It does make sense. That seems to be where I have been headed.
Learning more isnt always better.
Very much so. I think you also have to choose your battles - VO2max is very much my weak point (at least indoors) but I’ve been able to nail every outdoor VO2 workout, could be a cooling thing as much as anything.
I’m in AT as well and doing a LV Plan Builder built plan for a local mountain climb TT event. I’ve seen a couple of adaptation changes earlier, but nothing lately. Correct me if I’m wrong (especially since I haven’t kept up with what AT is supposed to do or not do), but I don’t think AT adds or subtracts workouts. I personally haven’t seen that and I still feel like I’m on my own to do that.
So far, I’m feeling okay. I’ve learned a lot about how to recover and not overdo it on intensity. As an example of subbed out a workout with 1 minute VO2Max intervals at 130% today for 120% intervals instead.
I still don’t think there will be an explicitly built Masters plan. Sounds like you’re doing pretty good, so keep doing what works for you.
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I don’t think they need to build a master’s plan, so much as a much smarter Plan Builder:
- Asks you when your goal events / time-off are
- Asks you which days during the week, and for how long, you can train - you should be able to select time by day. So you could say 1 hr on Tuesday, 1:15 on Thursday, “unlimited” on Saturday for example
- Some questions about your training history
- Work to recovery ratio. E.g., 2 weeks active, 1 week recovery; 3 weeks active, 1 week recovery; etc.
- Plus ideally I could select “flavor”: more like traditional base, with Polarized for build, etc.
- Cycling only, or Tri
Boom: custom plan gets spit out. With AT, these aren’t specific workouts, but workout “types” (e.g., VO2 max with short intervals) with specifics on PL (e.g., Achievable, productive, etc.). And only the day / day ahead is the generic workout replaced with a specific workout.
Something like this would obviate the need for high / low / mid / High+ / masters / etc.
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I think you’re on to something. Certainly PB is increasing in visibility as a weaker link in the integrated TR approach to “making you a faster cyclist…”
Just listened to the FasCat podcast about cycling over 50 (waiting for the cycling over 65 book or research which has the magic bullets to avoid or reverse the “falling off the cliff” implied by so many coaches etc… 
)
To your working list I’d add something that would help qualify the number of interval repeats as referenced above.
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I agree with this too. A smarter Plan Builder would be the next killer feature for me, especially if it’s going to continue to be the case that you need to use PB to use AT.
I do like Plan Builder, but I would like to play around with slightly different options like you’ve outlined.
Now TR just needs to hire me as the product manager for this 
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no, you missed reducing the number of intervals! I’ve been the most vocal and most qualified for the job 
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Theoretically this would be handled by AT correctly selecting the “right” workout for you that matches the goals of the generic workout within the time constraint you set for the day.
Sure but last I looked they were still loading up on the number of intervals.
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Now I’m following you, or at least I think I am.
At first I thought you meant number of intervals within a workout, as opposed to the number of workouts within a week that include intervals. If this is the correct interpretation of your ask, I would be all for including an additional “Number of interval days per week” as an option. Maybe an advanced option.
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I think that PB should have an option for 7, 8, 9, even 10 day “weeks”, maybe even free-form. That would allow for more recovery for masters athletes. A seven day training week only really makes sense for someone with a Mon-Fri, 9-5 job. Break that cycle (sic) and things can be a lot more flexible: 1hr endurance workout and you probably can do a workout the following day; a two hour threshold workout and you might need two days’ rest; and so on.
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I can’t search at the moment, but am pretty sure we have an open feature request for something like that for different “week” timing.
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More flexibility would be awesome. As a nurse my schedule chenges every month, including 12h shifts and night shifts🤪
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I got a chance to search and found this one that may be related:
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I have been racing and training for over 30 years and have power data since 1998….similar to Frank. I also saw a big drop in FTP in my mid/late 40’s just like he did. Something like 25-30%. I haven’t heard anyone else talk about this but I think it’s a thing….at least for some of us.
Joe
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I’m wrapping up the 5th decade and weird shit is happening, so ya, it’s a thing.
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Just wait, @bbarrera, it’s just going to get weirder…
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awesome, can’t wait 
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Indeed. 18 months to go until I’m 50 and some weird ‘stuff’ across the board in terms of fitness / recovery / general health / weight fluctuation etc
Guess the adage that ‘old age doesn’t come on it’s own’ might be true 
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