Plan Builder - Easy high zones, difficulties in middle zones - What to do?

[motasticrides]

Since June i train with a plan which made the Plan Builder for me.
After the first Base-phases i am now in build-phase.
Threshold, V02Max and Anaerobic once a week. While the training around 4 to 5 in V02Max and Anaerobic is really easy for me, i am going all out at 2,6 in Threshold zone.
Has anyone an idea what i should do?

Thanks for helping

Full Force
Mo

[jarsson]

@motasticrides

all out at 2,6 in Threshold zone.
Has anyone an idea what i should do?

1. What type of threshold workout? Steady state or variable. Workout at FTP (97%-100%) or just over FTP?

2. If steady just under FTP, your FTP is not your real FTP. How did you test it?

3. How is your cooling? With longer intervals it’s very important factor.

4. In threshold workouts there is a lot of workouts that are over FTP, their demands is quite different that those just at or under.

[motasticrides]

1. First i couldnt make the over/under workouts. Yesterday i finished all out a workout which was more variable 4x13min between 84-114% FTP.

2. FTP is calculated with the AI. So maybe i should do it again with ramp test? Before the next Phase?

3. Until now i only drank my drinks. No fan, no ice… no nothing. Whatelse can i do for cooling?

Thanks!

[jarsson]

@motasticrides

First i couldnt make the over/under workouts. Yesterday i finished all out a workout which was more variable 4x13min between 84-114% FTP.

That’s great. Those workouts with variable intervals are usually way harder than steady state. Personally when it comes to threshold I think that levels are completely off in comparision to other levels.

@motasticrides

FTP is calculated with the AI. So maybe i should do it again with ramp test? Before the next Phase?

Try steady state workout, like Kaweah -2. If you can complete something simple like 3x10 just under FTP without much problem (you should feel like you have done some work but it’s not a problem and you feel you have energy for another interval or 2), then everything is ok. If it’s close to all out effort - FTP is definitely overestimated by AI.

@motasticrides

Until now i only drank my drinks. No fan, no ice… no nothing. Whatelse can i do for cooling?

Given your answer this is the source of your problem

If you are doing workouts indoors then invest in a good set of fans. More powerfull the better. I use 3 fans myself and I find it bare minimum (in my opinion there should be any sweat on your bike or under it). Good fans are the most important equipment for indor riding, especially with any interval longer than 10 min.

[motasticrides]

@jarsson

Try steady state workout, like Kaweah -2. If you can complete something simple like 3x10 just under FTP without much problem (you should feel like you have done some work but it’s not a problem and you feel you have energy for another interval or 2), then everything is ok. If it’s close to all out effort - FTP is definitely overestimated by AI.

I will try that. I am really sure that riding 3x10 95% of FTP shouldnt be a problem and i also should feel some effort but not to much.
The over/ under trainings which i didnt finsih were Tioga and Mono.

@jarsson

If you are doing workouts indoors then invest in a good set of fans. More powerfull the better. I use 3 fans myself and I find it bare minimum (in my opinion there should be any sweat on your bike or under it). Good fans are the most important equipment for indor riding, especially with any interval longer than 10 min.

Ok this should also reduce my HF (yesterday 214max) haha

Thank you a lot!

[motasticrides]

@jarsson

If you are doing workouts indoors then invest in a good set of fans. More powerfull the better. I use 3 fans myself and I find it bare minimum (in my opinion there should be any sweat on your bike or under it). Good fans are the most important equipment for indor riding, especially with any interval longer than 10 min.

btw which fans are you using?

[Macy]

Answer the survey as “all out” and “Training Intensity” for Threshold, and answer the anaerobic and VO2 max as easy, and the Adaptive Training do it’s thing would be my opinion.

Yes, look at cooling, fuelling, recovery etc., but in terms of the software use it as designed is my view!

[jarsson]

@motasticrides

btw which fans are you using?

I have one blade fan from AEG and 2 blower fans from stanley. I live in europe so I have no access to Lasko fans. You will find more info here:

Looking for cooling fan recommendations

Couldn’t see a post related to fans so apologies if there is one, please point me to it. If there’s not then what fans can you recomend for someone who needs a decent bit of cooling but ideally with minimal noise. I know both don’t go hand in hand but there must be something out there that can do a better job than my current OEM fan. Turning that up just makes more noise, doesn’t increase it’s throughout particularly so I need a replacement…

[cnidos]

Peoples VO2max and anaerobic capacity is not a consistent percentage of FTP - it is highly variable between people.

You seem to be describing a situation where your anaerobic and vo2 are relatively high as a percentage of your FTP. I am in the same boat.

[llmonty]

This is pretty much me as well. I have started back on some training after almost a year off. Vo2 and Anaerobic came back relatively quickly. Threshold is a slog, particularly over under versions. If I do lower steady threshold or even high sweet spot, it is MUCH more manageable. I’ve been training long enough to know that threshold is definitely the hardest zone for me to improve relative to FTP changes. Which I think makes sense. My PLs are usually V-shaped - high endurance, high VO2/Anaerobic, with threshold and to a lesser extent, SS, lower.