Hi, 61 here and with TR since November 2017. TR improved my cycling performance, and it helps to get the best out of your actual potential capacities (which are for sure less than 20 - 30 years ago).
Have been an avid cyclist for almost 50 years however with also inactive periods of several years, mainly due to work abroad. Picking up cycling always resulted in spectacular weight loss (15 - 20 kg), increased fitness and overall well-being.
Due to a trainer breakdown I was recently 4 weeks without TR but continued my outdoor weekend rides. Lacking TR impacted on my fitness, not catastrophically but notably. A new trainer (Saris H3) finally arrived last week and will give me for sure a reality check, since I lived for more than 3 years on the Tacx Vortex Smart cloud which notoriously overestimates. Curious what will be result of both effects: (1) more accurate trainer and (2) a bit of fitness loss… (BTW my Tacx Vortex FTP was 276 Watt). Cheers!!
Well, from what you all are saying, it looks as though there is “hope” for me, even at 83. Long history of fitness: military high school, 6 years USMC; got terribly out of shape during my doctoral program; tripped one day while walking and I almost rolled to death 
so I began a walk - jog - run program which at least forestalled further obesity. First marathon at age 39 followed by gobs of that stupidity with a PR at 50 miles of 7:42 and some odd seconds. PR at distance almost a 100k.
Beginning in the mid to late 80’s, jog now and again but continued with HIIT Nautilus. Early 2000’s I began x2/week HIIT strength training and most recently using the Swedish developed (IIRC) 3-1-5, negatively accentuated HIT w/ XForce equipment (e.g. positive at 100#’s, negative becomes 140). That stopped on April 6 of this year for an EGY laparoscopic appendectomy. Doc said “NO WEIGHTS - but indoor cycling is good to start. Bought a KickR Smart bike, and now I’m doing workouts that follow from using Xert and TR.
Downside to strength training for me is that it did/does not provide for equivalent conditioning, so I’ve enjoyed seeing my Max V02 go from mid 20’s to low 30’s in the space of a couple months. Peak Power varies but generally around the mid 300’s; watts/kg 1.4; TP is upper 90’s; LTP, lower 70’s. AM HR is 52 upon awakening; Max HR 186 observed. CERG body age is 65.
I make major use of Recovery software, e.g., www.8weeksout.com, the Readiness metric from a sleep app; Garmin’s body battery which is FirstBeat derived, coupled with the age old metric of “how do I feel” on the day of a scheduled workout.
The 80’s it is said is the phase of life to be used as preparation for the 90’s, itself preparation for the 100’s. I’ll likely make it to the 90’s or farther, given what I know about the health effects of hopefulness.
I appreciate being here and learning from you all and from what TR can contribute to my wellness.
Take care, anthony
Chapeau Sir 
Anthony, you are an inspiration for this 67-year old.
David, do you not use the erg mode on a smart trainer?
PS I am another KM FTP test advocate.
John, I was doing it outside back in June. I’ve tried it on my Kickr before, and the general recommendation is to do it in resistance, rather than erg, mode, as I recall. I’m planning another outside attempt tomorrow.
With apologies for my error regarding the Morpheus recovery app….the correct url is www.8weeksout.com (I just use it, I’m not a shill for them). And thank you both kindly for your replies. 
anthony
Good going, Anthony. My physiologic numbers are a bit “better” than yours – genetics and a longer history of endurance training are the usual reasons that people give for this. AM HR about he same as yours; recent max HR a few beats lower ~ 175-180. Body age about 65; Vo2max, estimated by HRVtraining, low 40s.
So my sense is that with a graduated training program and some care in responding to your recovery metrics, you should be well into higher power numbers and endurance than you are now, after only 3-4 months of training. Good luck with all that, and do let us all know how it is progressing.
Michael
Michael, thank you so much for providing me with your numbers as a comparative context. My CERG body age reports a Vo2 max of 42 for “age” 65. I think both metrics are optimistic given the very many years I"ve been away from Endurance activity. In any case, I very much appreciate your encouragement for it is invaluable 
I shall indeed continue on. And from time to time update the data. take care, Anthony
Brace yourself! My Tacx Vortex was off by 30-70 watts at threshold wattages.
