot yoga at the same time, his fitness and general strenght nose dived. So he advised me to be patient, give my body a time to adjust to this activity that should give me immense overall benefits and return to my training slowly and also advised me to drink a lot - in his point of view, hot yoga needs around 3-4 litres of fluids per day, if not it takes a huge tall on the energy levels of the body
So actualy I think I will try to do hot yoga in an intense manner for a 2-3 weeks combined with strenght training, postpone my TR training plan, do just some easy rides (like Baxter) and get back to my plan just afterā¦sounds like a safer wayā¦
So glad to see this thread. I couldnāt finish Washington +4 last night. I made it through the first three 7min intervals at 105% but started to crack on on fourth and couldnāt even come close on the fifth. It was like the end of a ramp test. Legs just wouldnāt turn. Iām hoping it was improper fueling.
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Yesterday I failed Dade +1 - Man, that stings. Iāll try again tomorrow if I have no group ride on Saturday. I know Iām not particularly good at VO2 max, so I want to insist on that one. I did last year with a similar FTP, I know I can do it.
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I think eating will change your whole outlook. One thing you can do is eat before bed - a banana, a small bowl of oatmeal or rice. Anything to top up glycogen stores.
Liver glycogen gets depleted over night. You can drink some OJ first thing to top up.
Eat a really small meal that you can ride on - 1/2 cup of oatmeal, juice, whatever. Eat a banana at the start of the ride or a gel or liquid calories during the ride.
Thereās a million ways to solve this.
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Mt Hale is the only workout Iāve āfailedā to complete twice in 3 months of using (3 indoor rides a week) TrainerRoad.
Every other one, Iāve managed, just this one gets me. The only good thing is the 2nd time of trying I got through the 3rd interval and halfway into the 4th which is an improvement on the first attempt. Iām sure itās profile is somewhat skewed with the rest of my workouts (sustained build phase). The rest period of 3mins is not enough for me after halfway.
Perhaps something for the coaches to look at again or put me on the Adaptive PILOT !
Happy Training.