What % are you shooting for when you’re thinking about Zone 2 rides? If I’m indoors and just mindlessly watching something, I usually shoot for 60-64% FTP. Outdoors if I’m feeling fresh and the weather is nice, it’s usually a higher %. But it’s a sliding scale. Maybe in my 4th week of a training block my Tuesday interval session feels harder than normal. I’ll ride 60% Z2 on Wednesday to help prepare for Thursday’s intervals.
Friday would be a recovery ride… and if I’m still feeling a little beat, I’d do low Z2 again on Saturday. But then Sunday I’d ramp it back up. Still Z2, just a higher %.
I guess to me it sounds like there’s some excitement / freshness missing from your rides. I’m usually really excited for my Z2 days because they’re way easier than my interval days. If you feel like something isn’t working, why not try to change it up a little? “Fitness” can be such a personal journey, it can take a while to learn what really works for you.