Aerobic "base" training is BS

[SolarEnergy]

Yes, possibly.

No, it only needs FTP.

If you approach it that way. I start with available training time, then decide on weekly goals of TSS by training level (used to be minutes by level), then work backwards into total training stress variables (NP, IF, TSS, CTL).

What do you mean work backwards?

 

[frenchyge]

I was thinking about our planning recipe. I guess setting IF over a phase (be it a week or a month) should come before splitting TSS across levels?

IF, TSS, and time are all directly related (duh). You can pick any 2, and the third will be determined by those choices. Time is certainly one that I would choose, and I think choosing the intensity mix via either 'time by level' or 'TSS by level' would be the next most intuitive decision. Picking an IF out of the air (.86, for example) and then trying to develop a workout routine which produces just the right IF might be a little difficult without going through many iterations.

 

[RapDaddyo]

What do you mean work backwards?

Well, I plan rides to achieve certain objectives. These objectives are always originally cast as TSS by training level. I used to start with an objective of xx minutes by level such as 40mins L4 or 20mins L5 + 10mins L6. I now do essentially the same thing but I start from TSS by level because it captures more than simply minutes (e.g., minutes by level ignores the difference between L4s at 91%FTP vs. 105%FTP). I never have a specific objective of a certain number of minutes or TSS points at L3 and below. Rather, I develop an objective for high-intensity minutes and TSS and then the total ride intensity (IF) is a function of the high-intensity minutes versus the total minutes. The shorter the ride, the more efficient it has to be to achieve the primary objective. A longer ride can be more "sloppy." This process really starts at the week and then is broken down to specific training days. It sounds like a lot of work but I have some pretty slick tools to do it for me. It's really no more than a few keystrokes now. One of these days it will be graphic-based.

 

[RapDaddyo]

Of course.

I was just trying to at least draw the main components of a PM chart first.

I read somewhere that your custom program was ready or about to be ready?

I assumed you were inquiring about my ride file parsing program. If what you meant was the workout file maker to input non-PM rides for import into CP, it's available now http://www.cyclingforums.com/showpost.php?p=3048720&postcount=1142.

 

[acoggan]

I know that you personally train at a high average IF, but IIRC the data you've collected from others showed a typical IF closer to .75. That's what I meant to say.

Ah - gotcha.

 

[acoggan]

No offense to the WKO+ developers, but a spreadsheet is much easier to use as a planning tool.

That's largely because TrainingPeaks uses a MAP (manage/analyze/plan) model, with software products intended to fill each of these roles. Specifically, WKO+ falls under the "analyze" category, and as such is really intended to be used only for post-hoc analysis (although you can in fact trick it in such a way as to use it for planning purposes).

 

[SolarEnergy]

I assumed you were inquiring about my ride file parsing program. If what you meant was the workout file maker to input non-PM rides for import into CP, it's available now http://www.cyclingforums.com/showpost.php?p=3048720&postcount=1142.

Actually I'm not sure about what I was inquiring about.

I was probably inquiring about a program you haven't start writting yet More specifically a tool that would help on the planning side of things. But I'm going to write something to help me doing that. That will probably be an Access database.

I downloaded the WorkoutMaker program and intent to use it as I will be training 60-90min a week on a stair master probably. Thanks for this one !

 

[RapDaddyo]

I downloaded the WorkoutMaker program and intent to use it as I will be training 60-90min a week on a stair master probably. Thanks for this one !

You might want to do this directly in CP. My MakeWKO app is specific to cycling workouts. You input duration, watts, cadence, HR, speed, etc. for a virtually unlimited number of ride segments and it computes a workout file for import into CP. So, it's perfect for, say, someone without a PM who trains on a trainer with which they can impute power from speed (e.g., KK Road Machine). One of the main benefits is that it conforms to the way we do workouts (e.g., 5min warmup, 20mins @ 95%FTP, 5mins @ 50%FTP, 20mins @ 95%FTP, 5mins cooldown).

 

[SolarEnergy]

You might want to do this directly in CP. My MakeWKO app is specific to cycling workouts. You input duration, watts, cadence, HR, speed, etc. for a virtually unlimited number of ride segments and it computes a workout file for import into CP. So, it's perfect for, say, someone without a PM who trains on a trainer with which they can impute power from speed (e.g., KK Road Machine). One of the main benefits is that it conforms to the way we do workouts (e.g., 5min warmup, 20mins @ 95%FTP, 5mins @ 50%FTP, 20mins @ 95%FTP, 5mins cooldown).

I'm not sure by inputing these stair master workouts through CP GUI that they will be included in my rolling average TSS.

I prefer to turn these into cycling workouts by estimating the missing variables. I already have watts (though this machine over estimates them by a lot). Plus, the workouts aren't very complicated anyway. 30min flat out, no warm up no warm down.

 

[RapDaddyo]

I prefer to turn these into cycling workouts by estimating the missing variables. I already have watts (though this machine over estimates them by a lot). Plus, the workouts aren't very complicated anyway. 30min flat out, no warm up no warm down.

You might want to create a handful of "canned" csv workout files for your standard workouts (e.g., workout1, workout2, ...) and then just import the appropriate one into CP rather than creating one from scratch each time.