TrainerRoad - STW approved sessions

Its fine on the intervals, feels spot on to me, just trying to spin at 85rpm and <100watts or the 20w bit was hard work in the recovery sections, its not an issue, i'll keep going on this FTP for a few more then see how i feel like you say.

I'm confused - you were finding 85rpm at 100w difficult - too fast and bouncy?

No. Too easy. Its difficult to put that little power in. Its only for a short time and for recovery so doesn't mean anything really.

Well, its supposed to be easy, its rfecovery and its basically just turning the pedals to flush the lactic out and warm/cool your muscles.

Depending on the plan, you should be finding the effort as per the instructions which for most is [i]barely [/i]completing the end of the hard intervals. Then let the recovery worry about itself, you arn't supposed to be working hard at that point.

Does anyone else get this when doing intervals ~ 60-80watts higher than than threshold....For the first 1.5mins in each interval I feel horrible, legs burning etc but then this goes almost completely after that and the rest of the interval is "easy" compared to the first 1.5mins, power is spot on & HR rises slowly to what I'd expect. I had a good warm up & it's the same on every interval so it's not that.

Yes, pretty much. Takes me a while to settle into a change of pace (more so as I get older!) You may also be putting in a surge of power to accelerate up to the new steady state (you won't see this if you are using virtual power) and it may be you are taking a minute or so to "recover" from this acceleration.

I did wonder if it was an age thing! No I have current / actual power showing on my garmin (from power meter) & I'm not going over the watts, just up them steadily. I find it hard to sit at the desired watts during the first minute or so, then it all settles down. But glad is not just me!

Had s nasty session on Tuesday night 10mins at threshold, 10mins easy then 20-30mins threshold with every 2mins up my watts by 80 for 20sec then settle back to threshold. Set a new FTP, Quite a nice way to get a new ftp too.

Sounds evil. Chasing imaginary breaks there? 👿

Yep same here. Last night I was doing over unders. I was imagining I was pushing a bunch on the overs dropping people out the back. The first 30 seconds of that and minute of the unders hurt. You just have to let the lactic clear and not give in to the burn and carry on as you say with relative ease.

Either that or repeatedly attacking. Racing starts in 8 weeks & my training plan looks pretty evil! Did you ever go down the coaching route btw?

Yes I did. Though as soon as we started for the first month I had some cold bug thing that meant I couldn't train properly 🙁 Back on it now and so far been quite different to what I've been doing previously. Hopefully it's what I need to be doing.

Hi there, first post on this thread as I'm signing up to trainer road next week after getting a taxc turbo last week. I've been using sufferfest on a spin bike for a year or so and am pretty savvy on what i need to do to sit in the garage and train. A couple of questions for you. What resistance level do I set the turbo on. It is a tacx flow with a digital display that is used to adjust the ' gradient' therefore increasing or decreasing the resistance. From memory this goes from -4% to +9%. It also has a power output display but unfortunatley this cant be tied into the trainer road software so i'll be on virtual power with a garmin speed/cadence. I realise that i need to keep it the same or my readings and hence training will be skewed.Thanks in advance

If you're trying to use virtual power then I guess it's whatever curve TR has for your trainer, you'd need to align to that. If it's not obvious I'd contact the TR support guys, they are usually very good at responding (frequent this thread sometimes too.)

I'm just getting started and figured that the Sufferfest Novice plan might be the best option. Bit pricey but I need something to structure what I do

ah i see. I didn't realise i had to align trainer to a curve. That makes sense. I haven't downloaded the software yet as usb dongle isn't coming til monday. Thanks

Having just signed up for trainerroad I've a question: For those doing the training plans how do you mix the turbo training with weekend rides? Looking at the Sweet Spot Base, the low volume has workouts on Mon, Wed & Fri; the mid volume has workouts on every day except Mon & Fri.

Do you modify the plan, time shift it or double up on rides at the weekend?

Think I said this a few pages back, but for me I recon that the sweet spot training plans would be suitable for just about everyone and offer 90% of the benefits of following a totally customised plan at virtually zero cost.

Either pick a plan that allows you train outside as normal, therefore the low volume one, substitute a TR session with a similar outdoor season, or forgo the outdoor ride.

Depends on your level of commitment, there are a number of people on this thread that can be found on their turbo/rollers even in high summer....

Depends on your level of commitment, there are a number of people on this thread that can be found on their turbo/rollers even in high summer....

Chef, that would have been me last summer 😐

[img] [/img]

Though more to do with the constraints of childcare than commitment to the turbo. I'm doing more outdoors now that I was in the summer!

Ta.

I think I'll do the Sweet Spot Base low volume but time shifted by a day.

I need to sit down and spend time reading through this thread to pick up hints and tips.

Nice blobby, nice. Getting it done.

