Are we still using Focus?

[tommying (Tommy Ingulfsen)]

I’m trying to understand the role of Xert’s Focus as it currently pertains to high intensity workouts.

As I look at my training planner/calendar, I have various high intensity sessions coming up with a variety of Focus titles (Mixed Puncheur, Polar Climber and so on). Each of the sessions come with a somewhat generic description (“…Focus on maintaining a hard effort for many minutes. You should be breathing hard over most of these as this training is meant to elicit VO2max or close to it…”) and a target interval power.

Recently, with Magic Buckets, we now seem to be looking at filling the three buckets without necessarily following any of this (old) advice regarding the Focus interval power for each session. I am getting the feeling that I should simply fill my buckets for a given session, adjusting the intensity depending on how I’m doing that day, and ignore any Focus advice.

Are others doing the same thing? If so, does Focus still play a role at all in planning and executing interval sessions?

[Garrick (Garrick Taylor)]

If you fill the buckets as prescribed, you will achieve the recommended focus and specificity. Focus was useful before MB because it gave you a general idea of target power for your intervals. MB allows you to much more precisely hit the suggested daily targets.

Before buckets it was rare for me to hit a green circle after an outdoor ride. Sunday was the first day in 2 weeks I had a red circle and it was because some of those hills were above TP even in granny gear