I have recently done this workout twice. I totally failed the first time around after the first interval, and the second time, I did the first interval at 100% and the rest at 90% but got through it. Either way, I feel quite far away from completing this at 100%. Whats your thoughts.
Here is the workout:
-15 min warm up
-105% for 5 mins straight into 115-120% for 3mins. Rest for 2 mins. 6 sets.
-80% for 2 mins straight into 30 sec max effort. 3 sets.
-10 mim cool down
TIA.
Itās not just you. In fact, Iād be highly impressed by anyone who could complete the first set, much less the entire workout.
Iām glad its not me as Iāve been cooking myself trying to get through it.
If a coach was to set this for one of their riders is there a possibility that is some kind of testing involved within the workout or another goal, as opposed to completing the workout?
The intervals sound fun, and Iām usually a āthe rests in this workout are too longā kind of guy, but only 2min between those efforts sounds rough. Maybe something like 2 sets of 3 intervals, with 2min between intervals, but 5-10min between the sets, that might be more reasonable, but still pretty dang tough. Edit: I gave it some more thought, trying to imagine the effort in my headā¦ and now Iām thinking 3 sets of 2 intervals. There just needs to be more recovery time.
Ha, PusherMan beat me to itā¦ 1:30 length workout, 147 TSS, 0.98 IF. Yeh, thatās not exactly a winter workoutā¦
Edit: This is what I would change it to if I were to do it myself, at least for the first try to get through it:
If Iāve understood your description, this is what the session would look like for me. Iāve included rest periods between the Warm Up and the two main sets.
For me, this would be a Peak Fitness Test type workout. Not something Iād be trying to crack in my winter training.
Youāve understood perfectly. Thanks for the reply.
You have my best wishes! This would floor me right now 
If the built workout and my eyes are correct, thatās a 0.96 IF workout at nearly 2 hours in lengthā¦
If a person completes that workout, Iād wager their FTP is too low. Put another way, that seems like a terribly written workout because itās likely impossible with an accurate FTP.
I see no point in that unless itās made to deliberately crush you and find a failure point vs being targeted workout meant for completion.
Does look like something that would sit in the āspecialtyā phase for something like rolling road race, as a race simulation. Hardcore 
I canāt see anyone completing that with an accurately set FTP, tbh
Itās basically like doing the standard 8 minute ftp test, but instead of twice with FULL recovery in between, only 2 minutes, and 6 xās instead of 2xās. No one is doing this āworkoutā with a correctly set ftp. I donāt even see doing 2 intervals with a correctly set ftp. One interval should be just doable but only on a good day. I call fake workout. 
Most people have a Wā equal to about one minute of exercise at CP. Some, though, can do two, three, or rarely even more. Each of those 8 minute efforts requires about 45 seconds worth. Throw in the rest periods, and I could see some folks being able to make it through the first part. Most, though, would probably fail after just two or three reps.
Interesting, never heard this before. Do you have any publicly available references?
Take your pick, and just divide Wā by CP.
Is there any reason or empirical evidence why this has to be the case?
The longest / hardest workout I do is about 83% for 2.5h. And I think it could be longer, or do 2.5h harderā¦The only thing we know is that you ride your FTP for 45m-1h (TTE), and that is 100%, but whatās to say you couldnāt do 2 hours at 90-95%??
Maybe @old_but_not_dead_yet can chime in
Thanks
My overly simple analysis:
There are probably better metrics or ways to quantify than that, but the IF vs Time is a reasonable one for a quick evaluation, and is why I think the workout is terrible or at least needs a hefty qualifier for anyone trying it.
I could be wrong, but I think you are being mislead by assuming a linear dynamic. Thatās the whole thing about thresholds and why itās an useful concept.
I am not necessarily being ālinearā since I am taking gut feel and SWAG. Besides that, Iām happy to have someone more clearly state it and correct anything Iāve said that is off-base or wrong.
FFSā¦WHY!!!