What resistance level do I set the turbo on

Trevor from Trainerroad previously gave me the advice of being at an appropriate resistance to meet all the power requirement within the cadence band of the plan I'm using.

Therefore whether you are grinding 200w at 85rpm, or knocking 330w at 120rpm, if thats within the plans advised cadence you are at the right resitance. 65rpm or 150rpm respectively means you be in the wrong ball park.

Having said that I can reach my range on both level 2 & 3 of my Turbo, but I've chosen 3 as thats harder, naturally 😈

Looking at my next workout it says to do isolated leg training, I use flat pedals on my trainer, any ideas what to do? Just pedal with more attention to the one leg?

I switched to flats after I finished base so not sure if its possible, maybe in a high gear. If not its only a small part of a few workouts. I relax my cadence during the active recovery intervals to avoid changing too many gears and the 10% bits are backpedaled ie zero power unless you have a computerized trainer.

HNY all
Gonna fire up a TR plan after few weeks off. Think Ill try Sweet Spot Base Low Vol. II, as did low Vol I, might have to trim that little recovery 30 min ride out?? Also just tried Ebbetts at new FTP and that was pretty darn hard!!

Also been playing with Training Peaks, it looks really, really good, even just free version. Great way of keeping track on weekly TSS, especially if you drop saturday TR ride and do your own outdoor sunday ride ;)..

Don't think Ill pay for TP though, as already Strava premium & paying for TR, all mounts up. Could probably join a gym for cheaper than all that?

I'd dump strava premium and go for training peaks.

i've failed/ missed a couple of sessions recently due to weight training the day before leaving me trashed.

Anyone got any suggestions, or good links to training plan structuring. I don't seem to be getting it quite right at the moment...

m - commute- weights
t - trainer
w- commute -weights
th - night ride
f - commute weights
s - trainer/ rest
s - trainer/ longer ride.

I know it looks like not much rest but actually most of my commuting is at recovery- aerobic pace. and both thursday/ sunday rides are fairly relaxed.

What's the purpose/goal for the weight and trainer sessions?

Sounds like they are not compatible in their current configuration.

As you've found, you really need to rest after weights sessions. Maybe one a week with a rest day afterwards?

As Chef says, depends on the purpose of it all really.

trainer i want to improve threshold. i'm working through sweet spot base; but at a slower than prescribed rate.

weights; all round conditioning/ core but also on bike strength. I'm following stronglifts 5x5. which has squats on every session and deadlift on every other one; in short pretty tough on legs.

Sounds like they are not compatible in their current configuration

Hmmm, not looking like a good combination.

Try switching it so your gym session is the day after the TrainerRoad session.

If that fails then drop the leg work for a bit. Get to a point where you can manage, under normal workload/family life, 3 weeks of core and upper body gym work and trainer sessions, then start adding in the leg work again and see what happens.

However both sessions sound hard so I'm not surprised you're struggling to be honest.

OK, just done my first TR workout - Birch. I was looking for something about 45mins in duration and that was a gentle introduction rather than a beasting. I need to get used to the system plus learn to spin a little quicker.

I'm using virtual power and took a guess at the resistance level to set the turbo to, I think I probably got it about right as I was hitting the power bands with a cadence of 85-95. I might try the next level up but I'm in the right ball park.

Right now I'm thinking that I'll do a few more workouts before trying my first 8 minute test and commencing the Sweet Spot Base LV 1 plan. So can anyone suggest maybe four workouts that can lead me in to that? Ideally 45-60mins in duration.

I've just done my first real trainer road ride. Starting on the sweet base 1. Doing the 8 min test, sounds like you need to do this first really so it can work out the correct ftp you should be training at.

I know it looks like not much rest but actually most of my commuting is at recovery- aerobic pace. and both thursday/ sunday rides are fairly relaxed.

not much intensity then? depends what your ultimate goal is?

Whitestone - Mash the test out for your next session for a rough FTP value. Get started on sweet spot, which will prob feel rel comfortable (apart from the dreaded one-leggers!). After a few weeks re-test FTP - the combination of being used to the program and the turbo, and having a better idea of pacing the test will then give you a more accurate value to take forward.

Just signed up for trainer road, first 8 min ftp test this wednesday!!!, joined the stw team too. gonna go for sweet spot low volume 2 to start with i think....quick question...is ftp 200 the default setting when doing first 8 min test?. Cheers

Mash the test out for your next session for a rough FTP value.

Gulp! 😆

I'll have a rest day tomorrow and go for it on Wednesday ...

quick question...is ftp 200 the default setting

teamslug - Member
Just signed up for trainer road, first 8 min ftp test this wednesday!!!, joined the stw team too. gonna go for sweet spot low volume 2 to start with i think....quick question...is ftp 200 the default setting when doing first 8 min test?. Cheers

Yes, but as per the instructions you've to ignore FTP the first time through (as it is in no way related to you) and just smash yourself

Just done Clyde as a test of resistance level 2 on the turbo which I think will suit me better as I'm in the lower-middle of the gear range for 90% FTP level. Just felt like a steady effort.

