Incorporating group rides into plan builder

Hi,
I’m interested in the plan builder functionality to build up a solid training plan but am not sure if/how regular group rides can be incorporated. As I understand it to build the plan you enter in the hours you’re available to train and the intensity and a plan will be built from those inputs. The problem I have is that I participate in group rides most weeks and I’m not sure how they could be factored into any plan. For example if I simply reduce the number of available hours in trainer road I can’t see how it can factor in the training stress of the group rides which would risk under / over training. Ideally there would be an option to enter planned rides that could be factored in but I’m not sure if that’s possible. Has anyone else figured out a way for managing this ?

Before applying your Plan Builder, enter your group rides as C events. I think you can even use the recurring option if needed.

Once you have those all entered, then run PB and it will work around those events.

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Awesome thanks. Will give it a go

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This didn’t seem to work for me. PB just scheduled workouts on those days next to the C events.

I can’t see how to set a reoccurring C event in the mobile app.

Email support@trainerroad.com for review. My understanding is that it should skip/remove a workout on a day that has even a C level event on the calendar.

Side question, did you see those C events listed at the “Include Events” stage of the Plan Builder process?

I am the wrong person to ask the deeper level of question. I do all my calendar work on PC and TR web access. Not sure what is or is not possible on the app.

I’m always cautious on what i want from groups rides before committing. If it’s social then anything goes, but if you want 4 hours endurance for example, then your gonna struggle to get that sat in a group, unless it’s a lot longer than a 4 hour ride.

I heard on a podcast that if want to spend quality time in Zone 2 then you pretty much need to be doing it by yourself or with one other for company.

Actually no it did not. I checked the calendar and they were in there successfully repeating but PB did not pick them up during the process when it came to Include Events. Will check with support. This would be a great solution if it looked at the TSS and intensity and scheduled workouts based on those being in the calendar. The amount of threads about incorporating group rides into training in the forum is huge. It is the sole reason I took some time out and looked at different training programs that allowed this flexibility on the weekend.

Yeah, that is a sign of a problem. Unless you see them during that step, PB does not schedule around them. So that is at least the symptom, but I don’t know why they weren’t seen at that stage.

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I agree, the less people the easier it is to get time in zone for aerobic endurance rides. My 3-4.5hr aerobic endurance rides are 13-15% z1. Goal is to get it down to 10%. I recently did my first group ride (‘the A ride’) in a couple of years and was at ~46% z1 in a 3hr ride. YMMV depending on the group, terrain, pace, etc.