Trainerroad

https://www.cyclingnews.com/news/are-zwift-and-trainerroad-about-to-join-forces/

It's bad enough that I'm using Zwift. Now it looks like I'll be using the budget version

I subscribe to Zwift and Trainerroad, so hopefully this happens and saves me some money

I can certainly see why a lot of people do that, as Zwift workouts are not great

Give it away, give it away, give those watts away now

Anyone been using the Polarized plans?

What happens when I fill all of these up to 10? JV rings up and offers me a pro contract presumably.

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is the top metric "posting" ?

Motivation.

Trainerroad base plan or simple wattbike version.

Ultimately I’ll go to trainerroad for a CX specific plan again but do I need to be paying for base stuff?!

The base plans are structured workouts like all the other TrainerRoad stuff. You can of course structure all your workouts yourself and avoid paying.

Wattbike do a free structured base plan.

I’m basically trying to talk myself into paying for TR for base training….

I am impressed with the TrainerRoad adaptive programs. If I miss a session or do a real world ride it then changes what is scheduled for me to do on the turbo. A big ride midget alter the workouts up to three weeks away.

I'd not bother myself. In 2020 with lockdown in full swing, I did the TR base training plan and don't think I was as fit as when I do my own base plan. They love sweetspot so get you do endless sessions of that, which I wasn't convinced by at the time, and certainly wasn't later in the year when I'd have expected a higher level of fitness.

You retest you FTP and they all go back to 1.0

I PBd 12hr TTs the last 2 years on TR programs. Problem with training is sample size is always n=1 and you never know if something else could've worked better that year. Maybe you were just slower because, you know, global pandemic, no racing on, stress, people sick and dying everywhere, yada yada.

Then again, there's also a bunch of evidence that polarised training gets better results if you do it properly so maybe SS is bullshit. Seems to work for me, at least compared to previous years of mega volume.

Are you fucking kidding me?

I’ll just keep nudging it up on the workout intensity then.

How much base do you need for ~1 hour CX races?

For me, the turbo is only bearable if I feel like I’m getting the benefit of working at or above threshold.

Clearly you need to find what works for you. TR's base training using sweetspot didn't work for me and, as someone who races cx, thought it was worth sharing.

I'm probably not a good sample though, as a) I hate turbo training with a passion and b) I can ride at much higher wattage levels on the road than I can ever do on a trainer.

You can't do the sessions with the intensity you need for cross without a solid base, so whilst 4 hour rides are probably too much, you still need to devote a good chunk of your training year to base training.

a) I hate turbo training with a passion and b) I can ride at much higher wattage levels on the road than I can ever do on a trainer.

Yep I used to be exactly that. Then lockdown happened and I spent silly amounts of time on the turbo. Now neither of those are true for me.

As Andy says a surprising amount of base needed.

Secondly however base training also happens to be great training for generally being a healthy functioning human I find which I am a huge fan of.

I will also add I generally love sitting on the turbo for 1/2 hours midweek as bang for buck is unrivalled. I have a family and I tend to enjoy spending time with them, turbo allows more of that

First ramp test in a while I always feel the middle intervals are shorter probably because I can’t find a cadence I like so always feel like I’m hunting the power.

Underestimated the result also. Good I guess.

Can anyone see any issue with me splitting my double session day to be over two days.

Spending 1.5 hours each day is easier to pallet lifestyle wise than 3hrs one day. Will it have a detriment to training?

Managed to get an answer that changing days like such isn’t prime but also isn’t damaging.

Anyway 7.6% FTP increase through half a build phase which is entirely down to testing better. Maybe 3/4% difference in reality. Unlike @andyp I absolutely love sweet spot and seem to react best to it.