What do you guys find the longest recovery workouts are?
I think it’s Threshold sessions for me… Often takes a couple of days.
To recover from? Whatever one I’m doing. I’m always prepared and rested for the next workout. In my head anyway.
Z2 
Not surprising really, my typical week has 2x 8-12h at 60-63% of FTP with 30g/h carbs. Enough fuel for ride but hard to make up post-ride calorie deficiency. First ride is ok, RLGL does not complain. Second ride triggers red day on planned rest day.
Compared to that, threshold and VO2max does not seem to affect me much physically. Mentally 3-minute VO2max intervals are worst, these drain motivation fast. 2-min or 5-min intervals are ok. Thanks to fatigue resistance with long Z2, I do enjoy threshold and can recover easily from it.
I do shy away from anaerobic workouts, do not want to encourage VLaMax.
VO2 Max…
… but I think that’s probably more psychological than physical.
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Psychologically and physically for me it’s threshold, there just something about them that I detest with every fibre of my being.
VO2 is hard but at least the durations are shorter and easier to somehow manage (until they get to 3 or 4 minutes long that is)
Anaerobic, don’t really do them as I don’t need them for the type of riding that I do.
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+1 for Threshold 
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IMO, if a threshold workout leaves you feeling worse than a VO2 workout then your VO2 isn’t hard enough or your FTP is set too high.
A good threshold workout should feel like you’re cruising at a decent hard pace until the very end when you start to bump up on TTE. While a VO2 should leave you slumped over your bars gasping for air with every cell in your body.
This could be true, and while “traditional” VO2 efforts often feel much harder in the moment, there are a lot of threshold workouts that have twice as much or more time in zone which is probably what leaves me feeling more sore/fatigued afterward.
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Yes, but the initial feeling after a workout does not necessarily mean you’ll feel the same after 12 or 24 hours. I find vo2max enjoyable - solid efforts that have me ruined, but knowing I’ve done a good job. However, I feel I recovery from them all. I, like others have said, find a proper threshold workout something longer to recovery from because I’ve been working longer
I think my legs may be more acutely sore the day after a VO2max workout. However, threshold workouts are longer, they’re more TSS, and I think I feel more drained the next day. So I have to agree.
In principle you could run a threshold/sweet spot workout that was less TSS than a VO2max workout, but it won’t be enough time in zone for many.
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