I follow the Cusick (extensive) recommendation of growing duration and keeping power the same.
Starts with sorting out mFTP properly, but once I have that dialled I’ll do 2-3 sessions a week, aiming to start at TTE and grow to 150-200% TTE over the block.
ie. if TTE is 35min, and FTP is 300w.
5x8min - 40min TiZ
4x10min - 40min Tiz
3x12min - 36min
3x15 - 45min
5x10min - 50
3x18min
2x20
2x25
4x15
3x20 - 60min Tiz
3x25 - 75min Tiz 200% goal
4x20…
3x30…
etc.
Depending on how you are adapting you can always jump progression steps early on, the goal is to progress relatively quickly, but some people really struggle adapting to the work so i’ve provided some steps, and some even take you back a bit in terms of total TiZ with the goal of growing interval duration.
edit:
I’ll add all intervals are with 5min rest between, no more. Depending on which day I am doing them on I’ll then tack on some true zone 2 (middle of the range not top) to get a total workout time in.
I do have some references based on past season. The caveat is that I often don’t know what my FTP is, it could have been anywhere from 240-260 at 67-70kg.
So this was 1h35m at ~86% power and ~82% of HR max…I did very little SS up to this point last year.
I’m starting 3 weeks of VO2 myself, tomorrow, for the first time. Should be an interesting experiment but so far the SST and FTP work I’ve been doing has yielded some great results on endurance, fatigue resistance and FTP. Hoping that the pure VO2 works dramatically raises the ceiling!
The first two weeks I’m kind of forced into the M-W-F format because I’m working. The final week is my first week of a career change to full time coaching… more ride time all week, so I’m scheduling it as a 3X stack, but will play that by ear. Everything else will be low- to mid-Z2 or recovery riding.
Last season I started at 18min (3x6’) and progressed to 20-21min shortening the intervals along the way. This season I’m going to try adding an interval, ending up at 24-25min each session (I haven’t changed the last week yet). We’ll see how that goes. If it’s too much, I will back it down to the 20-21 min sets. I want to make sure each interval is quality, first and foremost. If that means doing fewer (the same as last season), then so be it.
I will also play the progression by ear. I simply scheduled out doing each workout twice for now. If I can hang in for one more, I will. If I’m dying after the first one, then I’ll step it down. The scheduled workouts are fungible.
Also, there is no chance in hell I’m doing that race. That was pre-COVID delaying my block.
Thanks for sharing the block. I’m working to a similar process, but M/T/W throughout the 3 weeks.
I have entered a road race March 20th, so hoping 2-3 weeks of rest is enough to get my legs back to normal as I’ve never done a block like this before so unsure how I’ll respond!
Some advice on my progression start today?
Current mFTP (indoor) = 251W and TTE=38:16
But I had covid for 10 days begin of december. So my (new) period started on 12 December (but in my PDC I have some numbers before my C19 case, and they were not that bad because I peaked to a race end November). So…When only taken into account my new mFTP at 237W I have a TTE of 41:58. But I did not really tested my PDC properly. A few lower zwift race intervals but no really longer effort (20min or so…).
I was thinking of doing a 2x20min 90% SST today, but should I choose 252 or 237W as my FTP?
Or better do a structured 20min test and maybe also a medium duration test so that my PDC is as accurate as possbile?
Euh? Lazy? No really…I have more time to ride today and Wednesday a rest day, so would be more fresh to do the 20min loger duration test. But I could also be not be a sissy and just do it today
Yeah, I think so. You’ll notice some things right away - lower HR in your zone 2 rides right after the block is pretty common, especially if you’ve never done it before.
That was pre-COVID delaying my block.