I noticed the FAQ on their website says that you don’t need trainingpeaks to follow the plans and that you can follow them directly in their app. Is anyone using the app this way right now? I can’t remember if that language was always there and they just mean that you’ll see what your planned workout is, or if they have implemented the ability to use the app to power a trainer or for the app to be able to read live power data like TR.
I’ve been using Optimize for the past few months, so … just checked the Android app and there is still zero integration with TrainingPeaks as far as I can tell. You can apply plans to your Optimize calendar from the LIbrary tab, but it doesn’t update anything. There’s no “Push to TrainingPeaks” button or anything similar that apps like JOIN or Spoked have.
Basically, here’s how I’m using the app, and it’s a bit clunky: I use the Library to browse through the different plans, add them to the app calendar to look at the individual workouts, then use the app chat or email to ask a coach to apply it to my TrainingPeaks account, which they typically do within a few hours. The Optimize score is fine, but a bit redundant with the Garmin info I get.
All that said, I’ve been using the app/service for the past few months and am actually quite happy with it, even if the app is basically just a plan library browser at this point. The thing that makes me feel like I’m getting my money’s worth is the combination of the library with coaching support. I’ve asked them some fairly involved questions probably half a dozen times, and the responses have always been both near-instant and comprehensive.
I’m doing the 16 Weeks of Sweet Spot plan now and was curious about working in the Rapha 500, and had a very nice, thoughtful exchange with two different coaches about the potential benefits (they thought it was a great idea), then how to work it into the plan without blowing things up. They helped me flesh it out, come up with a concrete plan … and then I immediately got a respiratory infection and couldn’t do it anyway.
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I just checked their website, and it is still as confusing as before. It still looks like they are selling individual training plans, which just happen to have the same low price. I don’t get it. Why don’t they advertise their business model properly?
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It feels a bit disjointed an incoherent. I wonder if they’ve left the individual plans on the site as they rank high in search.
I might be repeating myself here but I think the mistake they’ve made is framing this as an app. They offer a wide range of preset training plans and coaching support for $300 annually which is not a bad deal, but it’s a different product to the other training apps out there.
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100% agree. They’ve actually got a nice service going (access to their full plan library with coach support via chat/email), it’s just a total mess from a marketing and business perspective. The app is beside the point. Its best use is as a viewer for the plan library, but that’s extremely clunky.
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I was looking at a plan on their site and this as the bottom before clicking ‘add to cart’
You are subscribing to Optimize powered by FasCat. Includes: unlimited training plans, meal plans, workouts and recipes + our new sport science technology: Optimize! Optimize combines your power and wearable data into an easy to understand training-recovery data visualization. Subscription may be canceled at any time, Auto Renews
Appears if you buy the plan, you are automatically subscribed to Optimize and charged $34.99 every month.
You can still buy Frank’s plans standalone without Optimize and all that over on TrainingPeaks.com plan store.
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Yup. But as a customer that visits their website without any preconceptions, I’d feel a bit cheated: rather than just buying a single training plan, it feels that they want to rope me in and sign up for a subscription. Now I think that in this context, making this into a subscription is a net positive. But that should be made clear from the beginning. This way, customers don’t have to make the difficult decision of picking one training plan before signing up. Instead, they can look at all the training plans in detail, compare them, etc. after signing up.
Ditto for hiding what is their crown jewel, their OTS score-based training. I really like the idea, but hate how they advertise it. This should be their Adaptive Training, this should be why you sign up for a FasCat Cycling subscription.
According to their FasCat podcast, this isn’t supposed to be a thing anymore.
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So what are peoples thoughts on the optimize app? Ive been using it for a few weeks and really dont see any benefit in it. Just looking a resting HR and HRV trend in Athlytic seems to be much more informative for me. What is you experience?
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Can you explain what precisely Optimize gives you in terms of HRV data? As far as I understand, you get a training meter, and if you are in the red, you should scale back.
The second component are OTS scores. Where are they computed and how are they displayed?
Is that all? Or are there more specific recommendations when you use one of their training plans? Every time I checked the website, it wasn’t of much help (criminally bad marketing if you ask me).
Did the HRV-based meter give you any information in addition to how your body felt and e. g. how much stress you have had or you have slept lately?
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It does tell your sleep last night, but other info, no
I really want it to be useful, but right now, im not sold on it at all
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The point is, it’s meant to be subjective. It’s about you, it’s not about a general rule for others. If you’re optimising something for an individual it becomes subjective.
I decided not to subscribe. It’s a good idea, but, at least at the time I was looking, it had some issues they needed to resolve and make things more user friendly/automated. I hope they succeed. I believe competition is good for us as consumers.
Yeah, maybe check back in 6 month or so and let them get it more tuned. Right now its just a pretty gauge to look at, nothing more.
And update, As predicted, after a big weekend with a hard race on Saturday followed by a long Sunday ride (and beer while watching Flanders), Optimize says im good to go this morning. Which in reality, theres no way im riding today as i feel pretty cooked.
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Other than having access to all FasCat training plans (the one positive), the App sounds relatively worthless and cumbersome to use, with no option to send the training rides to a Garmin or Wahoo. Sounds like FasCat also relies on Training Peaks as a go-between to send any rides to Zwift? NOT very well thought out imho.
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Not sure I agree on all the positives - the app basically has a red light / green light for adding volume when you are focused on focused on racing and/or riding more in the summer. Plus I believe you have access to meal plans? Those are good too.
IMHO they released a completely 100% USABLE app focused on answering the question “should I train today” given all the extra load/riding I’m doing. For example the plan includes group riding, and what happens if I overachieve on the planned load? The app helps with that.
And you 100% correct about the hassle factor of going outside the app to TrainingPeaks for workout syncing. Alternatives are going old school and write it down on tape, or if the intervals are easy enough to remember just hit the lap button on your bike computer.
Right now I’m mentally exhausted with following the workout script exactly. So I’ve been freelancing workouts lately. Coach supports it. Gotta be honest it is so refreshing to simply hit the lap button and do some hard intervals if the plan is something like 3x8-min above FTP or 60 minutes of tempo / sweet spot or 4 hours endurance at 200TSS. Versus following workouts exactly like a robot for 12 months a year. But yeah, I want that workout loaded and have the option of canceling it if I’m ready to revolt against being told exactly what to do, at precise times!
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I cant say the plans are fantastic. I dont really like the “fatigue dependent plan design” that they do. I was thinking that maybe just some of the plans were dated, but some of the BWR stuff had some weird progression that didnt really make sense to me.
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Good points on the “freelancing” workouts. Frank has mentioned that in messages to me several times … I may have to rethink that. Just might be refreshing for me too. That said, I still think it’s a must that they integrate Garmin, Wahoo, and online riding Apps with Optimize. Requiring TP as a work around is less than ideal for anyone not already using TP.
Not sure I’m sold on the Optimize Scale, but I plan to follow it for a while and see how it matches how I feel after training and/or rest. If it appears accurate, I agree that could be another positive.
I haven’t used any of the FasCat plans yet, or even looked at the meal plans … but I’ll certainly check them all out. Thanks for the feedback!
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Does the OTS today modify your workouts if you use one of the Fascat plans (ala TR adaptive training)? If not, how (or does) does your OTS impact your training plan?
So I got the answer to my question back from Fascat:
The new Optimized Training Score (OTS) in the OTS app provides a daily score based on the user’s power, sleep, and HRV data. This score helps the user determine if they are training too much, not enough, or just right. Therefore, the training plans themself do not automatically change but the user can modify their plan according to the OTS score.