This has been my experience too, but I’m only 2 weeks in
sings They call me mellow interval…
I really like that it integrates with TrainingPeaks so I can do my workout on any training app/outdoors. I hate how TR sets up their outdoor workouts for garmin.
Yes thats what I did. I did an easy hour inside then did a 3 hr one outside with some stuff during it. I got a 7/10 I assume mainly because I only associated a 3hr ride to it, even though it will take the inside ride into account re. progression.
On another note, I’m currently syncing my rides through Garmin. If I wanted to change it to Strava would it only sync future rides.?
Yes, it only syncs future stuff - and you can have both Garmin and Strava connected.
What are your thoughts on JOIN compared to TrainerRoad’s TrainNow? I have not used TN extensively but am several weeks into the JOIN LSRF plan.
JOIN definitely structures workouts and progressions in line towards the plan / goal, whereas TN does not. For example, JOIN wanted me to do longer tempo intervals tomorrow but I don’t have good roads for that so I manually selected a workout with some shorter VO2 intervals. In contrast, TN would give options for endurance, threshold, and VO2 and a recommendation, but I could more easily choose what to do.
Any other thoughts / comparisons? I’m trying JOIN for the rest of the year, then going into off season, but want to commit to either TR or JOIN in January. Thanks!
Have you tried the shuffle workout button?
I mentioned somewhere above about it.
Also I changed a workout one day and it adapted upcoming workouts for me based on what I picked. I’ve also only been using Join for a few weeks so my experience with it probably isn’t the best for suggestions. I do think they might help?
Did your next couple of days adapt after changing the workout? Maybe it’s waiting til after you complete the workout you chose?
I think he meant more how with TR you can say “I want a threshold/climbing/Z2/… workout” but with Join, it looks to me like you either have to click “random shuffle” or plan your own workout. I’m only commenting because that something I’ve been wondering about, but haven’t had to do yet.
@ChefAcB , @Pbase , @Dougal.Doughnut thanka for the replies. Yes, I’ve used the Shuffle feature to find alternative workouts. It works similarly to TR’s Workout Alternates. I have also scheduled a workout from the JOIN library. I’m just wondering what others think about JOIN specifically compared to TR’s TrainNow feature. Thanks!
Oh wow! Thanks. I’ve never pushed that button because I’ve been afraid I’d lose the original workout and not be able to go back. I was wrong. Thanks for the correction!
(Sorry to derail @rkoswald )
@Pbase Ooh you’ve been missing out then! 
My trial ended today. I’m sticking around. Let’s see how this goes long term.
If you don’t tick it, it’ll still want to know what you did with the original workout.
It looks like the intensity in the JOIN workouts are much lower than what you will get with TR. for instance, I can only find a 3 x 15 min @ 100% in JOIN but in TR you can get 2 x 40 min @ 100% etc.
Will you get enough training stress using JOIN? Or is the idea that you do some threshold work in more sessions during the week so the total time in zone is maintained?
I know this doesn’t address what you’re actually after, but just FYI - there is a 1x30 and a 2x20 in Join. There are also a couple over under workouts in the VO2 section that look brutal with a couple sets of
1min @VO2/5 min@Threshold x4.
What is the workout name that is 2x 40 @ 100% in the TR library? I couldn’t find one
Join does have a lot of longer sustained workouts, but nothing like a TR library.
That actually reminded me of this meme @empiricalcycling
Sorry, I was not that accurate. Velkia is 40 min @ 99% + 40 min @ 98%.
But my point was not really that workout, but that the hardest workouts in JOIN look way easier than what you can get with TR.
I get what you mean, im following a join plan to do something different. I’ve been using TR for 3 years straight, and ready to switch up what I’m doing.
So far I’m enjoying it and with workouts being/ looking harder. I’m not sure that if it’s harder does that means it’s more/less effective?
I think the main reasons why the TR workout library is big is that they have many different variations where they change the intensity up or down by a few percentages, have many variations of the durations and the same with the rest intervals.
It is not clear to me if you get better training with shorter rest intervals (e.g. for 3 x 15 min @ FTP) or if the main reason is to save the same to make the sessions shorter (or potentially add one additional interval). Of course if you make them too short then you will start the second interval before you are rested from the first one.