Some really fantastic responses in here. Really valuable hearing everyone’s stories and how they got to a point where they felt comfortable either seeking out an in person coach, or, alternatively, improving their knowledge and going solo. I am really enjoying this thread and seeing other view points and training progressions.
So, as an example to people reading this thread (and because I like to share learning), I thought I would share an example of a session that I now program into my threshold block after being able to have the opportunity as an assistant doing some testing. For fear of writing a thesis here, I will try and keep it brief!
The study is, in a round about way, challenging the way that we train threshold with the traditional over/under models. The lead researchers believe that there has to be a better way to train lactate clearance and buffering etc. that is more in line with race specific efforts. I won’t be doing the study justice by providing such a short synopsis here, but basically we tested the physiological response of different riders using a more race specific “attack and hold” over/under block against a more traditional 2min above and 1min below model - lactate levels were the main marker. The “attack and hold” (it won’t be called that in the paper, I have just affectionately named it that) block has a whole lit review on it and was based upon a generalization of a “typical” (if you can call it that) small attack in a road race.
I can’t write about the results because I am not the lead author and it is still being written up, but I can write about some trends … I will do that below the outline of the actual session that I now include in my own block. Keep in mind that in the actual study, the participants did a 90min Z2 ride prior to the threshold attack/hold blocks. Also, in my adaptation, I only have 1 x 1min surge whereas in the actual study the participants did 2-3. I have just adapted the attack/hold block to a single session that I can do in the mornings before the day starts. A 90min session is a lot more manageable than a 3hr session!
Anyway, the actual threshold block (my adaptation) is essentially 3min @ 95%FTP, 1min @ 105% FTP, 3min @ 95% FTP and then a 7min block at 85% FTP. Works out to be a 14min threshold block in total that closely simulates the short attacks late in a ride that occur. Once again, it has been adapted to suit my lifestyle but it is an example of how I have incorporated my own learning into my own training program. My session is 90 minutes, 105 TSS and 0.84 IF.
So the trends, well, I can say that the body does get used to specific methods of training pretty quickly. For those highly training athletes that have done traditional over/unders for years, they become pretty darn good at getting through those 2min on and 1 min off. Throw them into some different threshold blocks and you have a different story. It is almost as if the body says, what do you mean I have to push for another minute at this wattage?! Hello H+ molecules. So in this sense, any training modification that shocks the system and is new (but safe and smart!) is always going to produce physiological stress.
Another trend is that as the intervals go on, generally in the 3rd one, the last 7min interval of the block becomes quite challenging on the RPE scale. It is, essentially, sweet spot but feels like upper threshold/VO2 (depending on the rider). Unfortunately due to Covid, we haven’t had the chance to re-test but it could possibly be that that 7 minute block enhances repeatability and hydrogen buffering in later sessions.
Anyway, thought it was good to share as an example of how sometimes you learn things along the way and think to yourself, “OK I will try that” when you start self-coaching. I do the session in my own blocks now and I really enjoy it as I know it resembles somewhat of an actual attack out there on the road rather than a more traditional approach.
(put that into an interval) on my calendar.