This is exactly why I got an actual coach, I really needed to outsource the mental load as I just did not have the brain space for doing my own programming anymore.
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Wow, I am embarrassed to admit I overcomplicated my life far more than necessary 
I lap each work/rest interval individually and then inevitably get stuck on figuring out where the **** I am on interval 37. Damn.
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I never thought of it either. Definitely the easy way.
Here I thought you meant using the lap button at the end of each under, over, on, or off. I’m flat out even remembering to press the lap button when I’m boxed. 
Oh no, I definitely meant use of lap button every 30s. Turns out, that’s not at all needed, but somehow the simplistic solution of “Lap, wait X minutes until done” where X is the # of work intervals just didn’t come to me
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I “self coach” and have to say that the TR calendar makes it so easy to set up a season and move things around when needed.
That said… I’ve thought a lot about getting a coach lately but I’m pretty sure I’d drive them crazy. At this point in life I will always choose a fun outdoor ride when the weather is good (I’m on the CA coast where fog and windy afternoons are the norm so when it’s nice, I can’t pass it up). Or when my buddies hit me up for a ride… Structure be damned.
Wouldn’t have done that in my college or post-collegiate running days when I had a defined goal, but now with my 50s around the corner my priority is solely doing what I enjoy the most.
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Have they finally fixed the push week thing?
Depends on the coach and your goals. I’ve had a coach for like 7 years now. When I’ve been training for big events that are A races (Ironman, unbound) I know she would give me a side eye if I was like I feel like riding my mtb on Saturday instead of a planned long endurance ride or something especially the closer to the event it was.
But outside of that even though she lays out a plan she’s not getting bent out of shape if I occasionally switch things up.
And she has plenty of athletes who have way more chaotic schedules than I do so she has to adjust plenty of things.
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Eh, you might be surprised.
You’re probably right… I coach teenagers so certainly know the “pain” of athletes going rogue and doing their own thing. I roll with it though (with an occasional eye roll @TooManyDogs) so I guess it could work for me too. ha.
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Coaching teenagers certainly is different.
As an adult, I’m paying the coaching fee, and communicate with my coach which races each year are REALLY important. In the end I can do what I want but if I start going rogue a lot she’ll let me know how that will impact me being prepared for races.
I’m also not an elite athlete so there’s a big difference between somebody always shooting for podium and somebody like me just finishing and trying to beat some time goal I’ve set for a race.
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This is a brilliant point, just wanted to emphasize it. Many of my workouts are very simple, and thus easy to remember on the road. I do have more complex stuff for trainer users, but ultimately if you can remember 3x15 on 3 min rest, then you can do it without staring at your head unit. Those simple workouts are more than enough to get you where you want to go.
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Are you me? Church leadership commitment, almost 4 kids at home (5, 7, and soon twins), full-time job.
I’ve had one coach use workouts like these for endurance/tempo:
In my past days, I would have stressed over completing perfectly and would have rode in ERG mode indoors or pulled my hair if it was outdoors season. I now realize it is to stop athletes from getting bored. You get the same workout by riding at target IF and varying as you feel like it (or not).
I had another one prescribe like this, no workout created:
“1 x 30m @ 245-265w. Full range of Endurance the rest of the ride (165-205w)”
Straight to the point. Ride, do the interval, ride some more. I’d trust to get more detail if it was important to do interval near beginning, middle, or end.
I should also mention that the “keep it simple enough that you can track in your head without a programmed workout” point wasn’t mine, but to be quite honest I don’t remember what blog/podcast/book I read it in.
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Very similar to TR’s indoor vs outdoor pushed workouts.
The indoor version of black is 24 intervals + WU/CD. Outoor is one main working set with a 50w range + WU/CD.
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To be honest, stressing those sorts of details really doesn’t make much of a difference.
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Maybe I’m just over complicating it. From what I’ve read so far it looks like a much less exact plan would have most of the same benefits.
I still think that I’d need a reasonably accurate ftp measure so that know what to base the next 4 weeks upon?
The answer to this question is always yes - training by power with an improperly set FTP (high or low) doesn’t make much sense. Depending on your FTP, you should be within within 2-3%, which is a 5-10W+ swing.
Have you listened to the podcast this week?
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