I am about to start my base phase, medium sweet spot on Tuesday. I cycle 7 miles each way to work Monday to Friday. I try and do these easy but often get carried away on the hills or chasing other people down. Does this relatively short commute detract from my main effort of completing the trainer road session?
I’m in a similar boat to you although my commute is slightly longer. I’ve done my commute with a power meter equipped bike a couple of times just to see the TSS, it’s was around 40 each way for my 8 mile commute so yes it does add up. Saying that, I’ve never felt it held me back on completing any workouts, you just get used to it.
I always head out saying to myself, ok I’m taking it really easy but then as you say…you end up chasing someone or blasting a section 
4.5 miles each way for me. Ride it relatively easy - recovery ride in the morning, bit of a warmup in the evening before my real workout. Works pretty well
Me too.
I tried TR last season, when my only power meter was the trainer itself, and I consistently cooked myself on commutes, leaving myself unable to complete workouts. So I gave up on TR for the season.
This season, my commuting bikes have power meters, I wear a HRM on my wrist, and I guard dog my efforts to and from work. While my commutes used to be 20 to 40 TSS each way, now I’m sure to keep them under 10, and this season, I’m able to complete workouts.
So it’s worth saving the hammer for TR while enjoying that peaceful easy feeling on the way to work. 
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I am also commuting every day, only 25 minutes by day but with a hill and my commuter bike weighs 20kg. As it it the exact same TSS every day I do not track it and consider it as baseline / background noise. If you are not sweating (other then by heat) I would neglect the impact…
I just started occasional bike commuting. But at 20 miles each way, it definitely will impact my training! (The bike commute helps keep me sane, gets rid of the driving in traffic/work stress). I’m hoping to do some sweet spot intervals while biking, but will have to use RPE to guide my efforts as no power meter. Any suggestions?
This was a topic on a recent podcast (sometime this summer, I think). IIRC, the advice was to ride the commute as endurance, consider a 3-a-week plan to get intensity. Real world, if you chase every breakaway or hammer every climb, you’ll burn out, so consider it practice if you’re a racer.
IANARacer, but did a ride earlier this year that involved a couple of long, and one very steep, climbs (coming from flatland here). Maintaining sustainable pace and avoiding the urge to chase, surge, etc., got me to the end tired, but feeling good.
@Brentbbq, 20 miiles is a commute. Maybe a great chance to 80/20 your training?