I’ve just completed my first TR planned series of 30 WO sessions in 10 weeks. During this time my FTP increased by about 10% and was able to successfully keep to the expected interval target level even when they were challenging (except when I fell badly ill for 2 weeks and had to do some challenging TR WOs - Endurance 3.9 and Threshold 4.9).
I struggled initially to keep to target power and thanks to Eddiegrinwald@TR-Forum and others, I figured out (AT LAST) how ERG-mode works and how I can/should keep my candence steady at any ERG-mode adjusted power level.
Question: How should I smoothly transition between a low-power interval (Recovery/Endurance) and high-power interval (Threshold, VO2 max) especially if these Power ups-and-downs occur in rapid succession with longer high-power intervals (above FTP) and very short lower-power interval (~70% FTP) for almost the complete duration of the TR WO (e.g., Ochiltree TR WO). I.e., should I increase cadence or apply more pressure on the pedal – both initially during low-to-high- transition and during the high-power phase
I am asking this question in preparation for my next TR planned WO series.
I would appreciate concrete, achievable suggestions that will improve my riding skills, help me meet my TR planned WO-objectives during my next TR planned session.
Typically, easier efforts (zone 1/2) will naturally follow a slightly lower cadence than harder efforts (zone 4+). You will generally do both, push on the pedals harder and spin faster as you push higher power. I would suggest an “acceleration” to get your power up as soon as possible. You might shift a gear or two before you initially while you spin up to speed, and maybe 1-2-3 more gears (feel it out) as you settle into constant speed & rpm. I usually find my best power at vo2 around 100-110 rpm, but that can vary individually.
Do I need to shift gears, (even) if I’m riding in ERG mode? Besides, my scenario was related to rapid shifts with only 30 seconds of recovery interval time. I found that in such situations, I barely have time to recover before I need to push again. Hence, my question.
I just did Bayamon in TR on Zwift in ERG mode which has blocks of 15s/15s at effort. I just tried to keep my cadence consistent (ideally a goal of 90-110 until either the legs or lungs give out but not so slow that I death spiral) for each block of work. When I went into the higher of the 15s intervals I did spin up about 3-5s before the change. It felt really smooth and I was able to keep pretty consistent cadence even though the wattages changed–in my head I mentally associate it with punchy climbing/changes in pitch that you may not be able shift for but need to get through. I use ERG exclusively because I can’t be bothered to shift/think in certain types of workouts early in the morning . The transition in interval wattage targets in the TR workouts on Zwift vs the Zwift-native workouts is very different. TR is smooth and feels “outside-y” whilst the Zwift-native workouts always felt too choppy and if they were less than 30s you would spend too much time spinning down the flywheel to get accurate work done. I’d say set your target cadence as your “goal” you want to work toward and try to hold that throughout the workout. It can be so hard but personally have seen a ton of progress in just my FTP by working on rasing my avg cadence from the 60s to the 90s.
Ideally do not switch gears. Occasionally if I have a long block of “off” (5+ minutes) that is recovery wattage I will drop a few a gears or go to small chainring to accelerate the recovery but never in the work intervals. I did find that it helped to calibrate my trainer (varies by model/Saris has an app with a “spindown”).
Thanks for your detailed response. Appreciated it.
In my current TR status, I can do steady/even 90 RPM cadence for 1 hour and can push myself for short intervals to 110 RPM if required (for short intevals without bouncing on my seat). My concern is sustaining my cadence over the duration of the WO.
Earlier on in my initial TR WO sessions, I would do high cadence initially (95-100 RPM) but then slowly drop down to less than 80 RPM. This is what I wish to avoid. What I targeting is steady cadence for the full TR WO duration (rather effortlessly) and still manage many/multiple high-low TR intervals with ~30-60 seconds recovery throughout the session. As I mentioned, the sample TR WO that showcases my objective TR WO is Ochiltree. My objective is to also improve my technique so that I can consistently deliver (within limits) in the long run without changing gears as long as I am in ERG mode.
