Just completed my first Train Now workout whilst I’m currently awaiting a newborn in the house and hoping to utilise a mix of endurance, threshold and vo2max as and when I can in the first few months.
As context , I recently had a lay off the bike for a few weeks and had a big FTP drop from 255 to 226. I’ve been adhoc training for the past month or so trying to play catch up.
I completed homers nose as an endurance workout today which was the suggested workout. It’s obviously going to be easier than a sweet spot workout but just how much easier?
My AVG HR was 126bpm , I know HR isn’t the be all and end all but just trying to get a gauge of difficulty.
I’m not really sure how this is a TrainNow specific topic but in terms of the difference between sweet spot and endurance I have a couple points to consider
Sustained sweetspot is more physically demanding than sustained endurance all the time as working at a higher wattage uses more energy so in terms of “easier” would be the given kJ expenditure difference easier
RPE is variable given motivation, sleep, fatigue, etc. so “easier” would be more subjective given the impacting factors but generally endurance should fall in the lower range of the spectrum with sweetspot (depending on intensity) in the mid-high end of the spectrum
Ultimately the “difficulty” is based on your ftp and whether or not your ftp is set properly which can be done easily through a ramp test or other ftp testing method.
Endurance will be physically easier significantly but might be mentally more taxing so I wouldn’t think too much into it unless you’re going to analyze all of your workouts with a fine toothed comb. At the end of the day get on the bike because you enjoy it and try not to overthink it as I’m sure you’ll have plenty of that once the newborn comes along
Thanks for the response. Sorry, I probably wasn’t not clear enough.
The root of my question is how do I know if my FTP is set correcting when I’m riding endurance work outs.
I’m asking with regard to trainnow as I’m currently off programme and hoping to use a mixture of the trainnow suggested workouts to maintain/gain FTP gains.
Apologies for what might be an obvious answer. Take the ramp test.
But “endurance” is a pretty broad zone, and an incorrect FTP setting isn’t going to be a major drama here (unlike say, over-unders with the wrong FTP).
What’s your max hr. And also there is always the talk test. Zone 2 u should be able to talk in complete sentences. If I can count to 15 I know I am good to go
You can google how to calculate LT1 and you will find a variety of ways of figuring out your low intensity zones. Around 75% of max HR will get you in the ballpark of the upper end of Z2, but as HR is influenced by a lot of factors you can also incorporate RPE to make sure if feels easy. I generally err on the side of make it easier unless I am trying to hit a specific TSS target.
Hey, it might be a little hard to know if your ftp is accurate or not from an endurance ride. A ramp test or another FTP test protocol would best determine/approximate your FTP.
To share my own TrainNow experience, this past weekend I did a three-hour endurance ride by completing a back-to-back two-hour ride and then a one-hour ride, both endurance rides suggested by TrainNow. I had breakfast and caffeine beforehand, a banana mid-ride and three bottles including one with sugary electrolyte mix over the course of the three hours. My heart rate was just over LT1 by the end of three hours (150bpm vs 75% of max at 146) but RPE was probably a 6 or 7, certainly higher than it started at.
I train about 10hrs/week and am currently on the SSBMV plan. Your own training fatigue and actual endurance on the bike (fatigue resistance, or how long you can comfortably ride indoors), as well as a multitude of other factors (sleep, nutrition, hydration) could all contribute to how a single endurance workout felt to you at a particular time. If such a ride consistently feels too hard or easy, do an FTP test to assess your current level.