Beginning to think that Elite's version of my turbo's power curve and TR's might be a bit different - annoying 😕

P.S. Just dun the Chimneys, was fine with the "big gear starts"

First FTP finished earlier today.....retching at the end....the worst thing I've ever done with clothes on!!!. Paced it quite well. Went off too fast on first interval but both were pretty close on NP,IF and TSS, and I reckon I had nothing left in tank either. Hoping to progress pretty well to start with as my riding dropped off quite a bit since October. Gonna go for sweet spot low 2 and see how I progress.

Nice work there teamslug! 8)

right I'm getting in on this.
have a supported turbo and a garmin cadence sensor.

Am I right in thinking that all I need is something to link the sensor to the ipad? Planning using an old ipad1 so thinking an ANT+ dongle would do the trick.

or would I be better off buying a bluetooth cadence sensor and using that as at least it'd have the potential for linking with a laptop/newer ipad

I'd go Ant+ over Bluetooth any day!

Check with Trainerroad's list of supported devices, I'm not sure the original iPad is supported but if it is then you just need the ANT+ stick and as it's 30 pin you don't need any other connectors.

I'd go Ant+ over Bluetooth any day!

Why's that Chef? Bad experience with bluetooth sensors?

Wish TrainerRoad would sort out support for something like the Wahoo bridge like on the TICKR+. I'd rather use that than an ANT+ dongle hanging off a lightning to 30 pin converter shoved into the iPad.

Yeah with a friends Kickr, AirBook, and Suunto HR band. Load of shite the lot of it.

Garmin and Ant+, no messing job done.

FFS! 😯 1st FTP test.

Hard work but I possibly could have gone a little harder in both 8 minute efforts as I felt I could have done another minute or so on the first and possibly 30 seconds on the last. FTP is now 218, at least I've got something now to work on. I think I've got the resistance level about right: the recovery periods were 80rpm in next to bottom gear and my efforts were in the middle of the block at just over 90rpm so I've got room to improve at the upper end.

I think I'll stick with Sweet Spot Base Low Volume for my initial training plan, gives me the option of getting out at the weekend should the gales subside 🙄

One mistake I did make was not to check the pressure in the tyre before I began the session, oh well.

Whitestone, good effort! If you didn't need the sick bucket though you could have gone harder 😀

Do a couple of weeks worth now and get a feel for pacing efforts on the turbo then give it another blast.

Until you've done a couple I think it's hard to determine the effort you need to put in, I aimed at finishing the test even if I was perhaps slightly down on the result. Looking at the output, I managed to do the last minute of the second effort at around 300W, so yes there was definitely something left in the tank.

I take it that now you do the workouts and possibly adjust the level if you feel you can't complete it, i.e. better to complete a workout at 90% or even 80% than not finish it at 100%.

better to complete a workout at 90% or even 80% than not finish it at 100%.

Generally, and especially at this time of year, yes, however there are instances where hitting the numbers and then failing catastrophically/succeeding are prioritized.

Because I start racing this coming weekend, yes to that ^^. A week ago I did several 3 minute VO2 Max intervals, failing at 2:30 or 2 on the 3rd of each of two sets.

I'm confident my FTP is correct as I can complete - albeit with relative effort - OU's and other such workouts.

Well done though, the mere beginning...

Because I start racing this coming weekend,

errr? CX nationals were last weekend, you racing the Tour Down Under? 😀

have a supported turbo and a garmin cadence sensor.

You need a speed sensor. VR is based upon speed and the trainer's speed-resistance curve.

Kryton, you doing the Gorricks?

I'd go Ant+ over Bluetooth any day!

Bluetooth LE Topeak Panobike HR monitor
Bluetooth LE Topeak Panobike Speed/cadence sensor
Bluetooth LE Kurt Inride Power Meter

All work a treat with the trainerroad app.

I've been cracking on this week with some of the time crunched sessions. 30 mins is much easier to fit in and sustainable than hour sessions.

First post in this thread!

Bought myself a cycleops fluid 2, road bike and a tr subscription after several months off any bike, being very unfit and putting on loads of weight.

Did the 20min test and got a ftp of 160 so very low compared to most!

I'm going through sweet spot base 1 and just doing a session every other day. Going well so far.

I'm curious what people's natural cadence rates are though? Mine seems very low as I started off around 72/73. With some work im now happy at 82/85 and use this as my comfortable level. I can get up to 105-110 but it's very difficult. Will this just improve and come easier with more training?

I'd add fifteen rpm to yours. Quite a few of the workouts do cadence drills but it's not obvious which ones are best as you can't filter for it.

