I actually prefer workouts like Bluebell. It is challenging and the shorter intervals keep your brain engaged, especially on the trainer. Plus it is only 1 hour, which to me is the perfect trainer length.
Workouts like Tallac +3 are almost impossible for me to complete indoor on a trainer. IMHO 2 hours is just too long on the trainer. Physically, I could do the workout, but mentally it will burn me out on indoor training. I usually just chop off the last 30 min.
Lots of people dial back the intensity it seems. I just completed SSBMV1, (well, now starting recovery week, aaaaahhhhhh ;-)) i found the sweet spot stuff pretty easy, the over/unders difficult. 1st time on TR or structured indoor training. A little worried about the looks of SSBMV2. I am actually thinking about maybe dialing back the sunday workouts so they are 1 hour max but try and do the workouts at 100%
I did SSBMV2 outdoors in the summer when the outdoor workouts came out and while the VO2max workouts were definitely hard, i was able to complete them and do the entire 6 week block plus other group rides etc. However i am finding indoors is much more difficult. I have my doubts about completing SSBMV2 as prescribed so thinking of ways to decrease the overall stress level
My problem (had this happen this weekend) was that the weeks 4 and 5 are real monsters, specially the saturday and sunday rides. I absolutely nailed Mary Austin and the week prior nailed Cap Peak (although it was a slog). However, asking to do the 2hr High SS workout (really its basically borderline threshold) the next day absolutely kills me; I think I realized I need at least 1 day between the stupid O/U workouts and such a high long Sunday ride. I tried to do Tallac +3 this sunday after Mary on Saturday and had to bail on the first interval. Heart rate was fine, but my legs were not going to survive that workout. Was really eye opening to me; how strong I felt on the O/U but how much they really take out of you. I feel like putting them so close together is ambitious at best, but I can see how with limited time it sort of is the only logical place to place them. Absolute killers though. I think I will space the next week workouts out more so I can recover after the O/U masochist ride.
Really agree with this. Maybe its the structured training but in the past i really canāt remember struggling with my ālegsā, always getting dropped or just not having it seemed a result of my heart/respiratory system but now i really feel it in my legs!
The Sat workouts are usually the hardest for me. What I normally do is schedule the Sat workout for early in the day around 8:00AM and then do the Sunday workout late afternoon, around 3:00pm-4:00pm. This gives me a little bit of extra rest.
Also, one thing I have learned with over 20yrs training indoors during the winter is that it is really easy to mentally burn out on the trainer, which is distinctly different than over training. You sometimes have to bail on a long workout or two to avoid overall failure.
I feel like the problem is just those toughest 3 SSBII weekends where the workouts (specifically the O/U ones) are really, really difficult. I crush them but the next day is a write-off for anything high intensity for me. I can easily crush out some easy low endurance stuff or have even done long runs off them and came into the next long workout great, but I think that 1 day between (at least for me) is almost required so I can push the power. I mean after the tough workouts, the sunday long ones look much, much easierā¦
Anyways I donāt feel bad at all; rather I feel extremely strong after this weekend in particular. I though MA would absolutely gas me like cap peak did the week prior, but I went into it rested and fueled and my HR was not even near max. Guess its one of those ālong term consistencyā things and I have been doing this long enough that I know a few missed workouts are not a big deal at all. Off seasons the off season and IMO those O/U always scare the shit out of me, so dare I say it, seeing how āeasyā MA was this weekend brings more confidence than had I, say, barely lived through both MA and Tallacā¦ I think the latter might have just broken me mentally hahaha!
For me the Sunday workouts are just too long sometimes. Itās not I canāt do them, itās more I donāt want to spend those āmental dollarsā too often - particularly this time of the year.
Iām also in week 4 of SSMV2, and Mary Austin was fine. For Sunday I did a 1.5 hour fatbike ride in the am, and later in the afternoon, tallac, but the 1 hour version - 3x15min. I did these harder though with the 1st set at 95%, 2nd at 100%, and the 3rd 15min set at 103% of FTP. This seems to be a better mental compromise for me.
Hmmm, Iām pretty sure I fail every single workout. I either canāt quite get through it without some backpedals, OR I get through it fine and think I should have turned it up.
I really like your mindset around failure.
I just used the term for example, āI pushed myself to failure each interval, where my legs had nothing more to giveā
Iām currently working through my rest week and Iām surprised about the level of fatigue Iāve built up during SSBMV2. Itās a strange feeling in my legs, a dull ache whilst also feeling strong ( relative to my starting point 
).
The one workout I have been dreading in SSBM2, is the vo2 workout āSpencer +2ā in week 5. I got it done last night nailing each one of the 3min. intervals. Damn that was hard though - I wouldnāt say these efforts are a weakness of mine, but it was the most challenging workout so far in SSB1 or SSB2. Iām not surprised people who are relatively weaker at vo2 efforts canāt do them at 100%
I think theres a lot to be said for doing TB before starting SSB (time permitting).
I did that one last night too. The step up from the prior week, Mills, is really significant. 3min flat 120% after 2 min, 120 fading to 110.
Back your FTP down 5%ā¦
Started Sustained Power Build today. First V02s 4x5mins @367 hurt. Hurt some more.
I love VO2 and I dread that workout.
3 min VO2s are some of the hardest workouts. Every second after 1:30 gets exponentially more difficult. Time slows down with 45 seconds to go.
Yet I feel like Iām aging at twice the speed
Yeah, I also find it really hard to do these longer vo2 efforts on the trainer. Outside, up a hill, for the same workout would be so much easier.
Anyway, Iām glad that one is out of the way!
The VO2 is set at 20% above the individuals FTP and can/should be reset, either up or down to accommodate an individuals specific level. The individual benchmark is for the whole set to be just about do able, in any language thatās going to hurt. A lot.
My first VO2 (SSB II) left me thinking that this was the area for me that required the most improvement. The following work outs were hard but over the course of the plan I became stronger on my weakest area.
Everytime Iām up against the man with the hammer I remind myself the works outs are designed to be achievable and make me faster.