Also just caught that other thread about ‘plateauing during build’. Very interesting insights. Will have to review the past few weeks over the weekend and give it some more thought as well.
I have two high velocity fans (though not as good as kick headwind). Any time the internal house temp is above 22C I have the heat troubles. Definitely look at getting a fan or two, and make sure if using two fans, you are creating a dead zone from the wind.
Just did Stromlo +3 last night; that was certainly a new ring of hell I discovered. Got through it, but I was in a dark place stomping away at 85 RPM by the end of it.
Glad to find I’m not the only who struggled here on Sustained Power!. Been laid up for the past 10 days with a chest infection, so hopefully can continue next Thursday. In the meantime I’ve been Baxter’ing away.
you might just be smoked; that’s a lot of intensity over a short period.
Do you upload these files to TrainingPeaks? I could give you a much better analysis and overview if we linked up that way. No cost, just helping if I can.
Bludgeoned myself with Washington +3 and downgraded after the second interval to Washington +2 for added recovery between intervals. Completed intervals 1, 2, and 5 at 100%, 3 and 4 at 97% (about 102% FTP). Had several backpedals, but finally finished an entire suprathreshold workout. 35 minutes at 102-105%. Toasted. Next week I’ll try again and see if I can get through something without backpedals/dialing back.
Feeling better, but man, the second half of Sustained Power Build is a slog. One more week, then recovery, then I’ll take my shiny new FTP back to SSB1 and work lower intensity stuff at an FTP that’s about 15% higher than before… hoping for this level of FTP to be more comfortable as I work back through base in preps for a late season build → specialty.
@PeterDee Hola, just so you know, as with many others on here, I’m in a similar situation. Peaked at 312 FTP (off the Ramp Test) last year, and then have been getting crushed this year, with the exact same workouts you mentioned. Just completed a Ramp Test today, and recommended FTP has been dropped to 286 (from 305). I definitely expect gains/losses in Ramp Test and FTP strength, but the frustration you’re experiencing is certainly very real for me.
I’ve had to bail on WAY too many workouts in the past month, and have actually dropped back into the Triathlon Half-Distance Base plan, to get everything back in order before my big races this summer.
In the overall view of my training cycle, there has been a lot going on personally and professionally that has impacted fitness, rest, nutrition, etc. and so for me, the drop in FTP is a good chance to regroup and recover, and prepare for a much better test in a few weeks. I also find that the expectations that a product like TrainerRoad creates around fitness/FTP aren’t necessarily spot on. There will be ebb and flow, some crazy hard workouts that you crush and some days where Pettit just sticks it to you - it all feels to be part of the process 
Over winter I normally only bike 1-2 times a week and focus instead of weight lifting. I did not do that this go round, and wonder if that has something to do with it…
Stick with it!
@mrlavalamp Glad I’m not alone! Guess we can’t expect our power to just keep going up; you make a good point about ebb and flow. Your mindset to accept the drop, regroup and recover is probably a lot better than slogging through workouts that may lead to failure (and extended demotivation…i.e. me, now 
)
Since that mid-build blow up a few weeks ago, I’ve taken a few days off, a few easy trainer rides, and a few outdoor rides for a bit of fun. Starting to feel better and the motivation (or willingness to suffer indoors) is coming back. With that said, not sure how I’d perform if I stick to schedule and go into specialty after next week (especially with some traveling for work being added to the mix). Could take a drop in FTP and see if that makes it manageable, or, I might just jump back to SSB as @kurt.braeckel is doing and dial down the intensity. Kinda sucks though, since my A-race is about 9 weeks away.
maybe move up the rest week? then come back if you need to 105% for something specific, or slot in some sweet spot?
I’m really only doing this because we just had a kid 8 weeks ago and I don’t have any events coming up. It just kind of fits for me this year, though I’m hoping to do a crit or two and some fondos later in the year. Ultimately if I can maintain fitness in spite of work and newborn this year, I’m golden. So, going back to base makes sense for my specific case.
I’m willing to power through the last week of Build knowing a reduction in intensity is coming. If I were transitioning to a specialty plan after this, I’d probably back off right now, rest up and move forward. But for now I can withstand the bludgeoning knowing that eventually it’ll make me stronger. That’s why I’ve been focusing on simply building my overall time spent above threshold in these workouts, without worrying strictly about compliance with rest intervals, backpedals, whatever. I figure if I can noodle through 35 min above threshold over a 75 min workout, that’ll pay off in my next training mesocycle.
While the “failed” workouts are frustrating, my overall motivation isn’t lacking… yet…
to be honest, if I was just working towards fitness and some crits or a fondo later in the year, just do a little bit of everything now; keep it fresh and interesting, do different things, keep the stimuli fresh, build each system; no need to just hammer a TR plan that you feel like you’re bludgeoning yourself
My goal right now is to build FTP. I think Sustained Power suits my longer term goals best, but I’ll do a general build later. That said, my current training plan is pretty customized because “life”. These longer suprathreahokd intervals are a new stimulus for me, so I think it’ll pay off.
