great. I have that workout next Monday. Something to look forward to!
Iām doing SSB2 HV and itās been a slog for the first two workouts. For reasons too long to explain, I use the Hammer with TR and send the assioma uno power to my gamin and zwift. Usually the two sources are in agreement, but not the past couple of days, so for example todayās intervals which were 20min at 88, 92, 90% were actually 92, 95, 91%
I tried to adjust the intensity down toward the end but the muscle fatigue was too high from the earlier hard efforts, so even doing a very doable 90% was tough. Iām in good shape but not that good yet! Needless to say I need to lube my chain and recalibrate, and honestly I should probably try power match and see how that goes
Not exactly, my VO2Max for 3 minutes is ~114% and 117% is my current limit.
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How about āremind myself the vo2max workouts are designed to be achievable if you adjust % above FTP to your physiologyā 
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Exactly, this is why training zones from FTP do not work and are old hat, above FTP anywhoooo!
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Well that went better than I thought. Iām battling a cold, so I wasnāt sure how Lamarck was going to go: 4x10 minutes right at FTP, but only 2 min between. My FTP is set at 289w.
1st set: 297w
2nd: 303w
3rd: 301w
4th: 313w
I pretty much emptied the tank on the last one. Iām pretty stoked I was able to do those numbers in the last week of SSB2!
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Training zones at FTP and below are just fine 
Above FTP the ability to complete work is highly individualized. TR stresses this on podcast and workout notes.
Itās interesting to find Iām not alone. I found SSBMVII left me deeply fatigued towards the end. I would be inclined to insert an easy recovery week in the middle next time around, just to make day to day life outside of the workouts that bit easier.
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Man Iām glad this thread exists. Iām wrapping up SSB2 MV and I feel like Iām just breaking apart physically. Completed every scheduled workout at 100% for SSB1 MV, but volume 2 is a different story.
Week 3 Saturday had Carpathian Peak +2, had to turn down the second interval and never even started the third cause I knew I would be sloppy so ended incomplete.
Week 4 completed at 100%, even Mary Austin on Saturday and 5x15 SS on Sunday
Week 5 just feeling tired, subbed out Lamarck for Carillon -4 on Thursday to save my legs for the weekend, but today had Leconte and barely made it through 40 minutes of work, ending it right before the last 2 10 minute intervals. Tomorrow had Wright Peak -1 but think Iām gonna do Koip or something similar
I donāt really beat myself up too bad about it, but I do feel like Iām āfailingā some of these weekend rides, especially today where I just had a hard time turning the pedals. Iām hoping this easy week before General Build will help me recover and get my act together so I can power through build. Any suggestions?
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I posted on this before but I found that the SSB2 has a ton of high SS and threshold work back-to-back; the high SS work is basically threshold work and some of the long weekend rides (2h rides) were just too much the day after the O/U.
Itās pretty easy to see what the ākeyā workouts are and I just targeted arriving at each key workout as fresh as I could, where I nailed the O/U work and that was the weeks goal. I only had issues with Carp peak and I think it was due to external factors, but otherwise I nailed all O/U workouts. However I did find the ride the next day (long SS ride) was sometimes just absolute death, especially after MA and Leconte. I would sometimes just sub an easy ride for these; I personally thing having them back to back too much and if I was able to do the O/U on friday and a long run on saturday, I would be able to get the long SS session done. If I did the O/U saturday and the long SS the next day, I would basically just sub the long SS for something like baxter. It was just too much intensity too quick back to back and it was not an endurance thing (again the long run was a ārecoveryā) but it is just too much intensity too quick for me. The long SS is also really close to low threshold, and when fatigued its basically death.
Donāt feel bogged down on those O/U rides; they are HARD. As a triathlete, I feel like they are my strength and I still find them really hard, even when they are going āwellā. I feel like if you nailed the majority of the rides and had to sub some of the long SS ones out, you are still fine. Again, I subbed some of the long rides out and also subbed the VO2 max rides out and I still gained a few % and feel super strong going into the full tri plan. I personally only focused on the O/U rides and tried to put as much as I could in after without compromising my O/U workouts.
