I’ve been away from TR a while but am considering returning this winter. Previously I’ve done low (did not feel prepared after that), medium, and high-volume TR plans. I’d like to do something like the below but can I set that up? That is my question, is there a way to set up a training plan to meet these specifications without manually tinkering with every week?
4-days per week (Mid-volume?).
Intervals only 2x per week (maybe 3 in April).
Vo2 training with some steady state.
Would a polarized plan be what I’m looking for (never tried it)? Open to suggestions. I feel like 4 interval workouts a week is too much for me at this point and want to log decent mileage.
I’ll be 57 soon and like to be fit for 2-10min (or longer) segments, group rides, and a couple fun centuries mid-summer. But, I still like to hammer those silly segments most.
@eddiegrinwald Thank you for the quick reply! And the links. But because I’m not currently a member I can’t see them. So, are you saying that each week I’d get 2 workouts and 2 “easy days?” If so, can I adjust the length of those off days?
You can use Workout Alternates to find a workout that is the duration you’re looking to ride if that’s what you’re asking. For instance, if you want your Endurance ride to be 2 hours long instead of 1 hour, you can easily find an alternate that is 2 hours long to replace it with.
Here is a sneak peek of what a week or two of mid-volume Polarized Base looks like.
Just to add to what Eddie said, if you want VO2 work once in a while, it’s very easy to delete one of the Threshold workouts and insert a VO2 one. You just select “Workouts, then VO2, then the time you want”. You can even filter further thanks to the Progression Levels and pick a ride that TR’s AI thinks will be Achievable, Productive, or a Stretch.
You might be tempted to go buy some other plan that automatically includes the specific number of VO2, Threshold, and Endurance workouts you think you want because you don’t want to have to tinker with the workouts, but honestly, it’s very easy to do, and in addition, with TR (and some other apps) you get the full library of workouts for each focus at multiple levels and lengths, rather than a “buy it once and just follow the plan” approach, which I’m not a fan of, because life happens and you need to move things around, skip or add workouts, adjust difficulty depending on how you feel that day, etc.
@eddiegrinwald Wow, thank you for the detailed response. Pro level stuff and very helpful especially since I can’t log in to see these example. Much appreciated and informative because a few things have changed since I used TR. This hit the spot.
@Pbase You mind reader! I was about to ask eddiegrinwald about exactly that, adding VO2 max workouts. I’ll probably just log some miles in December and then join TR in Jan.
