Fair enough.
I think the crux of my issue is that I’ve recently sort of figured out what sweet spot should feel like, so I’m fairly comfortable setting my FTP based on that to create manageable workouts. But I definitely am not there with say, VO2 or anaerobic work, so I dont want to go completely off the reservation.
Whether you set your FTP via some test you chose, or via AIFTPD, I wouldn’t mess with that. Keep your FTP measuring methodology consistent.
If you want longer sweet-spot workouts, I suggest you simply replace the ones TR offers (manually or via “workout alternates”) with something that has longer intervals. That’s why the “More Sweet Spot” team and its workouts came into existence… for a standardized set of sweet-spot workouts of nearly any length and interval configuration.
IMO/E, VO2max and especially anaerobic shouldn’t be done as % of FTP, but that’s a whole different thread. 
This is the way.
Redefine your easy. 50% of FTP for endurance riding isn’t off the table when you’re doing 15hrs a week. There’s nothing magic about Z2. This can be especially important if threshold/VO2 are the intensity. With tempo as an intensity day, you can err a bit higher, but I’ve learned the hard way in my own training and now in a more applied way with a couple of my athletes that are at this volume level, going easier for that longer time is better, IMO. So err easier on the easy endurance: still working, but don’t worry as much about % FTP. You wanna be BELOW LT1 and noticeably so, IMO.
But there is little doubt in my mind that your perception that your FTP has dropped in spite of your volume is not reality. Especially after seeing your monthlies. You’re just riding too hard too often to see gains around and above threshold. They might be there, but the fatigue is masking it.
Yea that was actually the basis of my thinking on this…align FTP and sweet spot workouts, then just manually adjust %s on other workouts or replace as needed
Oh my lol. This certainly explains why I burn out every year…
Added - I actually just went out for a bit over 3 hrs at ~60% ftp…felt much easier than what I normally do…I usually have gone fpr 70% plus on my easy days.
Recently went with
4x12min Geiger variant
3x20min Eclipse
6x12min Geiger variant
4x20min Tray Mountain variant
outside on sustained climbs except for the last that had some more unfortunate terrain choices.
I double checked the next workout when I felt good in the previous one, which was the case very time.
It was amazing to feel how I progressed through and was pushing for more with the next workout.
Don’t think AT would have given me such stuff. The last workout was tough for the last 10min but otherwise fine.
Moving to threshold for the next training block but this was awesome. Should I maintain sweet spot under this time? Probably not?
Not really sure what you’re asking here. If you mean, should you do maintenance SST sessions while doing threshold, then the answer is probably no, but it depends on your goals. Threshold/SST are essentially working the same thing.
