Spent the winter on the CompuTrainer working on “Sweet Spot” intervals as explained in Coggan’s book. Progressing from 8-10-12-15-20 min ints for several months. Last week I tried to advance into the Threshold level and do 3-4 8 min ints @ FTP. It didn’t go well. No, I wasn’t rested and my legs were trashed from a hard run the day before. But before I go attempt the threshold ints again I’d like to hear ideas from others on a logical progression in this level. How do you structure your workouts in this level? Stuff like that. Starting off with 8 min ints doesn’t seem THAT hard but maybe I’m wrong.
My goals in triathlon are centered around Long Course including an early season Half Ironman and IMMOO. Pushing FTP higher is a goal for sure but I will most likely spend most of my time around 75-85% of FTP.
If you have established your functional threshold power accurately, there isn’t any reason in the world that you shouldn’t be able to do, e.g., 2 x 20 min at ~100% of that value “straight out of the box”.
If you have established your functional threshold power accurately, there isn’t any reason in the world that you shouldn’t be able to do, e.g., 2 x 20 min at ~100% of that value “straight out of the box”.
Sure about that? On or around pages 80-86 you say that Joe Athlete can progress to 2 X 20 @ FTP by starting with shorter intervals. I think you say this about Sweet Spot intervals and say start at 12 or 15 mins and progress and then you refer to that protocol again when talking about going to Level 4.
If you have established your functional threshold power accurately, there isn’t any reason in the world that you shouldn’t be able to do, e.g., 2 x 20 min at ~100% of that value “straight out of the box”.
Sure about that?
Absolutely.
Spent the winter on the CompuTrainer working on “Sweet Spot” intervals as explained in Coggan’s book. Progressing from 8-10-12-15-20 min ints for several months. Last week I tried to advance into the Threshold level and do 3-4 8 min ints @ FTP. It didn’t go well. No, I wasn’t rested and my legs were trashed from a hard run the day before. But before I go attempt the threshold ints again I’d like to hear ideas from others on a logical progression in this level. How do you structure your workouts in this level? Stuff like that. Starting off with 8 min ints doesn’t seem THAT hard but maybe I’m wrong.
My goals in triathlon are centered around Long Course including an early season Half Ironman and IMMOO. Pushing FTP higher is a goal for sure but I will most likely spend most of my time around 75-85% of FTP.
I don’t have the book in front of me or letters after my name, but I would suggest doing your hardest threshold level workouts on legs that aren’t trashed. Fatigue would play a part of your ability to hold FTP when feathering the throttle at 100% your first attempt.
It appears from Dr.AC that may not be the case, which I don’t understand (see my first line in response)
-SD
I don’t have the book in front of me or letters after my name, but I would suggest doing your hardest threshold level workouts on legs that aren’t trashed. Fatigue would play a part of your ability to hold FTP when feathering the throttle at 100% your first attempt.
It appears from Dr.AC that may not be the case, which I don’t understand (see my first line in response)
-SD
Well…I think the basic point is that your “threshold”, or FTP (“Functional Threshold Power”) is determined by the power level you can reliably hold for 60 minutes.
If you can’t complete 8 minutes at that power level, then obviously your FTP isn’t set correctly…by definition. Make sense?
Also, people tend to forget that most of the training advice in that book was the output of the co-author, who is a coach. I’m pretty sure that AC will be the first to admit that he doesn’t necessarily totally agree with every syllable that was written 
I don’t have the book in front of me or letters after my name, but I would suggest doing your hardest threshold level workouts on legs that aren’t trashed. Fatigue would play a part of your ability to hold FTP when feathering the throttle at 100% your first attempt.
It appears from Dr.AC that may not be the case, which I don’t understand (see my first line in response)
I was ignoring the fact that jackbauer described his legs as “trashed”, and focussing specifically on the notion that you need to somehow work up to longer efforts at/near functional threshold power. By definition, the latter is something that you can sustain for an hour; it therefore follows that you ought to be able to complete somewhat shorter efforts at that intensity w/o too much struggle. If somebody cannot, then something is wrong…either they have overestimated their functional threshold power, they are attempting to do said workouts when inadequately rested, and/or they need to work on their mental toughness.*
*Believe it or not, I once rode with a fellow who, until we did the workout together, had never been able to finish one of Joe Friel’s standard “ladder” interval workouts. This, despite the fact that he was pacing them based on perceived exertion, and thus could have backed off to a tolerable intensity at any time.
people tend to forget that most of the training advice in that book was the output of the co-author, who is a coach. I’m pretty sure that AC will be the first to admit that he doesn’t necessarily totally agree with every syllable that was written
Yeah: unlike Hunter, I can afford to be downright mean to my “clients”, as they can’t fire me.
people tend to forget that most of the training advice in that book was the output of the co-author, who is a coach. I’m pretty sure that AC will be the first to admit that he doesn’t necessarily totally agree with every syllable that was written
Yeah: unlike Hunter, I can afford to be downright mean to my “clients”, as they can’t fire me.
Are you sure about that? I’ll bet they can make it so that you want to quit, in any case…