Gamin coach cycling plans are unrealistically hard

2842152 1 month ago

I have a cycling FTP of 187. I've been using the garmin coach plan for a couple of weeks ( goals = "Improve my fitness" and a target date = "one year from now" ) and have noticed that even the warm up portion of my rides are more than I can maintain. Today, it wants me to do a VO2 max ride - 2 repeats of 17 mins @ 245 W.

How can get the coach to dial in on workouts that are a little more realistic for me

0 Etupes25 1 month ago

2842152 said:
Today, it wants me to do a VO2 max ride - 2 repeats of 17 mins @ 245 W

It is surprising to see a VO2 Max workout with a 2x17mn. Are you sure it is not a threshold workout?

0 2842152 1 month ago in reply to Etupes25

You're correct, it was a threshold. However, my point was that I can't 245 watts for 5 minutes. 17 is just laughable

0 Etupes25 1 month ago in reply to 2842152

Makes sense. All the DSW targets are set based on a % of VO2 Max. The fact that you have a target much higher than your actual FTP indicates that you have an issue with your VO2 Max model. It could be that your Max HR is wrong, or that you had some rides where the HR data was wrong (eg you were not wearing a strap or the strap malfunctioned) when it was associated with power.

In other words either the power number at VO2 max is too high, or your HR at VO2 max is wrong.

There is not much you can do as a user to correct past data. Deleting activities doesn't do anything, for example.

How did you get your Max HR number?\

What powermeter do you use?

0 2842152 1 month ago in reply to Etupes25

Yup, my device thinks that my max HR is 204. Based on the last couple of rides, I'd say its closer to 173. I just manually lowered it. I do recall seeing a message saying that it had automatically adjusted my max hr. I have a wahoo powrlink power meter.

Thank you for the help. Hopefully this resolves the issue

0 Etupes25 1 month ago in reply to 2842152

2842152 said:
Based on the last couple of rides, I'd say its closer to 173.

How did you pick 173? The Max HR is not the peak HR of any workout. It is possible, but very hard to reach one's Max HR during a workout.

You can find some well calibrated indoor cycling test to evaluate your Max HR. If you are a well trained runner, you have also some field tests. The watch can give you a decent estimate with auto-detection. In doubt, get the blessing of your doctor before you undertake such a test.

If you lower your Max HR too much, you will create other issues. You have no alternative but to input a number as correct as possible.

After you have a high level of confidence that your Max HR is good, take a new FTP test. Regardless of the result of the test, it needs to be what it is supposed to be: in the end, you need to be able to sustain your FTP power for 50mn to one hour and end on the brink of failing. If you divide your FTP by 0.95 you get a higher power number that you should be able to sustain at a steady rate for 20mn, for a maximum effort.

If your Max HR and FTP are correct, you will have to expose the watch to a variety of efforts to that the power duration curve is correct. A way to do this is to ignore the DSW power targets and simply keep the highest steady power you can for whatever interval the DSW is putting. For anaerobic and sprints workouts, simply go a hard as you can, but with steady power.

Also, make sure you always wear a chest strap.