Cycling training AI madness

TR Threshold level 3 (60 minute) workouts range from

62 TSS / 0.79 IF (10 min steps @ 60%, 70%, 80%, 90 and 100%) with 30 second recoveries between each step

to

85 TSS / 0.92 IF (3 sets of short efforts lasting between 1-4 minutes at 100-115% FTP with very short, 30-second recoveries between intervals. Recoveries between sets of intervals last 2 minutes each.)

Frissell -2 is in that list, 74 TSS / 0.86 IF (4x9 at 95% with 3 minute RBI)

When deciding if you could complete such workouts, keep in mind that unless you know what your TRAIFTP is, you are deciding blind.

For context, consider that 2x20 workout that you posted here the other day

The TR equivalent of that could be a workout called Gray: “Gray is 2x20-minute intervals at FTP with 5 minutes of recovery between intervals.”

That is a TR Threshold level 5.9 workout. 84 TSS / 0.92 IF

FTP is quite the can of worms for training platforms. I have my opinions but people like high FTPs. Live and let live I guess.

I’m a natural sand bagger if anything. Doing killer workouts due to inaccurate FTP is something I experienced and I hated it personally. It has been quite the rabbit hole of learning since then.

If I recall the pithy power proverb correctly we should train WITH power not BY power.

Dave

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I agree.

I would rather miss out on a small extra gain than go over and end up needing a prolonged recovery period, or, worse, burning out.

I think the TR crowd likes a certain feeling from their workouts. The workouts feel effective, logically makes sense to the audience. And my guess is that’s how they base things. That’s not a terrible approach, especially if they are no longer burning people out. I would say starting at level 3 in December and progressing, you likely peak by March or something. So it depends on when you start and what your goals are. But again most people joining want to feel they are doing effective workouts.

This is all very experimental (to be truthful most training advice is). From my understanding, they’re still fairly heavily sweet spot based. That’s kind of been scientifically “proven” less effective than some other methods. But I would say it’s also validated by many of their users that they’re happy with the results.

I think most TR users feel that they’re time crunched and they should be doing something different than elites, and higher TSS contributes to that solution.

So I believe TR has improved a lot over the last 4 years and I would recommend it a lot more now that I would have in the past. I don’t like this AIFTP concept but if you are 100% bought into TR it’s likely fine. I am not so in love with strict FTP either, or such a heavy focus, maybe this lightens the rigidity which is good.

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Here’s a funny complaint

https://www.reddit.com/r/trainerroad/comments/1qlnwvi/trainerroad_ruined_by_vanity_numbers_and_gimmicky/

One other new feature is “Dynamic Endurance.”

There has long been a lot of noise from users that their training plan did not include long enough rides to prepare them for the events they were training for.

Now users can set the upper time limit (5 hours is the maximum on the drop down list) for their endurance rides and TR AI will decide how long / hard a ride to prescribe. The intention being to gradually increase the duration throughout the plan towards the maximum.

The AIFTP prediction feature is easy enough to turn off. Complaint fixed!

Yeah, I see that later in the thread. People don’t even know it’s possible to turn it off, I think is the problem.

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Hopefully the TD AI program can meet the needs of those who don’t want either CJ or self coaching.

Dave

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People will always have ideas of what they want. We won’t fill all the gaps. In general, we just try to keep things low cost and do as much as we can within our constraints and that we feel makes sense.

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