You’re right! Same figures here. I hadn’t a wonderful day and struggled a bit with pacing, HR, cadence and the right gear during the 20 min FTP. Result: 220 W. 
Did some workouts with this ‘new reality’. I feel there’s a bit more in the tank. Maybe up to 230 W but definitely not much more beyond that for the time being.
Against my habits will try a Ramp test today.
But to come back to the topic: the Saris H3 runs beautifully (all on the small ring).
Adaptive Training now in open beta. I wanted to pass along that AT is now in open beta so any TR subscriber can give it a go in case you haven’t been following the forum on that subject. I started about a week ago. So far so good (at least for an old guy 
)
I’ve been in AT for a week, very impressed so far
I am back now into planning for my fall/winter as weather gets colder here. I went into plan builder…set my planned date for an A event…early June 2022. I know for myself three weeks of build leads at some point to a spiral downwards that typically ends up with me getting sick. There is no easy way to add extra recovery days/weeks in plan builder. I talked to support that confirmed there wasnt an easy solution.
What I presently did is add in an extra week off in each build phase towards the end of the build. I will still need to move some weeks around but it appears to be simplest solution. My weeks off will be a week of easier rides so the typical recovery weeks.
Just curious if anyone else is adjusting their schedule to get additional recovery.
FWIW a year shy of thread age… long base of 3 weeks on and 1 week off (not TR). Then 2:1 or 3:1 for build depending on what I’m doing.
Saw this in TR’s Instagram feed about a 74 y/o cyclist who had a big bump from AT. Hope they have him on podcast. Login • Instagram
If you don’t have Instagram, here’s the text:
Getting out of bed can be seen as a success but that’s a cop out. You can improve at any age. That’s not to say you can beat your age 29 time at whatever but you can improve something at any age. Be like me. I took most of the lock downs off and my FTP went in the crapper. I am 81 and my FTP is back on the up slope and improving. 
Adaptive Training after 60 is opposite of Friel’s 80/20 recommendation? I’ve been on AT for a couple of months now and enjoying it but wonder about the mix, especially for over 60 cyclists. I’m on a training plan based upon a 40K race in May, 2022. Currently, my MV plan is mostly SS. For example, one week next month has 5.75 hours of 3.75 hours of SS at 7.5 PL, 1 hour Threshold, and 1 hour endurance.
Listening again to Joe Friel’s podcasts that aging cyclings should do only 20% intensity and 80% endurance, TR’s AT plan seems exactly opposite. Only 20% endurance and 80% intensity. I’m looking for feedback from others if your plans are similar and input on if you’re finding it productive. Thanks.
I’m on Rolling RR LV, but subbed in the experimental polarized 6 week base and the following 8-week build to get that effect (age 67, FWIW). The problem is when the plan gets to specialty there is no polarized equivalent. Since I don’t have a target even right now I simply deleted the plan after build and did another plan with the same POL base/build sequence. I wonder if TR has anything in mind beyond POL base and build?
FWIW as someone closing out my fifties and sixties around the corner, I saw performance and FTP improvements by switching from TR plans to FasCat plans in Feb 2020. The FC plans on paper look closer to 80/20 intensity distribution, compared to TR SSB MV (and HV) plans.
Basic difference between the two plans can be easily seen on my polarized intensity distribution over comparable 19 week periods:
- 53/34/13% on TR (avg 6.5 hours/week 2018)
- 80/15/5% on FasCat (avg 7.5 hours/week 2020)
To be honest I was surprised. The other plan is built around zone2 and adds in enough intervals to be effective.
My first plan was TR SSB-1 HV starting Dec 2017 and as completed (with some mods) it was 52/37/11% distribution on avg 8 hours/week. While I exited that in Jan 2018 with bulletproof legs, it started a fitness decline that didn’t turn around until I did TR Traditional Base in Sept 2018.
TR subsequently updated the plans in early 2021. They look better but still are heavy on intervals and too much time in happy hard middle zone.
