Changing up Sweet Spot intervals

Training
1

Hi there,

I am following a plan builder custom plan in the build up to my events next year. Just started and there are a lot of ‘longer’ sweet spot intervals stuck in there. Generally speaking I don’t seem to perform well at sweet spot intervals and really start to suffer when they get longer than 7 - 8 minutes. I realize that I need to work on this limitation and am working on it. So, my question is, considering that I’m busy with the plan and the workouts are already selected and I want to push through with the plan, how should I adapt these sweet spot workouts, lets take Donner for example. It has 3x12 minute intervals which I just can’t get to the end of, so should I:

  1. go for as long as I can (say 7 minutes), take a 2 minute break, and then back up to prescribed watts for the final 3 minutes.
  2. drop the intensity 10% and try and ride all intervals for the full 12 minutes
  3. Push interval 1 for as long as I can (maybe even the full 12 minutes), then push interval 2 for as long as I can and then same for interval 3 - even if this means that interval 2 & 3 end up being way shorter due to fatigue?

Here’s my latest workout for reference: Log In to TrainerRoad

2

Not sure I can offer much help except o say that your profile is set to private, so I can’t see your workout with the link you’ve posted

3

oops, sorry, updated to public

1 Like
4

I think your FTP is overassessed.

Drop the intensity to complete the intervals in their entirety with good form.

12 minutes is not a long sweet spot interval.

4 Likes
5

I’d second the opinion that your FTP should be reassessed. Sweetspot intervals may be challenging at 20+ min but 12 shouldn’t be an issue at all. If you’re struggling to complete 3x12 you’re riding your intervals at or even slightly above threshold.

As other threads in the forum address, TR doesn’t have any really “long” SS interval work in any of the plans. A well trained rider should be able to work in this zone for 90min or more.

4 Likes
6

#3, then change to #1. Get as much time in zone as possible, and you’ll continue to improve!

Brendan

7

If somebody asked you to do an interval that’s as much power as you can handle for 8 minutes, what would you call that power? I’d call it VO2max. Somewhere around 105% to 110% of threshold, maybe?

Looks like you crushed your VO2max workouts (Taylor -2 & Baird -2) but struggled with Kaweah, Donner, even Geiger +2. To this I say WELCOME TO THE CLUB! ha! You’ve got a strong VO2 capacity but your threshold ability (relative to your strong VO2 ability) is a little under developed.

Your threshold isn’t 75% of MAP…it’s more like 72.5%. No problem. Nothing a little threshold work won’t fix with some help from TR. But you gotta really be doing threshold work, not VO2max work. So dial back those theshold/sweetspot workouts a few percent. Probably don’t need to go all the way to 10% reduction…start with a 3% intensity drop and see how that feels.

Or, do a ramp test and see where you’re at. Has it been a while since you tested?

8

OK thanks, guys, much appreciated, gonna do a ramp test, then get my head in the right space and start working on my threshold ability :+1:t2:

9

I don’t think another ramp test is required. Just drop the intensity so that you can complete the intervals.

If backpedaling is required, make it minimal. 60 seconds max, and back off from there. The next time try 45 seconds, then 30 seconds, etc.