I’m trying something new this year.
I’ve been off the turbo and off pace since maybe august/September. (Did get to squatting 225kg thougn)
I remember how to do say 2 hours of sweetspot and how it feels. So why not do it from the start and repeat it often until my power starts to plateau.
Thats my plan for base training this month to get back into the swing of things.
Checking in with a progress update.
When I found this thread 2 years ago I SUCKED at SST work, hated intervals longer than 12min and the thought of doing more than 45min of total interval work was just the last thing i wanted to do.
With COVID been chipping away at this weakness and been building into longer and longer intervals, while power has also been going up.
Just knocked a 3x35min out today and felt great.
Really starting to notice the impact on fuelling, basically burned 2000kj in the 2hrs that it took to do the main working sets, been getting that super dialed. HR also stays pan flat and my Pw:HR is 1.85% for each of the intervals which is a massive reduction from the 6-9% I was originally seeing on even 20min SST intervals.
Thought I would chime in with an update on my progression since my last post.
After the 1x60 @ 90% was ticked off I have smashed through the following weeks of 4x20 @ 90% and 2x45 @ 90% without a hitch, adding in an extra 3x30 @ 92% on Saturday which went swimmingly for some extra TiZ which had set me up well going into the 1x90 @ 90% this week.
I use the past tense had, as unfortunately I came off my bike yesterday in some black ice and have cut and bruised up my hip which is now a little painful. Nothing major other than awkward to sleep and pretty stiff this morning. Seems OK to walk around and have full movement etc and no pain under load so all good.
Now just assessing my options for this week to close out the progression. Rest day today then start easy tomorrow for a few days and see if I can get it done later in week. If it is not looking likely this week then I will turn this week into a rest week and then get the 1x90m @ 90% done next week I think.
I completed my longest Sweet Spot progression today - 2x40 @ 90% with 5 minutes rest between intervals - and I had a weird for me experience: my legs for about the first 10 minutes of the second 40 minute interval felt more sluggish / tired then they did for the last 10 minutes of the 1st interval.
For those that have done log intervals like this, is this “normal”? Have you experience this?
Before today, the longest I’ve done is 3x25 @ 90% with 5 minute rest between intervals.
Yes, that is why I do not like 2x40:) It’s hard to come back after first interval. 1x80 is easier for me physically and mentally.
Interesting. After the first 10 minutes, my legs came back and I had no trouble completing the 2nd interval. It was just weird that my legs felt better during the last 10 minutes of the 1st interval, then they did going into the 2nd interval. When I was doing 3x25, I never had this happen.
i experience this as well. not sure the cause.
its akin to a “coffee stop” on an outdoor ride and why the first couple of mins feels on a RPE basis MUCH higher than what the backend feels like.
Not sure the cause, if its CNS related or truly something to do with how your body is shifting around resources to handle the load, but it sucks and can make you want to quit the interval
I do think it’s pretty normal. As a quintessential diesel I often find that it takes me 10min or more for the system to be running hot and firing.
It’s one thing that helps me to mentally push some hard intervals because I know that it’ll get easier (before it gets harder again depending on the goal).
Thanks. Glad to know I’m not tooooooo abnormal 
Always fun when you start questioning your training or HC climbing choices. If one hour+ HC climb is good, why not do three, or five in a single ride! 
it’s funny how as self coached athletes we go through the whole “I need to change everything” mode at least once a season.
i have a piece of tape on the middle of the fan shroud in front of my bike that just has “consistency” written on it. it is the single biggest reminder of what is important
I wonder what holding 90% for 3 hours climbing up to 9000feet would indicate either my FTP is higher than I think or TR has made me brutally decent at SS… I seam to never dip to far from level 10, but struggle with supra threshold workouts at the same FTP… Is there a huge physiological difference between work done at 90% vs 105% ( the threshold workouts I really struggle with) where I can hold one for 3 hours, the other barely at 10 mins…
yes.
100% yes IME. Happens to me on every long interval workout I do. I’ve found that shorter recoveries help mitigate that some, so I generally stick with 3 minutes. That said, if that’s not enough of a mental/physical break, take longer and remind yourself to expect that sensation and then HTFU and work through it. Pays dividends.
Yep, many times in prior progressions if I was feeling fine I would just skip the rest interval. Knock out the workout a little bit quicker and you don’t have to deal with that fatigue sensation.
Just coming here to day-dream. Been on the bike for no more than 10 times for no longer than 30 minutes a time since early December. Knee injuries suck. Coming back to extensive work is going to be REALLY humbling.
@RONDAL good job, mate!
Same here, although I’ve never done 90% for a 3 hour block. Doing that (especially outside) is quite the achievement! I’d be too broken to contend with traffic by the end of that.
I’m doing a VO2 block, and oh how I wish for the mild discomfort of a 2 hour SST session!
Well I got the 1x90 done. Well happy with myself. I didn’t think it was going to happen with the crash and not feeling great all week but woke up this morning determined to try and close out the SST progression.
That brings to an end 6 weeks of SST work. I feel far more resilient on the bike, able to recover quicker than I thought was possible and think that it was a really benefical block for improving my fatgue resistance overall. I also really enjoyed the nature of the extensive aerobic work and the steady state efforts.
Thanks to all those in the thread for the awesome inputs which helped me on my way. Now for a rest week, some testing (hope TTE has improved even if FTP has not) and decide what to do next for next block.
Alright I think its time to move on to some VO2 work
Sweet Spot at 11.0 because “turn it up to 11!!”
I took regular “Deception -2” and added another interval and then tossed 45min of z2 work onto the end.
HR didn’t crack 150 even after the 400+w sprint for 60s to start every session.
It’s funny when you read the workout goals/description:
Goals
When working close to FTP, the goal is almost always to improve muscular endurance.
This level of effort allows you to bring about much of the performance-enhancing adaptations that come as a result of riding at your FTP but with a bit less stress on your muscles and mind.
Build your fitness to a point where you can remain this close to your FTP for durations this long and it’s probably time to reassess your FTP or push up your aerobic ceiling with some concentrated VO2max work.
Going to try and tackle 120mins of SST next weekend, which is actually giving me anxiety right now, and then have a rest week and kiss this SST block good-bye.