Also to note that theres more to your fitness than FTP; I 100% felt stronger after SSB2 and even if my FTP didnt budge, I would have been happy because for sure my endurance improved
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I totally agree alot of people donāt have the endurance base for SSB2 on top of six weeks of SSB1. It was my case and lot of others I see on the forum. TB even low volume is almost mandatory. Add to this that we are the same people who get massive FTP bumps like 10,15,20% between SSB1 and SSB2 and we never worked that hard, let alone on top of a tired body.
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Could be youre a bit like me and overtest. Ive realised that I was finding SS way harder than it should be and looking at effort I think I overtest by 10% (maybe more). Im doing a number of repeats of TB in case its my base which may need some significant input (which I think also contributes) but will be planning knocking 10% off of SS workouts from now on.
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I reduced my last ramp test by 5%, and am doing a SS progression with long intervals at 85%. 2x20, 2x25, 2x30 and 1x60.
Iāve found these are better vs higher intensity shorter intervals to tire my legs - as higher intensity SS intervals (e.g. low-mid 90s FTP) drives my HR up too high, and my cardio system starts to give out before my legs tire.
I also found I can do higher TSS with these lower intensity longer intervals. And there are no longer any workouts that I dread in anticipation of having to destroy myself to complete.
Iāll be following SSB1 and 2, modified to replace the TR SS intervals with the ones above.
Iām also doing few hours of endurance rides each week to improve my base - which needs work.
When I get closer to my races, Iāll be adding VO2max workouts.
Remains to be seen how this approach builds my fitness, but for now, Iām happy with the approach.
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Last season, I struggled with the two hour weekend SS arises after Over unders. Two factors, I think: I was working on a major project at the house so I wasnāt recovering well after O/Us; my strength endurance isnāt what it is now.
This season, I sailed through the sweet spot stuff without problem.
So, improved strength endurance helps and ensure youāre focused on you recovery after O/U.
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The endurance work wouldāve paid off provided you had enough time to invest in it. Many of us donāt, and thatās where SST methodology pays real dividends.
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I donāt think Iām testing high. SS normally isnāt a problem, itās the over unders that get me. Pure threshold isnāt terrible either. I had no issues completing Eclipse and Galena which are 3x20 SS with minimal breaks, and got through 5x15 SS the day after Mary Austin. Just the build up of fatigue from SSB2 made the final week super difficult.
āSSB II is killing meā
I totally agree with this comment.
My other opinions on itā¦
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Iām in my third successive year of SSBLV 1 and 2. Part 1 is the calm before the storm. Part 2 is HARD.
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Iāve learnt to not increase FTP after part 1 as I know I will not handle the hike in the difficulty factor.
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Part 2 is real character- (and FTP-) building stuff.
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Lamarck is effectively an FTP test (4 x 10mins at 100% FTP). If you can JUST complete it without actually dyingā¦ heaving lungs and maxed-out HRā¦ then your FTP is set perfectly.
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I over-perform on ramp and 20 minute FTP tests, so I now use Lamarck as a benchmark assessment of what my true FTP is. Itās proved a much more reliable measurement device for me personally.
My advice for SSBLVII newbies: just grit your teeth and get through it as best as you can, turn it down from 100% as and when needed, but try not to!!
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Iām not sure if I agree with your #4. When I really push Lamarck, I do them in the 103-105% range. If your FTP is correct, you should def be able to go over FTP for each with the intervals only being 10 min and getting rest between.
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Iām only talking of my own experience - if I can JUST survive Lamarck at a given FTP then the following workouts (whether threshold, over-nders or VO2 Max) are JUST achievable. Perhaps when Iām on the absolute ragged edge to survive Lamarck, my FTP is actually set a little bit too high?
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I would say if you are JUST able to survive Lamarck, assuming you are sufficiently rested of course, then your FTP is most likely set a little high.
I think a common mistake of TR users think for a workout to be successful they should just barely be able to finish them. Seriously, if that is the case, then something if going to give. This is a pretty stressful way to approach each training session!
I have had coaches assign me 2x20 min at 105%. Yes, this should be very hard, but it shouldnāt bring you to your knees. The best coaches will tell you that you should be able to do one interval if you had to, so there is always a bit left in the tank as you are already preparing for the next hard day.
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