My guess…
Also we could go down the wormhole of using a 20min test for FTP.
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During those recovery weeks I rode 6 and 10 hours, I didn’t stop cycling. And I did some mainteinance intensity like 2x10min at threshold and sets of 30/30s.
Point is riding at 320w shouldn’t be this hard for me. I don’t know should I rest or try to push on.
As we all know - it depends.
You can be not recovered enough after the block - very probable.
This year, after the block, first threshold workouts were bad. I have needed around 4-6 workouts to come back on track. It was the time when I upped my volume (good old days…) and after 2-3 weeks threshold felt as it should be. Try some o/u - sst with burst and see how they feel. I had a problem with steady threshold (especially 15+ intervals) but o/u felt way better than before vo2 max block.
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Then they weren’t really recovery weeks.
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First week was just easy endurance. But I guess I just need more recovery for some reason. Maybe I’ll restart the block in week or two when it gets warmer outside.
Maybe. I have needed ten days of zone 1 low zone 2 only after these blocks to feel like I can go again.
Three factors could be in play:
- Underrecovery
- FTP is too high based on 20 min efforts rather than the actual 20 min test protocol (?). Not clear on what you did.
- Some people just take a couple of sessions to get going in threshold. I do. Another of my athletes does. I can struggle to do 2x20 out of the gate in a threshold block, so I start with 3x10 or 3x12. A couple of workouts later I sometimes end up doing 1x45. Just takes a minute to get dialed at threshold… not a big deal if you’re doing threshold work for a couple of months, but can be a hassle if you’re just touching it up for a few weeks.
This leads me to believe you’re under recovered. Depending on how long you’ve been training this season, your body might be telling you to shut it down for a week.
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Thanks for the reply. I guess it must be underrecovery. Yes for me too it takes a few sessions to get threshold going, but now on 2nd week I feel weaker than the first. I’ve also dropped about a kilo of weight during this block maybe I need even more food.
You need to actually rest. The prevalence of under-recovered amateurs is staggering. Ask me how I know.
I’d bet almost anything it’s underrecovery. Lots of markers in what you’re describing…
- Lost power
- Lost weight
- 2nd week worse than the first
It’s really hard to put out big watts when you’re underfed. If you’ve lost a lot of weight, then you haven’t hit your recovery well because you’re underfed. So likely a combination of time and eating adequately to fuel the recovery and subsequent work.
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To add, in my experience, quick weight loss isn’t fat loss but glycogen depletion. Better calorie timing can help, but too big of a deficit and you will become depleted no matter what. The old weight training tactic is to have a carb up or cheat day once a week to top off your energy stores.
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Yep. I weigh myself every day not because I expect to lose or gain weight all the time, but as a way to monitor water retention (and thus indirectly glycogen levels). I’m always right around 157.5, but after long, hard rides I’ll dip down to 155, and if I fuel well and take in my recovery sugar/protein, I’ll see 159. It’s not uncommon at all for me to see a higher bodyweight when I’m mid-training block because I’m keeping glycogen up to fuel the work. If bodyweight is lower, my first assumption is I’m either dehydrated or underfueled, neither of which is a good thing.
Recovery weeks I look at my actual body weight when my sugar intake is “normal”.
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I don’t weigh daily, but I also gain or maintain weight during training blocks. I also get along really well with food. 
Finished my 3 week VO2 / threshold block. Just finished the last workout 25min+3x10min @ FTP. Does it matter I didn’t even reach my threshold hr?
Highest it got was 3 beats under threshold hr. It was a bit cold outside and maybe had some fatigue but felt pretty good.
Also do the fitness gains differ much with a hybrid VO2+threshold block instead of just pure threshold?
What does the 25mins refer to?
3 bpm under your estimated THR is the same as threshold heart rate. Any closer is a false level of precision. Also, I’m assuming you are referring to the 10 min intervals, and if so, if your average power and normalizes power were close to each other during the work interval (in addition to HR approaching THR), then you did a good job.
Maybe 2 x 15 next 
25min is the first interval, then 3x10min. So 55 minutes total at threshold.
@hubba this came at the end of a 3 week VO2/Threshold block. If you pushed yourself over those 3 weeks you are likely a bit fatigued and thus it doesn’t surprise me that you might see a depressed HR during the last workout of your block. If it were me I’d take some time to deload and maybe do an FTP test when rested, as you may have pushed up your fitness a bit. Also 3 beats under your target is not that much and as you pointed out if your ride was benefiting from an abnormally cooler day, you may also see a benefit from that in your HR. I normally see a lower HR when riding in cooler conditions, as I assume my body has to do less work to keep my temperature in check.
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For a set of 3 x 10 @ threshold, I’d like to do 15min recovery @ LT1, what do you guys think of this scheme?
Honestly, if you feel you need 15 mins recovery after 10 min at treshold, your threshold might be too high.
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Why would you do the recovery at LT1? I prefer to recover half of the work amount at 65% FTP or even lower.