My guess would be your aerobic base is lacking and keeping you from being able to repeat efforts, BUT, without a thorough analysis, it’s tough to tell. Are you doing any long Z2 rides?
Definitely not right now.
I just came off a season where I raced 70.3s at a pretty high level. A couple of weeks off with a couple of 50 milers in the mountains, then completed MV SSB1/2 before reducing to LV Build after my daughter was born.
I’m not really questioning why these are hard for me. As mentioned, suprathreshold intervals are not something I’ve trained in the past, so I expected them to be difficult, particularly with irregular sleep and my return to work after my daughter was born. I’m comfortable with where I am going forward given my current training limitations.
good luck and keep us posted how things shake out!
After completing this week, with every workout being a bloodbath and setting PRs during two workouts, I’ve shifted next week to be a recovery week, and then will start SSB1MV again with a ramp test. My thought is a baby analogy that I used in another thread: babies have to gain weight and fat before they can really grow. Starting TR after my race season, I’ve progressed FTP from 232 → 247 → 263 → 270 from SSB1/2MV and Sustained Power Build. That’s a 16+% increase in FTP over the course of 20 weeks coming from decent fitness already, with a newborn thrown in there.
Given that I’m cracking new PRs every time I load up Mt Goode or Mt Hale, and I’m able to maintain target power just fine in early intervals before breaking late and simply not being able to hold power, I think my tested FTP growth has outpaced my actual functional MLSS growth. I think the baby got really tall really fast, but is kind of skinny and needs to be fed.
So… I figure if I can execute SSB at an FTP around 270, that will grow the baby fat as I’ll adjust to working at the higher sweet spot and over/under power levels consistently, rather than dosing myself like crazy during an intense build that maybe I’m not ready for. In other words, I’m going to feed the hell out of the baby, and then see if she’ll grow.
If I had events coming up, I’d dial back FTP to something more manageable and press on. I had no problems with the first half of Sustained Power Build at 263W, so I think somewhere between 255 and 265 is probably about right for MLSS. It’s just odd that a 1-2% increase has decimated me in workouts so much during the second half. Hence, the “skinny baby” that’s screaming because she’s hungry.
Following up here…
I followed through with my plan, but also reduced my FTP a bit to grow the baby “fat”. I modified SSB and executed work weeks over the course of 8 weeks between 260 and 265. Rolled into General Build MV, executed MV1 at 268 with one workout “failed” then MV2 at 270 with one workout “failed”.
Now completed my race season, with maybe one century still on the docket, I have gone into Century MV in order to work the sustained power weakness at my higher FTP with plenty of training at that level under my belt. Training at 272W now, I’ve managed to complete all workouts 2.5 weeks into Century MV, including Washington +2 (5x7min @ 105% on 6min rest) and Stevens +3 (5x6min @105% on 5min rest), without issue, after Washington +4 and Washington +2 just crushed me back in April.
So, combined effects of better sleep and several months spent consolidating the FTP gain through modified base and General Build resulted in improved high-end fitness for racing, but also excellent threshold and threshold-plus results as well.
TL;DR - don’t be afraid to go “backwards” in training for long term gains. Now comfortably training at an FTP more than 17% higher than the start of the season (similar weight).
Its good to fail. Would u ever work this hard on open road. Why do cyclists feel embarrassed not completing a session. Its what weight trainers do all the time. And then in a few weeks what was hard becomes easy. Your training so hard… Your body will have to adapt and improve. Give it a few weeks. You will see gains
I agree with Andy right here, don’t be afraid of failure. If you don’t fail workouts you’ll never have growth. And I’ll echo that Suprathreashold workouts aren’t supposed to be easy.
I noticed a few people said something about diet earlier in the thread but no one really got into it.
I was struggling with workouts in my build phase in the spring. I wasn’t paying enough attention to my diet. I thought I was taking in enough carbs, but I was eating a diet too high in fat and my carb level was OK, for a normal person. But if you’re going to put in big work on the bike, you need to have the right fuel in the tank. I noticed that I was able to dig a little deeper with some more appropriate fueling strategies.
I agree in principle, for sure. I don’t get bent about a backpedal or even cutting a final interval short if I’m not feeling it. That said, if it’s something that’s happening consistently - you’re dialing workouts down by 5 or 10% a couple times a week, or just can’t get through two intervals without backpedaling, odds are your FTP is set too high for that level of training, and you’d benefit from backing it down and consolidating your improvement.
IMO, if you’re not close to the edge of failure on the harder days (threshold, suprathreshold, VO2max…), you’re doing it wrong. Inevitably, some of those days, you’ll “fail”.