No need to change gears in ERG mode - choose the small chainring and a middle of the cassette sprocket as your starting point for selecting the gear you use.
As an extreme example, on my Wattbike Atom there is no possibility to change gear when using TR and, even so, I get by OK.
Anticipate the power increase as the start of the higher intensity interval approaches… with about 3 seconds before it starts, begin to push a bit harder on the pedals and up the cadence a touch so that as the trainer catches up to the higher power setting, you settle back to your normal cadence for the rest of the interval.
it takes most trainers a few seconds to transition from a low power to a higher power and that presumes you keep up with the gradient in terms of your pedalling power / cadence.
Having steady cadence is a target is no bad thing, but reality allows for a bit of variation to deal with power changes etc. Developing the ability to pedal smoothly at a range of cadences across a wide power range can be useful too. A workout that you normally complete at 90rpm feels very different at 80rpm and at 100rpm and the benefits arising from doing so are beneficial.
ochiltree is a pretty tough hour - 0.95IF. That makes it harder to complete perfectly (in terms of holding cadence etc.). You will get better at it with more focussed practice at handling power changes, but don’t be too disappointed if you do fade a little towards the end of some of the later intervals on hard workouts.
Thank you so very much for your consistent, complete and comprehensive response.
I thought that your comment – “Anticipate the power increase as the start of the higher intensity interval approaches… with about 3 seconds before it starts, begin to push a bit harder on the pedals and up the cadence a touch so that as the trainer catches up to the higher power setting, you settle back to your normal cadence for the rest of the interval.” – was ON THE MONEY. I often noticed it (this phenomenon) but was not sure if it was a proper technique, or I was just being lucky. Reason: This was the only way I could reach a higher power-target; but what confounded me was the fact that I “magically” settled down to a high-power interval’s target level even if I eased off on my cadence to my normal level (~90 RPM). I could NEVER figure it out and your comment makes me feel MUCH better!! Thank you so very much!! However, I would appreciate if you would be so kind as to comment on HOW THIS MAGIC HAPPENS as I would wish to understand this FUNDAMENTAL technique a little better. Am asking as I could never really figure out this MAGIC technique
I also and agree/believe that I should not change gears when in ERG mode; this is what Eddiegrinwald@TR-Forum convinced me about and this is something that I successfully practiced over the past few sessions
Lastly, I am glad that you – someone – recognized that Ochiltree is tough @0.9IF. While I did complete it (but below TSS target), I struggled a bit and came below target power level toward the end of the WO session. This situation was compouned by the fact that I was recovering from a major illeness that knocked me off for ~2 weeks
Maybe come back to Ochiltree sometime and have another attempt at it.
There is no magic. Not even in anticipating the power change. When TR tells your trainer to increase the resistance, so that you are required to supply, say, 200W after a period at, say, 100W, the trainer does that.
It doesn’t do it instantly and not every trainer brand does it at the same rate. It can also be affected by cadence, gearing, etc. etc. Generally, the larger the increase, the faster the ramp rate.
It can be hard for the rider to keep up with the power ramp rate if she waits until it has started before reacting to it. Knowing it is coming, she can get a little bit ahead of the ramp up starting. That’s all.
It sounds like you’re all on the right track here!
I always recommend that athletes keep a steady cadence throughout each interval if possible. @Qiskit, if your cadence is dropping significantly by the end of each interval, there’s a chance that the workout you’re doing might be a touch too hard.
While it’s normal for your cadence to vary slightly, and even drop a little during hard intervals, if you’re finding that you’re struggling to keep the pdals turning over and you feel things spiraling out of your control, then it’s likely worth turning the workout intensity down, or bailing for the day and letting the software know that the workout was too hard in the post-workout survey.
Otherwise, getting into your preferred cadence around 10 seconds before the start of each interval should give the trainer enough time to adjust its resistance and provide a smooth transition to the new power target.
Remember, Power = Torque x Cadence, so adjusting your cadence will force the trainer to adjust its resistance to keep you at the power target.
