Best thing about these workouts is the dread and drama they create. I have a 4x8 with 2 min rest tomorrow, and I’ve been debating with myself all day how hard I can pace these. Basically a 38min smash fest and I haven’t done anything that tough before.
Will see but after a couple other successes with the 4min and 16min workouts the other week my confidence is up a lot.
I did the 3x16min by the way, it’s tough but not undoable. 4x16 Wouk have been too much for me that day but maybe next time I’ll be stronger.
Have to be game though, we’re riding easy all week for hours to stay fresh to do a harder than usual workout. Have to keep that in mind and hope it pays off!
You could look at your power duration curve for the last 42 - 90 days and use ~92% of your 8 minute power as a starting point. That should be pretty safe for the first interval unless you are on a bad day. Might be able to pick it up on the last two if on a good day.
This is assuming you’ve semi recently got a decent effort in for around 8 minutes. Should be okay if your fittness has been increasing. If it has been decreasing or you’ve had a dip you would be better looking at the best from only the last 30 days.
Note I have posted this comment also in the AT thread…
Is there any way alongside the AT features I can see a weekly summary by power zone of how much time spent in each zone? Z1 to Z8. I can see it for a single session (internal or outside). I would like to see that summarised for a week, or a 4 week period (or a plan period),
Whether I am doing polarized (I am not) or pyramid training (I am), given all this chat about time in zones, it would be really useful to see an overall summary each week of time spent by zones. This way I can balance my training.
It would also help me get a sense of progress (as indicated by the AT development picture) vs effort in each zone.
It would be especially useful as when I am doing outside rides in two circumstances
As Ido long TTs I ride long intervals at Sweet spot and Threshold, and it is useful to see how much time on a 2-3hr TT ride I was in each zone as contributing to an overall week. (not simply for a single ride)
I often use outside rides to power up hills and develop Z5/6/7 work that is not normally covered in my more sustained power plans for my Time trials. Soi seeing an overall picture would help me.
Just an idea. It may be around but I have not found it.
That is great, but I already have TrainerRoad, Garmin Connect and Strava. Let alone bestbikesplit and Mywindsock. I would like to keep my analysis of training in one place, and as TR drives things, that is the natural place.
Garmin connect has time in Power zones fyi and also hr but by individual workout. Also has powercurve in there. Veloviewer probably does just need to look.
Yes I have time in zone per individual workout from TR, Garmin connect and Strava. I was after cumulative, over a week or training block. intervals.icu does do it it seems.
However all this talk about polorized and training zones and different paptterns, it seems a no brainer for TR to provide this, as it is consistent with developing a pattern over a block of training that includes outside rides.
I now understand that can see what I want in intervals.icu now I have tried it. But as I said, it is yet another application… This seems a no-brainer for TR to provide given all the recent conversations. What do you think @Nate
For what I do, I really like intervals.icu. I don’t use Strava at all any longer other than to share and give kudos. I do get your point though. Adding more to TR is always good!
Likewise, with Strava. I fell out with it when it demoted me from paid/premium without saying anything. As I don’t chase KOMs, and thing “Local legends” is a complete waste of time, it is just a way to see what mates are doing and give Kudos.
I do think this report of zones over a period is a definite natural follow on from the TR conversations,
You could look at your power duration curve for the last 42 - 90 days and use ~92% of your 8 minute power as a starting point. That should be pretty safe for the first interval unless you are on a bad day. Might be able to pick it up on the last two if on a good day.
This is assuming you’ve semi recently got a decent effort in for around 8 minutes. Should be okay if your fittness has been increasing. If it has been decreasing or you’ve had a dip you would be better looking at the best from only the last 30 days.
Back and tried this and think this 92% calculation is wicked for anyone wondering what on earth ‘hard-but-doable’ means for a 4x8min session and needs help pacing their first attempt.
I couldn’t go off a best 8min 2021 effort, that would have taken me a watt under FTP! But I had a good effort in October so used that and was able to nail all 4 intervals.
I just started using HR again recently after reading all you guys talking about working to HR in the POL threads so I’m not sure if I did it right and got enough time in the right HR zone to have completed this properly yet, but in terms of pacing I think I know where I stand now and will push a little harder in the two middle efforts from now on. Felt a pang of fatigue at the start of the second one and it put me off, but it was actually fine I realised later and just needed to suck it up a bit.
Honestly after all the internal mental drama… actually think that was one of the most fun workouts I’ve ever done. Going to be smug and add that I had my ‘recovery week’ last week, but did 15 hours Z1 POL riding anyway, and was still fresh enough for this! That’s very cool for guys like me who’re cutting weight at the moment, we can burn a ton of cals, even on ‘recovery weeks’ and still nail workouts.
Just the 4 x 16 left to work out in terms of pacing soon, then I think I’ll stick with this way of training for now on. They do sound horrible these workouts, but done outside at least… actually fun if you’re fresh
This is over an hour at FTP! They really aren’t messing about.
Yes I’m on Polarised Build HV, just I’m further along than most guys. I was doing Sustained HV Build, had 2 or 3 weeks done then switched rest to POL when it released. Just doing about last 5 weeks of it the new POL HV but my total build phase will still be 8 weeks.
I had already made the sustained build HV more polarised. Removed sweetspot Sunday to a long Z1 POL ride. Still had 3 intensity days though then.
I’m adding a lot more Z1 to the TrainerRoad POL plan (I mean a lot, maybe 30% or even more some weeks. Was just shy of 20 hours before the recovery week).
Its is a pretty good rule for many intervals, easier if you are progressing. If confident you can start pushing each interval.
Sounds like you know you, so not sure you needed the guidance.
Now you’ve go that in the bag you can use the result to push a bit more next time.
These are key sessions so important to get them done, its a bit crap when you go to hard and bite off more than you can chew, been there done that. Better to get the first few in and then push it in the last couple.
PS I actaully use 92 - 95%, the higher side when I’m really sure I’m on good form and know my PDC is accurate.
I typically choose low volume plans to ensure compliance and add in z2 rides or group rides as extras if I have time.
If I were to do only the low volume 8 week plan is that enough volume to see any gains? I don’t want to commit to mid volume due to life during the week but I do plan on adding in rides, just not sure how consistent they will be.
I have followed the low volume century plan for now my third year in a row. I have gotten my time down to 4:30 with these plans. Most of the time I don’t add any more rides other than the scheduled. It’s worked wonders for me and I’ll continue to follow those plans in the future.
