Like you, I just completed the MV Base and am starting the MV Build today. My first workout is a VO2 4.3 and my current PL is 3.8 at VO2, so not quite the gap that you are starting at. I hadn’t really thought about it but I did look at the interval intensity, duration and volume last week and I feel like I’ll probably crush it. I’ll find out this afternoon. I just figure no matter what I’ll answer the survey and then the AI will take it from there so if nothing else, it’s just the first session and will help get the plan calibrated.
Was perfectly fine - I had no issue with the gap in progression as I know what I’m capable of at those numbers - its more a logistical/house keeping thing in the plans that I think should be addressed
Might I ask - what workout did you do recently that kept your PL at 3.8? Was it part of the plan?
None at all - I ended my last plan/specialty phase the second week of April. My last VO2 Workout left me a level of 9.0 so that’s how far it has dropped since then.
I’m just finishing the polarized mid volume base as well, and I guess my overall impression is: meh. IIRC, they said they changed the plans to be all threshold and slower progressions during base after considering user feedback, which leaves me to wonder if it’s actually more or less effective than before, when base and build were essentially the same. Is this like doing long rides on the weekend v. sweetspot where they started offering sweetspot because no one would do the long rides? I.e., did they make this change for compliance reasons, or is all threshold actually better for a base phase?
On the upcoming vo2 progressions: mine look like they’ll start with 3x4 very low, barely above threshold power (though “breakthrough” for me too, as noted above, because of the lack of vo2 in the past many weeks), then many weeks of 6x2 at progressively higher power. I’m not sure how I feel about this after reading the various vo2 max threads on the forum.
I know you had more points, but on the VO2 is too low one, just do a breakthrough workout instead and it will reset all the future workouts. I don’t expect TR to know I can do a hard VO2 workout when I haven’t done one in weeks.
The swap to all Thresh in the Base phase is something I am not liking from a general view. As a nearly 50+ rider, I see benefits from keeping at least one VO2 max and one Threshold workout in each week. Not sure I am willing to skip that side of training.
I wonder if that change by TR was a mistake (to appease users and compliance) at the detriment to longer term training impact of the plan overall?
I don’t expect me to know if I can do a hard vo2 work out at this point either! I will likely do them as prescribed… but in resistance mode, so if doing more than 104% feels right, I will do more. I’ll then have to reassess the 6x2 workouts after that, assuming they don’t automatically adapt out.
Is there a downside to completing back to back POL build blocks to obtain the one each of VO2 and threshold weekly and let adaptive training take care of the details opposed to the more obvious POL base → POL build?
I am glad to see this. As I see it a vo2 workout in pol plans should be rated very hard. Every week. On the none up date pol plans it took me from mid-January to mid-April to get from vo2 PL 4,6 to 6,5 (and starting to rate very hard) The progress was way too slow.
Update: Just over half way through Polarized build medium volume, riding approx 6 hours a week, and I’ve gone from an FTP of 273 to 284! Which puts me nicely at 4w/kg
I am LOVING the polarized way of training. I have two hard days and two longer endurance days. I actually enjoy the long zone 2 rides on the trainer - I’m using them to work my way through a list of all time classic movies which has been enjoyable in itself!
I can definitely feel the benefits of the training, especially tackling circa 10 minute climbs where I’m either going up faster if, or if I’m taking things easier then I’m climbing at the same pace just at a lower RPE than before. Looking forward to carrying on this form of training for the rest of the year.
A little farther into this round of polarized training (build) and I do not understand the 2 minute vo2 intervals with 5 minute rest periods. The work isn’t that hard. My heart rate / breathing isn’t impacted all that much or for long. And the rest periods at 50% are tediously long. I’ve swapped the remaining ones for longer (4x4) vo2 intervals instead.
Going to wait on AIFTP and try to keep driving my progression levels up. But, fwiw, garmin just dropped my ftp, as did intervals.
I’ve had to increase all of my progression using TR polarized plan and add additional volume. Its just too conservative and wasn’t creating enough training stimulus. If you think it’s not enough it probably isn’t. I would not waste my training time waiting on AIFTP or AT. Just chose harder workouts until you feel its appropriate. It took me a couple “Stretch” workouts to get settled then using alternates to find workouts with a higher ramp rate. See it at a guideline as opposed to the workout you have to do. You know you and your training so pick wisely.
That is one of the things TR needs to look at regarding Pol plans. the progression of the PL on the “hard” workouts is too slow if you get into the plan with low ratings on VO2 and threshold PLs.
I did not follow a plan during CX season and came into my Pol Plan with low VO2 and Threshold PLs. It took 3½ months before I rated Hard and very hard in the survey. TR should push the progression on the hard workouts more aggressively until the rating is hard/very hard.
I don’t think I’ve been doing it long enough to report results but I’m 49 and I like the polarized plan.
I’m regularly getting PRs on segments while not trying to when in the past I was trying a lot harder. I’ve also started riding to the Saturday group ride (additional 20 miles total) and will probably be moving up to the faster group this week because I find myself holding back a bit even when on the front in the no drop group.
