I got another question regarding a different aspect of training:
Almost all “hard days” I overshoot power in intervals and recovery. What’s labeled as a 3diamond workout before gets always flagged as 4dia afterwards. But that does neither mean I cannot finish the workout, nor do I get breakthroughs there - since my goal was to do intervals, not get BT But since it’s not altering my Fitness Signature, that again means the next workout will likely be too easy again…
So: Should I stick to the power on my headunit or should I go by feeling?
Part of the question stems from an imperfect understanding on how the intervals are prescribed - I hardly get intervals above 3minutes, so I figure that also means going harder rather than easier. In classical FTP models power always way above threshold, more like VO2-zone, although not long enough to get HR that high… Also with the MPA chart being orange/red in the intervals it signals me to “go hard”, too.
So that confuses me a bit and I dont know if “easier” intervals is a deliberate thing or an error in my understanding/execution of training
EDIT: I sure would be able to switch workouts manually every time, but quite frankly: one part of why I pay for is the convenience to not have to do that.
Thanks and cheers from germany
Daniel
As an example:
Born to greatness
should be: 3dia, XSS Breakdown 87 ( 72 | 12.0 | 2.7 )
did it as: 4dia, XSS: 128 ( 99 | 22.3 | 6.6 )
Today I had a hard day with “One Step Closer”. I didnt feel strong this morning, because I slept in and was on the bike within 30min without properly hydrating or eating. Also I had to stop the workout 15min early, too, because I had to get ready for work (sleeping in-tax ).
So I skipped 4 intervals, but I’m not sure if I even wouldve been able to finish them anyway. Or I would at least have had to straight out puke afterwards). Nevertheless out of guilt I decided to still “reset” at least my decayed PeakPower and did just smash it in the last interval just as high as I could go:
Well … I didnt even go as hard as I usually go, but wouldnt have been able anyway. Secondly I only tried to reach PP and I felt like shit and still XERT thinks my TP jumped by 50W? Thirdly I’m fairly certain I could not hold 260W for 40-70min let alone 30. Maybe 20min TT(complete)E, but even that I dont feel confident in. RPE and watts today seemed reasonable, so I do not think it’s a technical (=calibration) issue, either.
Further: 14d ago I did One Step Closer, too. Not only did I complete it, I was pushing slightly higher watts throughout and got more TSS for the same part of the workout - but got no kind of BT though
2weeks ago (I even added 5min slightly above TP at the end):
Peak power efforts with an abrupt stop is known to overestimate TP. If you know the new TP value is out of reach I would flag the activity and then manually adjust the PP if thats a true value. Click on Extract and Save if the new signature seems reasonable.
But since it’s not altering my Fitness Signature, that again means the next workout will likely be too easy again…
).
