@AJS914
I’m riding 6 days a week. I’m not against intensity, but daaang, could AI ease me back in to training at intensity. I know I need stimulas, but if my “A” race is in 6 months, do I need a frak’in breakthrough session in week 2 !!
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+1.
“The workout isn’t hard enough”
Solution → Choose an alternate workout
“The workout is too hard”
Solution → Choose an alternate workout
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Dude, as others have pointed out but i’ll re-iterate it here, if you have a breakthrough session on your calendar, it will likely adapt to a productive session by the time you get to the day (assuming you are answering the surveys honestly). I’ve seen 2 or 3 pop up on my calendar in the past, but they adapt down in no time… you are worried over nothing with that particular session…
Besides, if for some reason if it doesn’t adapt down you have 2 options…
- choose an lower PL alternate…
- email support… it could be a bug.
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Done Audrain and Grassy ridge, found them tough, perhaps though it is pushing me maybe been doing too easy plans
I’m just gonna reiterate, being intimidated (for lack of better term) by a 3x15 sweet spot ride at any point in training is a sign to me that ftp may be overestimated a bit. 3x15 should actually be quite easy, especially for a relatively well trained athlete
Furthermore being scared off by the “breakthrough” term I think is not warranted. Progression levels aren’t a gospel, it’s a reasonable way to organize workouts but just because you haven’t done a 5.0 progression workout in a while and your PL falls to 1 doesn’t mean one can’t easily go out and do a breakthrough.
The progression level system I think creates weird psychological barriers, given the context of the originally referenced workout I would suggest just doing it and if it’s too hard then dial back the ftp
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Here’s the problem. We all have different definitions of these words in our brain. It’s why I no longer use the PL system. I have never, in several years, EVER finished a SS workout, at any FTP, and thought, “that was quite easy”. Ever. To me, “quite easy” means “noodling around the neighborhood with my family”. So, to me, telling someone a SS workout should be “quite easy”, is telling them it should feel like noodling on the bike with children.
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True, we could parse words all day trying to find the best way to describe the sensations, but essentially at no point should a sub 60min time in zone sweet spot workout be so hard that one feels like they can’t complete or repeat again a few days out
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You are right. WAAY too much intensity for the early season. I don’t care what level of athlete you are. I’ve have been doing a lot of switching, keeping everything at sustained tempo or below. This is not how TR base was a couple of years ago pre AT.
Does TR know where one is in a season cycle? The athlete is at the end of their season and just wants to relax and maintain their aerobic conditioning but all the software sees is a blank slate with a goal on the horizon.
Also, I still think there may be a disconnect with choosing an LV plan but riding 6 days per week. Doesn’t LV = 3 or 4 days per week? If one rides six days per week, then you need to factor in the fact that you aren’t getting the extra rest that you would with 100% compliance to the LV plan.
In both of these scenarios, the athlete has to be the coach and override the software.
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here’s where i think TR gets its off a bit. they advocate increasing intensity to create a stimulus. sometimes a stimulus can merely be just riding your bike, eating right, recovering, sleeping. it makes me think the AI is as stupid as it is clever. with my PL levels it would be daunting for me to do AI workouts, and my FTP is set 5 watts from AIFTP. good luck doing endurance rides at 2 hours!
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I mostly agree with what you’re saying, but I still think that talking in absolutes is a mistake. The upper end of SS is ALMOST your FTP. There are certainly days when an hour at almost FTP is hard work. Most definitely not easy, and once in a while, you might even have to push yourself.
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Same here, SS for me has always been just on the comfortable side of uncomfortable if you see what I mean. It’s not riding to the shop for chocolate but it’s not blow your doors off unless it goes on for a long while.
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I agree with @Pbase. SST isn’t a stroll in the park. 3x15 @85% isn’t that hard, but it should hurt a bit. I’d say ranging from 4-6 RPE depending on how tired/fatigued you’re.
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FWIW, I’m kicking off Master’s Base HVIII today and this is what my block looks like. You’re falling victim to the LV option - I’ve been using TR for nearly a decade and have found that whenever I’ve selected a LV option (regardless of plan type) it ups the intensity to make up for lack of riding time. Prior to Master’s plans becoming available, I’d typically do Trad Base LV and then throw in a couple of “Train Now” rides per week that gave me more intensity and that worked well for me.
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I’d say that this plan looks pretty good - at least for me. I started General (old SST I guess), and didn’t like it. It looked I wasn’t ready for that much of SST.
Swap at the end of the first week for Tradicional base, 1st block just endurace, then 2nd tempo, and then on the 3rd vo2 and threshold. Finishing my 2 week, but the feeling is way better.
Also, and I know it was discussed somewhere, but this name Masters isn’t the most correct one, IMO. It’s not for “old people”, it’s in fact an excellent plan for everyone, but the Masters name gives this connotation.
i’m the opposite, as presented it’s not a very good plan at all.
Really, you think 2 hard days being a vo2 and threshold is too little?
A bit odd.
Would look better without the ‘fake’ VO2 sessions, I guess they will adapt, as will the threshold.
This time of year, Northern hemisphere I can’t see a time I would want too follow that or would suggest it. I guess it is personal preference and catering for the masses. It’s only a starting point. I wouldn’t be doing VO2max every week though.
I don’t understand why people get so hung up on the the word “masters” or see that word and think “old people”. I’m not a cycling expert or even play one on TV, but in the competitive cycling world (or athletics in general), isn’t any rider 35 and older considered a masters athlete? I wouldn’t call a 35 yo OLD. 
That aside, you hit the nail on the head when you say these plans are for EVERYONE and TR has said as much as well.
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