Hi,
I completed Taylor 2 this morning, but unlike running intervals 30/30 where i suffer hard, the target 120% FTP didnt seem too hard for me.
Tho, i did my last FTP test last week.
Should i increase % during next VO2 max ?
Thx !
These are my notes from when I did Taylor three weeks ago:
Wasn’t looking forward to this as I’d a bit of a lurgy this morning, maybe a reaction to something I’d eaten over the weekend. I also have felt a bit cold for the last day or so.
Anyway, needn’t have worried as I found the intervals very straightforward, there was only one (the twelfth) that I didn’t hit target power and that was because I wasn’t concentrating. On average I was around 11W higher than target power. According to the table above that means I spent twice as much time in anaerobic as threshold. I wasn’t struggling to get to the end of each interval lending more weight to my FTP being a bit low.
I bumped my FTP by 3% shortly after this.
Might just be a workout that’s suited to you (and me). If you are doing SSBLV1 then you’ll have Bluebell next week, see how that goes before raising your %.
I wouldn’t bump anything up right away. Stick with the course and see how the next few treat you. You can always increase the intensity in the workout during the last few intervals if you are feeling strong.
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Taylor-2 may feel pretty easy, but rest assured, longer VO2 intervals at 120% will feel tougher. You could try upping the intensity by 2-3% set by set if you think you could handle it.
And also, went back to my notes on this one.
“Very Easy”
“No struggle at all to hit these short VO2 intervals repeatedly.”
I find the shorter VO2 max intervals to be highly repeatable. The longer ones, Spencer and the like are a bit more grueling.
Taylor feels easy to me, and I struggle with vo2max intervals above 90 seconds.
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It is supposed to be a little easier so you are prepared for the coming Tuesdays. Once you get to the last one, Spencer + 2, you will be crying for momma.
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Ha, ha! I don’t think Momma was around to hear me 
I think VO2 Max efforts are my weak spot, I found that hard.
Just about stuck to the target power on all the intervals, the last three were a bit of an effort though and took some focus to keep on power. There were only a couple of intervals where I was more than a Watt or two away/above from target power. My breathing was getting very laboured though and I’m pretty certain I couldn’t have done another interval. Cadence was pretty steady being in the mid to high 90s.
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Short V02 intervals I find I can get through without suffering. The longer 5-7mins intervals I am in a world of hurt. BUT thats what they are for. Its a limit of my own training right now, in sustained power build and as such I want to work on those longer efforts
This is a recurring question. A lot of people find Taylor -2 to be easy.
It’s just a primer for harder VO2max workouts to come. Notice the progression in interval length and quantity as weeks go by, especially if you head into Short Power Build.
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If you found this session easy, take Coach Chads in-workout advice and bump the intensity SLIGHTY and see how you get on. 3-5% should be a reasonable bump if your heart rate isn’t elevating and remaining somewhat elevated.
As others have mentioned, Taylor is more of an introduction to VO2 than a guide. Wait until you’re breezing through the two minutes on, one minute off sessions before you set your stall out.
VO2 capacity can differ quite drastically between TR users and it might be the case that you’re someone who can operate with relative ease above 120% 
5-7 at 120% would be hard. Thankfully, I don’t see any of those! 
It is quite normal for a person, who is in an early phases of training to do 30sec VO2 intervals at a relative ease.
A good indication of fitness is how you feel once you start doing 50/50 and longer intervals. Things get proper tough, once you get to intervals that are 90seconds and longer.
this is normal, taylor -2 is only 0.83 IF which is very manageable, esp with a high cadence.
progress up to Spencer +3 (0.95 IF) and if that’s too easy, time for an FTP bump 
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I swap out Taylor -2 and do the regular Taylor in MV base plan, and also Bluebell +2 instead of the regular Bluebell - mostly because I have the time, and I try and put in a 1.5hr workout on Tuesday rather than 1hr anyway. I too feel those workouts are relatively easy.
Mills and Spencer are tough, and an awakening after the other two.
I stuck to the plan exactly this time around and found taylor to be a bit easy as well. For next time I do SSB2 I think I’m going sub out taylor and move up bluebell and mills by a week and then either stick in huffaker or dade +1 the week before hitting Spencer +2. I really struggle with 3 minute VO2 max and feel like a progression that ramps up to that length would suit me better than jumping from not even 2 minute-ers with mills to spencer.
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I unfortunately found it too hard today. DOMS is my nemesis!
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Dude the mills to Spencer bump is BRUTAL. I’ve done that stretch of ssbv2 3 times, and if I nail Spencer I know a bump is coming.
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It’s always easy.
Wait, the 2 minute and 3 minute VO2Max intervals are coming.
Lets talk again when you are doing those
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^ this. Taylor -2 is a baby VO2 workout. Look at the IF of the workout. When it starts getting above 0.90, the workouts will be hard and in the range where you may not complete without backpedal or lowering the intensity.
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