This is why it helps to get into your preferred cadence a bit before the start of each interval and also why it can be tough to hang on in ERG mode if your cadence starts to drop too much as you start to suffer. Again, in those cases where you can’t keep your cadence in a somewhat comfortable range, turn down the intensity! If you’re pedaling squares and barely able to keep going, you’re not likely getting the intended stimulus of the workout.
Thanks for your input – advice and encouraging words!!
It is very interesting that you read my mind … I was thinking of redoing Ochiltree before starting my next TR WO planned series; but then I decided to start my next planned series starting tomorrow. So, I may takeup Ochiltree at the end of this/next series or if I decide to skip my weekend outdoor ride due to weather.
TR does not generally specify cadences, though on-screen instructions that accompany some workouts might suggest cadence and cadence changes. Some other workout platforms do specify cadence and cadence changes during a workout. I like that, as it’s just another thing to add variety and help reduce the tedium of indoor workouts. Of course there is likely some training benefit as well, as typical outdoor rides do involve having to vary cadence. I’ll mention that on those platforms, when rapid big changes of cadence are called for, I’ll shift to change cadence without having to wait for the trainer’s flywheel to drastically change RPM. It also helps cadence changes and trainer response to stay in a relatively low gear, like the small ring and a middle cog so that the flywheel isn’t spinning so fast, which makes slows down its response.
Thanks for your constructive suggestions – earlier and now!!
My cadence dropped noticeably with Ochiltree … especially since I was recovering from illness. I guess I should have bailed on it. However, I did report it as “hard” in post-workout survey.
For my next TR WO planned series starting tomorrow, I opted again for the goal to “improve FTP” rather than “increase speed in group-rides” as I thought that I was NOT ready for heavy VO2 Max and anerobic. I hope I did the right thing.
I am curious, though, did you feel like you could have completed another set of intervals at the end of Ochiltree?
Sometimes it can be tough to decide between Hard, Very Hard, and All-Out, and I’m just curious to hear how that workout felt since you did struggle with it.
" … shift to change cadence without having to wait for the trainer’s flywheel to drastically change RPM …" is something that I realized/learned along the way based on TR-Forum input/suggestions.
Besides, I now operate in middle-cogs … thanks to EddieGrinwald!! It makes it a lot easier to manage my cadence and keep cadence and power steady at expected/desired level.
You ask an iteresting question – “if could have completed another set of intervals at the end of Ochiltree.” I believe I “could have” because I got my act together by the end … during the last 3 of 5 Threshold+ level intervals in the 3rd. block. But I did not want to push myself as I was ill, needed to take water/recovery breaks and clear my nose/throat (often).
I was only too happy to complete Ohiltree at sub-par TSS - 84/91 and sub-par IF (0.92/0.95).
Actually I wanted to take a second attempt at it (just as Ivegotabike suggested) … just to prove to myself … but I decided to start my next series and do Ochiltree later when I am physically and mentally better prepared. I believe I can do it now … however, I want some “space” with Ochiltree and need to build my confidence
I was only asking because, based on how you initially described the workout, I thought that Very Hard may have been a better response, but it sounds like you were able to rally and finish strong!
I wouldn’t worry about Ohiltree redemption. Just follow the plan. As long as you’ve recovered by then, I have a feeling that the next hard one will go your way.
. The transition in interval wattage targets in the TR workouts on Zwift vs the Zwift-native workouts is very different. TR is smooth and feels “outside-y” whilst the Zwift-native workouts always felt too choppy and if they were less than 30s you would spend too much time spinning down the flywheel to get accurate work done. I’d say set your target cadence as your “goal” you want to work toward and try to hold that throughout the workout. It can be so hard but personally have seen a ton of progress in just my FTP by working on rasing my avg cadence from the 60s to the 90s.
. While I did complete it (but below TSS target), I struggled a bit and came below target power level toward the end of the WO session. This situation was compouned by the fact that I was recovering from a major illeness 
that knocked me off for ~2 weeks
with Ochiltree and need to build my confidence 
