Indeed I agree with the crux of that, but I am differentiating RLGL from adaptive training. In fact, I agree with you completely (as I stated before) that RLGL is foundational work for further potential functionality.
Also to repeat myself, I like RLGL. It’s a great addition. I just struggle with the suggestion that it gives a ‘better’ indication of when to provide a warning / suggestion to rest than other platforms. It does not look forwards as far as I can tell when determining whether to show yellow or red, only backwards. You can test this easily. Stick in a load of workouts and previous RLGL colours do not change.
It is probably better than TSB, but I don’t think many people use TSB as a black and white indicator of when to rest. RLGL seems pretty reasonable to me, but it’s just another data point. If I could only have RLGL or what I had before (Garmin training readiness, intervals.icu load and form, HRV, feel) then I clearly get a much better overall picture of when to decide to rest from the latter. Of course I don’t have to make that choice, so all is good.
It does integrate into AT by offering to adapt your training plan, so I don’t think you can separate the two. To be honest, I don’t know whether TR considers RLGL a feature of AT itself or an independent feature that integrates with AT. Probably semantics at the end of the day.
It only adapts workouts that are part of TR training plans. Note that AT (and thus, by extension RLGL) does not constantly adapt your entire training plan even though it could, only workouts that are in the near future (block-wise as far as I can tell).
Yes I know that. I think you have to differentiate RLGL from AT even though the maths behind RLGL informs AT, for the purposes of this debate, which is whether it does a better job of telling you when to rest than alternatives. We’re not debating whether it does a better job of adjusting your upcoming training plan, seeing as only TR offers that.
Where I’ve a hard workout scheduled on a yellow day, AT changes it to an easier endurance workout (I have had that happen to me, when I was moving workout days around to suit life). So I personally don’t think you can differentiate RLGL from AT. It’s all part of the TrainerRoad system to me, given that they impact each other.
Is that true? I feel like I recently read something saying that even if you have a custom workout scheduled, RLGL will suggest a more appropriate alternative (presumably a TR workout). I was surprised by that (in a good way), so it stuck in my head. I can’t remember where though, so I could be wrong.
RLGL obviously impacts adaptive training. It would be nonsensical if it didn’t. However your training plan doesn’t affect RLGL in any way. It works exactly the same with a calendar full of non TR activities.
That’s why it is fine to have a debate around how good RLGL is at suggesting when to rest without bringing AT in to it.
AT makes decisions for the future, RLGL is only interested in the past.
I think that is an incorrect / incomplete summary.
It is certainly using the past as it’s foundation, but the present (aka today) is the reason for that prior focus. RLGL can make changes (for those using TR plans) on top of the basic R/Y day color which is a basic recommendation for the current day (which can apply to any non-TR work as well). And keep in mind the whole reason RLGL does what it does is with an eye on the future, to mitigate or prevent overtraining. All that to say that RLGL is about more than “the past”.
I disagree. The colour of the light is not in any way impacted by your training plan for today or the future.
Adaptive Training takes all of that past information that is used for RLGL to suggest or adapt training.
That may be semantics, but it’s important when the suggestion that started this was that somehow RLGL was better at telling you when to rest than other platforms. (Not by TR staff, btw. By TR fans that got a bit carried away).
Totally true, but even lacking that connection, a present day recommendation to dial it back can still be “forward minded” with the basic consideration of mounting fatigue from the recent past.
Yeah, I avoid “better/worse” types of comments, especially when there are unknowns like the back end of RLGL that we simply won’t get in enough detail to make a comparison to the other methods that seem mostly known. To be honest, I simply don’t care to compare the other options and evaluate RLGL with respect to my actual experience via notes and results.
They have for me in early access. I got a yellow day, which triggered an AT adaptation from VO2 Max workout to an endurance workout? I never had such adaptations before RLGL.
Saturday Long outside spin on a yellow day → Sunday Red Day (rest day scheduled) → Monday harder than expected return commute (thanks to wind) → Yellow Day, which AT suggested adaptation from the Planned VO2 Max to Endurance.
The only caveat is that I was picking more “on off” than “sustained” VO2 Max that the plan originally suggested, so I honestly can’t remember which one adapted but I definitely got an AT adaptation.
I nearly posted something about this on seeing the TR post, just to mention that I thought it represented the first instance of AT adapting “off-plan” workouts.
A central issue here is that energy systems are not isolated and can improve even if we don’t work on them. For example, it’s well known that long endurance rides at the bottom of Z2 lead to an increase of your ftp. If TR doesn’t recognize it in your Threshold progression level you will probably waste your time indoors after riding outside next time you do a “productive” threshold workout as prescribed by trainerroad just because your PL is underestimated. You might argue try a higher PL workout but if it’s up to you deciding it what’s the point of PLs?
It doesn’t make suggestions for custom workouts or added workouts not part of the plan or workouts in a plan you have selected an alternative. I had forgotten I chose a threshold alternative and wondered why it didn’t adapt down when it became a yellow day.
Re alternatives, I know it doesnt because the logic is you have chosen to override the plan and it would be annoying if it keep trying to change it back but it would be nice if you had the choice… should be easy to do… a hard lock or unlock switch for the alternative so it can or can’t be adapted by AT
My comment was based on Fridays workout which was just before release so I have no yellow days to go on since it came out of Beta… so maybe it different now to 4-5 days ago.
Custom workouts will be impacted by RLGL now as well! If you get a red or yellow day that falls on the day of a custom workout, you’ll get suggested adaptations that you can accept or decline.
I don’t know, but that is my understanding. I haven’t had much time to ride outdoors lately, so maybe I am wrong.
Edit: I was wrong, and I stand corrected.
I’m not sure you can separate the two, seeing as TR is a training platform.
Even if we ignore adaptations, I assume RLGL does use AT under the hood by trying to link workout outcomes and larger patterns in your training to fatigue. I spitballed how TR might do it, and analyzing workouts and larger patterns in your training seem to be an important differentiator.
