TranNow Suggested WorkOut Different in App vs. Desktop?

[ronshev]

Hi All,

Apologies if this has been covered before, but I’ve been using TrainNow and have just pulled up the TR app on my iPhone to see what TrainNow would recommend for 60 minutes and it’s Colosseum -3…a very achievable level 1.7 endurance workout…just an easy spin. (IF 0.58)

Then out of curiosity, I log into TR via web browser on my laptop, hit TrainNow, and the ‘recommended’ workout is vastly different – Redondo -4 - a climbing workout at SweetSpot 5.8. (with an IF of .88)

I did this within 2 minutes of each other.

How are the TrainNow recommended workouts so different?

[mcneese.chad]

It’s best to contact support@trainerroad.com for help with questions like this.

[IvyAudrain]

May take more than just a couple minutes for all platforms to sync up and show your updated Progression Levels (and recommended TrainNow workouts).

But Chad is right, if stuff still looks super off after everything has had a chance to update, contact support.

[ronshev]

Thank you both…certainly will contact support.

[mkleive]

I have the exact experience with TrainNow on the app versus the web browser - I get two vastly different recommendations. I did reach out to support and the friendly agent I spoke with mentioned that they have never heard of this happening.

Refreshing both the app and the web browser does not change the recommendations - the differing platforms do not sync.

I’m aware this is a “first-world problem” so I’ll just pick one.

[SarahLaverty]

This is to be expected!

TrainNow suggests optimal workouts for your current abilities, based on your Progression Levels in each power zone and your desired workout duration. Because our workout library is so extensive, there are usually multiple workouts available that fit the bill. Pressing shuffle or looking on another platform prompts TrainNow to suggest different options from within this list of suitable workouts.

[mkleive]

Well I may not have been clear. What I’m experiencing is on the app I only get “endurance” options as the “recommended” workout. When I go the web browser I only get “atttacking” options as the “recommended” workout. It doesn’t matter if I log out and log back in on either/both platform(s) - I just get different suggestions depending on where I look.

[Neuromancer]

Hi Sarah,

This is interesting. Can I ask for a bit of understanding?

I think a lot of us think that TrainNow looks at your recent training, perhaps your expected fatigue levels (whether this is over a length of time or simply did you do 2hrs of over unders yesterday), what stage of training we are in (middle of a base plan, probably suggest base workouts), maybe what races you have in the calendar, your recent workout completion and grading and then suggests a type of workout and general difficulty level for us within the time period we propose so that it’s always productive and doesn’t take away from our plan.

If so, it shouldn’t at the same time offer an attacking workout and an easy endurance spin, as one would be appropriate in the opposite situation to when the other is. It might though offer a few different takes on a ‘climbing’ workout.

Are you saying that actually it’s more of a “find the intersection of my progression levels and the time and pick a random workout to offer” - without much adaptation learning or ML applied?

If so, this is a lot less sophisticated and the OPs experience would make lots of sense.

[SarahLaverty]

Oh got it, thanks for clarifying @mkleive. The recommended Workouts should be in the same category across platforms for any given day. So let’s get to the bottom of this!

@mkleive

I just get different suggestions depending on where I look.

I looked into your account. Looking from my devices today, you are recommended Climbing workouts on the website and desktop app. See the screenshots below.

I pondered why you might be seeing different recommendations and I realised that you are on an outdated version of the iOS app.

• Could you please uninstall and reinstall the iOS app? You can grab a fresh version of the app from our website here: Download.

• Let’s also try restarting your iOS device. This way, we’re making sure that no errors are happening due to the device being on for a long time.

• If you are using a different device to log into the website, please restart that device too.

• To ensure that the website is working optimally, let’s have you try clearing your browser cache - The browser cache contains files that TrainerRoad’s website uses to function. In a few rare cases, we’ve found that these files can get corrupted. Let’s try clearing them, to see if we get better results for you.

For Google Chrome:

1. Select the three dot menu in the top-right > “Settings” > “Advanced” > “Clear browsing data…“.

2. Select the period of time you wish to delete cached information using the “Clear the following items from” drop down menu. From there, you can choose “Cached images and files“.

3. Select the “Clear browsing data” button, and Chrome will clear your cache.

For Safari:

1. Click on the Safari drop-down menu and select Preferences.

2. Click the Advanced tab. Select the Show Develop menu in menu bar checkbox and close the Preferences window.

3. Select the Develop drop-down menu. Click Empty Cache.

For Firefox:

1. Click the three bar menu button and select Options.

2. Select the Privacy & Security panel.

3. In the Cookies and Site Data section, click Clear Data….

4. Remove the check mark in front of Cookies and Site Data

5. With Cached Web Content check marked, click the Clear button.

For Microsoft Edge:

1. Click on the. menu button situated in the upper right corner.

2. Click on Settings.

3. Under Clear browsing data, click on Choose what to clear.

4. Check the boxes next to Cached data and files.

5. Click on Clear.

Let me know how you get on after giving these steps a shot. As always, let me know if you have any questions for me! My DM’s are always open too

[SarahLaverty]

@Neuromancer

Can I ask for a bit of understanding?

Absolutely, I will always encourage you to ask for understanding! I think most of us want to understand the logic behind our training.

@Neuromancer

suggests a type of workout and general difficulty level for us within the time period we propose so that it’s always productive and doesn’t take away from our plan.

Yes, you are absolutely right. This is exactly what TrainNow does.

To clarify, TrainNow should recommend Workouts of the same difficulty and in the same category (Climbing, Attacking or Endurance) across different platforms, for any given day - we are troubleshooting that above. The specific Workout may differ though. Because of our vast library, there are many Workouts that will be productive for you on a given day. You can use the refresh button to show you even more Workouts in our library that would be a good fit.

What TrainNow considers

Using machine-learning, Adaptive Training analyzes your training history (including your non-TR/unstructured rides) and tracks your fitness with Progression Levels. Progression Levels are unique to you and how we quantify your fitness across each training zone.

Every recommended workout is based on your (dynamic) Progression Levels, which ensures that you get the right workout, every time. It also looks at your recent training history to recommend an ideal type of workout for each day. It will ensure not to overload you if your training has been gruelling recently. Likewise, if when considering your recent training history, we feel that you need an intensity stimulus, we will respond by suggesting a more intense Workout.

The “Recommended” label is based on the intensity and stress of your recent rides and workouts. It’s not intended to replace a training plan, but it’s a quick and simple way to make sure you’re completing a sustainable mix of workouts.

What TrainNow doesn’t consider

TrainNow isn’t periodized—meaning that it’s not necessarily progressive and doesn’t include rest days or recovery weeks. If you are training for a specific event or type of fitness, we’d recommend using Plan Builder.

The most significant difference between TrainNow and a training plan is the principle of progressive overload. A TrainerRoad training plan is built to progress you through the Base, Build, and Speciality Phases. Each phase is both progressive and periodized, including loading and recovery weeks. That way, you strengthen the specific fitness you’ll need for a goal event.

When you should use TrainNow

It’s not intended to replace a training plan, but it’s a quick and simple way to make sure you’re completing a sustainable mix of workouts. If you aren’t training for a specific event at the moment but want to maintain fitness, TrainNow is a great option.

Likewise, if want to supplement your training, TrainNow is a great option to ensure your additional Workouts are productive and suited to your individual fitness and needs. For example, you may add a 4th workout to a Low Volume training plan, if you find that you have a little more time during some weeks.

I’d be happy to shed light on any lingering questions, so please let me know if there is anything I missed!