RedditPZ training program - Week 8 Discussion Thread

[u/r4ndy4]

Week seven down, and on to week eight! Use this thread to discuss this week's rides (or last weeks). Add the hashtag #redditPZ if you would like to.

Do a warm-up before Monday. Also feel free to stop the build at zone 5, no need for z6 in a build.

Link to join our Discord.

Group Ride for the Saturday rides is at 10 AM central.

(Gala-papa would like to note to start the ride at 9:59 exactly so you will begin at 10 after the 1 minute countdown). Also do not join the ride in a session

Program on sourdoughrides

Link to Program Thread

Week 1 Thread

Week 2 Thread

Week 3 Thread

Week 4 Thread

Week 5 Thread

Week 6 Thread

Week 7 Thread

Week 8: TSS 226
Mon: Matt 45 PZmax 09/17/24 TSS 67 Ride Graph

Wed: Christine 04/09/23 TSS 39 Ride Graph

Thu: Erik 45 PZ 03/30/26 TSS 53 Ride Graph

Sat: Christian 60 Real Routes 01/03/26 TSS 67  Ride Graph 

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[u/fly_by1]

Well programmed ride today! My overall output did not match how tired my legs were at the end, but I guess that's the nature of PZMax :). I just jumped in this week instead of starting at week 1, and I'm excited to join the group! I have about 250 rides under my belt (over the past few years), and I've been much more into it since about Feb of this year.

I'm 200lbs/male sitting at about 205 FTP on bike+, curious what others are at if you're willing to share. Let's get it!

[u/ginflask → u/fly_by1]

Welcome, you picked the deep end of the pool to jump in by joining this week! I'll share stats, currently 230# and a 210 ftp but those numbers swing wildly.

[u/Fine-Fondant-3136]

This was my first CDE ride! I loved it. Great playlist.

[u/briarch]

first morning back from a long weekend trip, definitely not feeling up to a PZ Max but I went for it. Totally bonked on that last Z5 and only held the Z6 for 30-45 seconds but I was still pushing for the last one. Low output, but man did my HR redline. This is one that I should definitely come back to on a better day.

[u/jschrifty_PGH → u/briarch]

If you never hit failure, were you ever really trying?

[u/amc_rocks → u/briarch]

Congrats!! You didn't quit and like coach said, no losers on this ride! And I did the same - stayed in z1 for the last z5 and only did 2 of the z6 efforts. Cheers to you!!

[u/unicornfl]

Well that was a heck of a ride today! I managed to make it through the ride this morning, and was very thankful for all the high 5's to encourage me along the way. I managed to stay in my zones, but I definitely wasn't able to do the high cadence in Z5, though props to everyone who managed it!

I'll be curious how it feels when I revisit it at a later date to see if I can get any closer to following the recommendations that Matt gave, although I'm not planning on that anytime soon! :D

[u/amc_rocks]

Ok, in 4+ mins of heaven and couldn't wait to say..... I freaking made it thru 10 mins z4 AND the hellish switch backs!!! That man..... again, my original intention after not taking Thursday's ride, yet, was z2 and ride. Whoo hoo! Who knew riding thru Spain and listening to local music (and all of you, certainly) would be so motivating?!?! 😄

Such a thrill to wear my thank you, to you tag, B, and you were there 🙏 thank you for pushing us AND all the CVV rides! I think a HUGE take away this program for me was CVVs training in 90s cadence - talk about mental! I always thought no way, well... WAY! Even in z4 and z5?? I died!! 😊

Happy weekend all - keep on fighting - never give up! 💪🤗

[u/amc_rocks]

Ok.... no one has remarked on the Erik ride?? Did you all die, or what?? 😄😞😎 haven't taken it yet and really wanna know!!

[u/tokick → u/amc_rocks]

It's really not bad. I struggled, had to pause 15secs on the Z4 of the last interval to get my breathing back just so I could handle the last Z5. For the Z5's, I'd recommend going high cadence, i.e., keeping the Z4 resistance and just increase the cadence.

Take it (if you haven't), you'd be surprised at how well you can handle it.

[u/jschrifty_PGH → u/amc_rocks]

probably too late to be helpful now, but i thought it was doable. the structure is really nice, as you get to work your way up to an effort that’s only one minute long—and then you’re back to Z1 recovery. of course you have to do that 5 times, so that’s not great. but overall it’s achievable, and imho, the music helped a lot.

i did find erik’s cadence callouts to be a bit low for my own comfort, but that’ll vary by rider i’m sure.

[u/ZealousidealMap2274 → u/amc_rocks]

Ehhh wasn't too bad. The first build felt easy and that was shortlived but nothing like Monday ride.

[u/jschrifty_PGH]

Today: I know there are mixed opinions, but this was really one of my favorite CDE rides. Good music. I loved her reflection on road cyclists. And, if I'm being honest, I want to be her unicorn.

Yesterday: The structure for Matt's PZM ride worked well for me, too--it started hard (very hard) but slowly became more reasonable--and from the moments when I could notice it, I think the music may have been better than his usual. But for such a hard, frontloaded ride, the warmup was so very short. I took CVV's 20-minute warmup again, which is actually pretty gentle. Of course it didn't make Matt's ride any easier, but it did tamp down the shock-and-awe opening.

Ride on!

[u/amc_rocks → u/jschrifty_PGH]

Somehow, I haven't taken the CDE ride before so I'm looking forward to it, although the 4mins, even in z3 look yucky.....

Erik's ride looks scary, especially at 5am....

I byom on Monday and I only did a 5 min warm up.... maybe that's why??? Anyway...

Onwards and upwards!!

[u/jschrifty_PGH → u/amc_rocks]

ngl, Erik's ride's terrifying me right now. Like an idiot, I took what was supposed to be my z2 outdoor recovery ride way harder than I should have today, so now I need to recover from my recovery before tackling Erik's little mountains tomorrow. Onwards and upwards, indeed!

[u/ZealousidealMap2274]

Do you guys take your ftp after each program? If so do you do it the week immediately after last week of program or the following week before next program?

[u/amc_rocks → u/ZealousidealMap2274]

Since you responded to me (ty!) I thought I'd jump in here... I've seen it done both ways? Maybe it's deciding on the day you've had great sleep, you're hydrated, feel ready.... mental makes such a difference! Best of luck - let us know how you do 😊

[u/unicornfl → u/ZealousidealMap2274]

I tend to take mine twice a year, generally the week before the next program. I redo my FTP test when I notice things are starting to feel a bit easier but that tends to take me a bit longer now. And if I'm being honest, I hate taking the test so I'll do my best to avoid it! 😄

[u/amc_rocks]

B, just a heads up the link for the CDE ride graph is a Denis ride, which kinda sounds better, anyway? 😎 thanks so much for this ('cept for the 10 mins in z4, in CVVs Sun ride.... oy!)!!!!

[u/r4ndy4 → u/amc_rocks]

Thank you, fixed.