2PEAK Online training

jgsi

Just signed up for a 3week free trial with 2PEAK.
Finally, first weekend racing Sat and Sunday. weather permitting.
I have slogged enough miles on turbo and road this winter to hopefully make an impact but just want finesse it off a little... and my main target race is not until towards the end of April.
Just wondered if anyone had any positive experience from using their training software planning?

markp80

Hi JGSI,

I've not been training with anywhere like the level of analysis you've been putting in with all that Golden Cheetah stuff, simply following the TranerRoad plans over the winter. However, when I went out for the first time for several months a couple of weeks ago, I was really surprised with how much I felt I had improved. I'm only a beginner, but I felt I was going a lot faster, but more importantly, I felt I was able to hold a much higher level of intensity for a long period, and I knew that I could maintain it. I interpret this as a better understanding of being able to accept the discomfort I suppose, realising that I can physically maintain that intensity. I believe this is separate from any improvement in fitness/FTP per se, which has also improved considerably as well.
I don't race, so I've no experience to report in that respect, but my experience of seeing an improvement from following a structured plan using training software is a positive one.

Cheers,
MarkP

jgsi

Following a plan is always good.
I was interested in getting a different perspective on the training... Peak2 has delivered this by writing a set of workout rides at tempo pace.... whereas I may have just been tempted to put in high intensities... maybe it knows I am over the hill...

sloppyschleckonds

What is it?

jgsi

SloppySchleckonds wrote:

What is it?

What is what..? 2Peak you mean?
It's a dedicated cycling (and running ugh) training website that you pay for.
Only really useful if you are competing or want a really good performance in the Marmotte for an instance.

sloppyschleckonds

So specific training plans tailored?

jgsi

It's adaptive as I uploaded ride data that exceeded the scheduled work and its reconfigured tomorrow into just zone 1 work (thats based on power)
It is obviously very clever computer modelling software and the personal trainer level costs out at €117 for 6 months.... debating whether to pay up after free trial...

sloppyschleckonds

Sounds interesting, I'll have a look before asking anymore

rodrigoloureiro

I'd be interested in knowing other people's experiences with 2peak.
I loved the concept and signed up after the free trial.

However, as I continued to use it started to show all the problems. Zones and intervals were not properly recognized, training plan was not adjusted, zones are misjudged.

For example, yesterday I did 4x4 at Z4 (or what I believed was Z4). I averaged 273W, and my Z4 starts at 265W, but it was recognized as Z2.
In exchanging emails with support, they say that the wattage was not perfectly constant, so it was not recognized as Z4.
Why if the interval was 'not perfect' would it be created as Z2, they said I needed to sign up to a more expensive plan that allows manual adjustment.
Classic bait and switch, with a product that does not seem quite ready for wide usage.

other times, when for one hour at 160W (my Z2 starts at 150W), it classified the interval as Z2 HIGH, rather than Z2 LOW... so it keeps on recommending me to do Z2 LOW intervals, but since it does not recognize any efforts in my Z2 LOW, I'm now stuck in the software telling me to do Z2 LOW...

Any other experiences?

nickdodo

I'm on the free trial - the concept seems excellent. Ie if I ride off plan it should adjust the plan.

A 1 hourZ1 got turned in to a Z2 because I did 1 hour and 5 minutes..

I would like to know if anyone has a longer term experience as it's a lot of money if it does not perform as promised.
I like the recovery status idea..

Nick

biber

Hi Nick,

im a triathlon rookie and started training with 2peak a year ago and did 5 triathlons - 4 sprint and one olympic with them.

the adaptive part of training works well but you have to be able to accept the fact that for some reason data set are not always care free when submitted to 2peak. 2peak offers a work around for this where you can define the intervalls manually if you feel something didnt get recognized correctly.

so far i feel the benefits of having an adaptive training plan and successfully avoiding overttraining which i believe is the biggest problem.

having said that their are many parameters to fine toune the intensity of your trainings as well as schedule trainings which makes 2peak very unique and unprecedented. i do admit this has taken me some time to achieve but i am a rookie. more experienced arhletes will certainly find it easier.