I’ve found that I prefer to do my zone 2 rides at constant power because it makes it really easy for me to compare my performance between workouts. I’ve been using the polarized HV plan, but swapping out the Z2 rides for constant 55% or 60% of FTP for 90 or 120 minutes. Is there a downside to doing this vs using the built in endurance rides that have small variations in power over the course of the workout?
I assume that the main downside is that some folks might find this boring, but that hasn’t been a problem for me.
I’m very new to structured training, so I want to make sure I’m not missing out on something here. Thanks in advance!
Monotony as you suggest but if it work for you don’t worry. Most of the endurance workouts that vary a little bit continuously indoors, when converted to outdoors are just one long flat interval anyway.
What rides are you selecting to ride at a constant 55% or 60%? Or are you just turning off erg mode, finding a gear that gets you to the right power & cadence and sitting in for the long haul?
The flattest ride I’ve found is James, at 1.5hrs @ 74%. I only do that one once per week though as 74% is at the tippy top of what I consider Z2 for me. If I want it easier at 1.5hrs I’ll do Little Park and then dial up the intensity a bit so my heart rate isn’t too low.
If I go 2 hrs I’ll do Gabriel as it is pretty flat and 60%. Or for 1 hr I’ll do Lazy Mountain -1 and then dial up the intensity to 60%ish.
I just made some in the workout creator at various percentages and times. If you do that, one tip is to break them down into 15 or 20 minute intervals, it’s nice to be able to look at HR and cadence averages in blocks like that.
One thing I haven’t figured out is how to make it so the last interval counts as “cool down” so that I can extend if I feel like it. If anybody knows how to do that let me know!