It does get easier quite quickly

mrblobby - Member
Kryton, you doing the Gorricks?

No, Mud Sweat and Gears as I'm in North London and didn't fancybthe Sunday afternoons parked in the M25. Although the racimg I'm referring to above is road Crits at Hillingdon. A warm up / see where I am / ultra interval workout series pre mtb.

See you an hour, I'm off to do Givens as a precursor to Saturday....

Obelisk - http://www.trainerroad.com/cycling/workouts/5460-Obelisk- will help you get up to speed (sorry!) , birch http://www.trainerroad.com/cycling/workouts/5472-birch is slightly slower both have instructions and tips to help your cadence higher.

I'm really struggling with TR at the moment. I'm halfway through Sweet Spot Base 2 and I slacked off a bit over Christmas, but I am now really struggling to get complete any workout at all. It feels like the resistance on my turbo has been turned up a couple of notches, even though I don't think I've changed anything. I think a lot of the problem is that I'm commuting 4 or 5 days a week (average 20 miles per day), and the cold and wind is making me really exhausted.

Do you reckon I should just WTFU and power through, reduce the intensity of the sessions, or have some time off the turbo altogether (unfortunately I can't cut down on commuting unless I get sacked).

My aim for all of this is to complete the MTB plan after SS2 in time for the first XC race of the season at the end of April.

do you use a hrm or power meter? dump all your data from the last couple of weeks into a training peaks free trial and see where your at,

an hour a day, plus turbo, too much too soon maybe?

Maybe rest a couple of days and have a crack at an 8 minute test and see where you are at?

HRM and virtual power only. I was managing it before Christmas (although only just, I have to admit), but now I feel as though my legs are made of lead.

What does the training peaks free trial offer?

The thought of an 8 min test makes me want to cry!

Maybe try reducing the intensity of your commute too. I've just started TR and have reduced my commuting, if I had to keep it up I would definately need to take it much easier than normal in order to do the TR sessions as well.

Electric bike for the commute? 🙂

Lol, I wish! Easier said than done with a 35mph head/crosswind on the way home this evening.

Which Base plan are you on?

Sweet spot base 2. Had no problems at all with SSB1 and got a decent rise in FTP after it. This is my second year of using TR too, so I'm reasonably used to the idea of turbo sessions. I think I'm just struggling to fit in commuting and "normal" riding as well.

If not on the low volume, try switching to that? If you are on that already, maybe just lay off it for a few days, then, face it, you're going to have to do that ftp test 🙂

Already on the low volume 🙁

Sigh. Guess I'll just have to WTFU then!

How did you go about adding the 5 or 6 extra hours of riding into your workload?

Maybe just give the turbo a bit of a break and start doing some of the interval work as part of the commute home?

I've not been doing the weekend long ride on the turbo - instead I've substituted it with a MTB or cross ride outside. That leaves the 2 midweek turbo rides - I've been trying to do them either on days when I work at the university (which is only a 16 mile round trip commute) or if I happen to drive to work (or work from home).

I've never tried to do the TR interval stuff outside on a commute. I imagine it's relatively difficult without a power meter. A lot of my commute is one cycle paths though, so I could give it a shot based on HR data and RPE I guess.

Try the time crunched plan?

commute. I imagine it's relatively difficult without a power meter. A lot of my commute is one cycle paths though, so I could give it a shot based on HR data and RPE I guess.

Not ideal but we did it for years before PM's came along! Also a good excuse to buy a PM maybe 🙂

Fwiw I struggled with the 90 minute sessions on SS Base 2 and reduced them down to an hour (missing the last interval) to get through it. It did get a fair bit tougher than Base 1 and the motivation started to slip a little as time wore on, just tried to make the effort to get them done without beating myself up if I felt tired.

I finally took a few extra days to fit in the last few sessions taking a bit extra time off between each, not exactly deliberate but mostly down to fitting in outdoor riding opportunities around icy spells.

Inadvertently it seemed to work as my enthusiasm came flooding back, so maybe a short break will sort you out?

Anyway, first crit for me too this weekend so will soon see how it's gone...

Check your tyre pressures as well, dropping from say 100psi to 80 may not feel that much when you check it with your thumb, but it will make a large difference to the effort needed to reach a certain wattage.

With a commute like that I don't think I would be on the turbo at all! Have you checked that you are eating enough at the right time for training? Do the workout before the commute? I'm currently on the MTB plan and I don't see how I could do it without at least 24 hours freshness in the legs.

I have been struggling post Christmas after suffering with a cold. I was into week five on the MTB low volume plan and I suddenly found week 6 very difficult. I'm thinking of dropping back a week to regain some form.

TrainerRoad recommend finishing the sessions if you can and if you are struggling, manually drop your FTP down a bit to make it possible to get through the sessions. You can always put it up again once you've regained some form and fitness.