Point taken. I was looking at “Threshold” under workout name. Whatever it is I sure found these 108% workouts to be effing hard.
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Indeed. They are quite challenging. The duration and intensity are high enough to really tax a person. It is well apparent for me as I popped at the end of the 3rd interval. Then I added some strategic back pedals and intensity adjustment just to finish. It was a killer, especially for a morning workout that I struggle with in many cases.
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The 108% intervals are the hardest for me as well. I tolerate/handle the 120’s and the sweet spot intervals well based on my FTP but the longish supra threshold intervals are pretty much certain failure for me whether it’s the 3rd interval or the last it’s happening.
I used to get frustrated (failing) but now I know that’s it’s just making me a stronger and faster rider. My 2-10 minute power just keeps increasing over time, even though I crash and burn on those 108’s all the time.
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seaching on web interface using search term “108%” and toggling “Zones = VO2max” gives a grand total of 0 workouts. Clearing Zones and using search term “108%” gives 73 workouts (nearly all categorized as Threshold). Scanning thru the 73, nearly all are 5+ minute intervals. These are clearly classic vo2max intervals as defined in “Training and Racing with a Power Meter.”
aha moment - that is why a recent search for “Zones = VO2max” and search term “x6-minute” returned so few workouts (Denali and Monroe, and those were 110+% ftp).
Support ticket filed.
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Yup, I identified the issue back in October 2018 during my POL experiment. I was using that same type of search and not finding what I wanted. Then Nate shared some ideas for specific workouts that I wanted, and we both saw they were all tagged as “Threshold”. I don’t remember what we said about fixing the issue, but nothing seems to have happened since then.
I’m glad you submitted a ticket to get it fixed long term, because that is how it should work. 
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Good to see others having problems with these workouts. I thought it was just because I was old. Since these workouts started at the beginning of the Sustained Build Mid plan, I tried to find something similar in Base II that would prepare us for them. The closest I could find were over-unders like Leconte, so I started calling them over-overs.
Dredging this up again. Search engine works! I’m glad we have this forum to help understand challenging (humbling) workouts like these (6-8 minute 108% FTP). I can fully finish ALL the workouts in Sustained Power Build-Mid except these! (I’m 62, long-time racer.) But I love TR because I can just go back to the workout library and find easier modified versions, substitute them into the schedule, and get to work progressing back to the magic 8 min@108%. I just encountered these (e.g., Elephants, Raymond, Red Lake) as this is my first SPB-Mid and they do require everything to be just right. Mentally they remind me of Ramp Tests–you can feel the blow-up coming. By the time you feel it, your legs are fairly well-cooked. I’m going to keep trying different methods. Because I’m stubborn, I go at 108% as long as possible, then limp home with a backpedal or two in there (try for only one per interval but maybe two in rest intervals) and dialing down the watts. My next strategy is to extend the program after the rest week and just do these bad boys. I’ll dial it back to, say, 97% for the first couple, then see if I can hold that for 6 minute intervals, then work up to 7 at that intensity, etc–just looking for that right level and then do time extension. They are really hard but challenging from a program point of view. I do get close to max HR and hard breathing from them, which suggests (as noted here) that they’re VO2 class workouts, but then again, who cares. It’s just another intensity and duration to work on that you will need in races. I can do the 120% VO2 intervals fairly well but these ones, well, they’re tough!
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Same experience. The only time I was able to come close was outside doing hill repeats.
That’s very interesting. Hills might do the trick. It’s a very tricky wattage. Doesn’t seem that hard at first but the time really adds up and the accumulation hammers you. Sort of like racing at altitude–if you go over the limit recovery is pretty unlikely. I can grunt through, say, four out of six at six minutes, and I did finish Red Lake +8 at 100% so I’m not a complete bust but you have to get everything right. Tough intervals.
Just stumbled upon this as I am in the same boat as all of those commenting that intervals 3&4 are just too much - I get 3/4 of the way through but just go straight into recovery rather than backpedal as I litterally blow up!!
Interesting, as soon as you reduce the intensity, in theory, this reduces power to the Threshold range but based on the level of fatigue I would suggest the benefits would still meet the workout goals.
Have Raymond+7 this weekend and am thinking of reducing intervals 3 & 4 from the off as if I try and hang on I’ll do the Ramp test equivillent and be cooked for Interval 4.