I don’t know if it’s completely meaningless analytically after the fact, but during I wouldn’t look at anything except maybe raw HR data and RPE to determine if you’re meeting the intent for that specific day. Again, my example would by my 1x90 where I knew my HR was about 8 bpm over where I typically hold it during SST intervals, but RPE wasn’t off the charts and it was the last workout of the progression so I powered through.
Had that been a Monday workout with work to follow it during the week, I probably would’ve lowered the power to finish the 90 minutes’ duration with less effort. I know that by RPE, 75 minutes was hard for me at the start of this last training block, but I improved at it a bit through the workouts, so 90 min was really pushing. My TTE went up by almost 12 minutes throughout this last block, and was supported by my hour power test where I sustained 272 for 60 min in a not-rested state (mFTP was 273). So there is information to be gleaned from all that data, but there’s not really an “AHA!” to come out of it IMO… it supplements RPE.
Now, after a few days of heavy work stress and not great sleep during my recovery week, I did the progression 2 FTP/TTE test and tried to hold 280, but more or less quit on it about 25min in at that 280 avg. Next block will be intensive FTP work - over/unders, long intervals at 98%+, and some SST and TAN tempo. Hopefully I’ll be able to hold that 280+ in four weeks. Today I just didn’t have it, so I’ll keep plugging along training at 275 with a significantly longer TTE at that power than ever before. Currently at 81.5% FTP:VO2max, and I’ve peaked at 86% previously, so there’s room to go up yet.
Don’t know if anyone has checked out TR’s SS catalogue lately but there seems to be a lot of new(?) much longer SS workouts. Or maybe they’ve always been there. I dunno.
I have been through a lot of the library over time, and I see some new threshold stuff like a 2x20 that wasn’t there before, but not much new SST stuff that I’ve not seen. Still lacking long SST intervals with short recovery. Wright Peak is like the one worth doing.
Funnily enough today i did 3x25 @ 90%, Pw:HR was 5%, 0.93%, 0.96% for the intervals. RPE wise it was a solid 6-7/10.
2x20 at the same power doing them earlier in the week not only had big Pw:HR %'s (in the 8-9% range) but the RPE was a lot higher. I think the ability to have a proper breakfast prior makes a HUGE difference.
It’s comical how they lack long intervals… but then you listen to the podcast and recognize that none of them like riding long intervals, and that probably explains it. As much as I love TR, I remember it’s a for-profit business first and foremost, so things like training plan compliance and customer retention matter more than what’s best for some athletes. The other thing with cookie-cutter stuff like TR’s plans is it has to apply to everyone - off the couch to seasoned athletes. The thought of doing MV SSB again was mind-numbing to me as 8 minute SST intervals are a waste of my time, but they may be great for others. I needed something between MV and the time commitment of HV, so here I am. In addition, HV seems to make rides two hours for the hell of it, by adding recoveries that are just flat out too long. I don’t know why they feel the need to have every workout end on a 15-minute increment. There’s nothing wrong with planning a 1:39 minute workout…
Re: breakfast it definitely makes a difference. My RPE is much lower when I ride in the morning after oatmeal or muesli instead of just toast. It’s perceptible during my ride and after.
I did a progressive Z2 ride this morning starting below 65% and building up to 75% for the last hour of a 3:45 ride. I managed 1.4% decoupling during that ride and my EF was pretty high for this season thus far. THAT I can glean information from… but Kusick’s remarks about keeping Z2 work in the middle of the zone (~65%) rings true… I’m feeling it in my legs more than some of my other Z2 work.
I did a mid ride sprint and a late ride sprint, which I have been doing this season during base. No repeats or anything. I am self-coached so whoever is writing your program is obviously brilliant!
3x20 threshold. Various long threshold and sweetspot only split up with 15 second breaks. And threshold and sweetspot with bursts. Might even incorporate some on my next threshold block.
Definitely good for the majority who don’t use workout creator and/or join niche groups via the forum.
Just here to say that doing the progression on the team with 3 minute workouts was great preparation for the hell of trying Starr King +4 (3x20 @ FTP with 2 minute rests).
Yesterday i did 2x25 and 1x30 with 3min rest in between. I wanted to do 3x25, but the last block was 30min and i did it. First block avg 91% FTP, 2th and 3th block 92% FTP.
When i look at the SST progression in the picture, i see that 1x50 is easier than 3x20, but i think 3x20 is easier than 1x50… Agree?
What is the next step for me after 2x25 and 1x30? 2x40? with 3min rest? Or first 2x35, but thats give a lower TiZ?
Easier is an interesting term.
There is less TiZ, and less overall TSS, but mentally it is much tougher.
I look at the progression workouts as building both aerobic strength and mental strength.
A 1x60 and a 3x20 end up with the same TiZ, but they are mentally very different workouts.
Depends on your muscle endurance (?)
I am finding any of the workouts where it’s broken up into more than one interval easier.
But that is also because I find my HR drifting towards the end of the 35min and longer intervals. My last workout was 2x35, and I am certain I could not have done 1x70 instead.
It’s about progressing TiZ. There’s little practical difference between 3x20, 2x30, 1x60… it’s a mental thing. So the progression is 50min TiZ to 60min TiZ.
I generally subscribe to this as well. 2x35 with a 3minute recovery in between vs 1x70…i’ll take the former. 1) because mentally it is far less daunting and i know i can finish. 2) getting the TiZ and training stress is more important to me than being able to sustain 90% for 1+hrs
My brain knows 3x is more than 2x is more than 1x so I just ignore the duration and tell myself it is less intervals, that way it is not mentally any harder.
I often find 1x easier because I actually struggle to ‘get going’ again.
A good example the weekend was it was 2x 45 minutes but it was cold, -4C, so I left the session as it was but just rode through the recovery minutes. Ended up being a straight 95 minutes at 90%, no way was I going take the recovery and freeze. I know if I had there would have been a good chance that I wouldn’t have done the 2nd 45 minutes.
Not a physical thing as has been said, just mental. So just tell yourself whatever you need too to make it easier.
