Explain it to me like you are talking to a child: Training Peaks

Dino Sarti

Hey Gang,

I use the Training Peaks web version and I don't think I am using it to the fullest.

Are you guys putting in FUTURE workouts so that when you look at your PMC you are seeing forecasted volume in the form of time, distance and TSS?

I don't do that, but I want to.  When I look at my PMC the history is great, but everything to the right of the current day just shows the numbers crashing down to nothing.

How do you put in planned, future workouts?

ironmikega

There are two columns on the training peaks workout screen.  The left side is planned, where you can put in what you PLAN to do.  The other side is for actuals - what your techno wizard gadgetry says you did.  If you click to add a workout to TOMORROW, the only section you will be able to fill out is the PLANNED side.  Here you can put it the duration, and any other information you want.  The key for seeing the planned training effect in the dashboard is entering in your planned TSS.



How do I get that?  One way is to estimate based on your history of doing similar workouts.  Trainer Road gives you the planned TSS on their workouts.  This web page will help you estimate for the bike based on time in zones and your FTP.  I haven't found a site (yet) that does it for your run, but you can calculate rTSS yourself.   That's probably overkill.  I won't even try to address swimming TSS.

Long story short, put in your planned TSS for your future workouts and you will see the dotted lines on the dashboard show impact on acute and chronic training loads as well as training stress balance.

FWIW, this is my Sunday afternoon thing. I pull up the plan for the next week (sometimes two) on EN and plug each of the workouts in to their respective days as planned workouts on Training Peaks. I can then move stuff around as appropriate because of work or whatever. I then have a reminder set for every night at 7pm (under Settings in TP) that sends me the next day's workouts (along with all the comments / instructions). I can then plan my next day logistics (bike on trainer, how to pack gym bag, etc.) before my brain shuts off for the day.

 

 

John Henault

Dino - I can't speak to the PMC forecasting, and do not know if there is an easier way to calendar future workouts, but I end up calendaring them by going day-by-day in my current plan, copying from each day, and creating and pasting the workout into the TrainingPeaks calendar.  I like the email I get from TrainingPeaks each day telling me what my workout is for that day.  Also, combined with the automatic upload from Garmin Connect to TrainingPeaks, I can compare exactly what was scheduled to what I actually did.  This doesn't seem like the most efficient way to do it, but it's the only way I know (I recall Rich saying previously that he tried to have workouts in a downloadable format for TrainingPeaks but there was no interest).  Hope this helps.

Coach Rich

Posted By John Henault on 20 Oct 2014 01:47 PM


 recall Rich saying previously that he tried to have workouts in a downloadable format for TrainingPeaks but there was no interest).  Hope this helps.

Yes. For a couple seasons (I think) we had most of the plans available on TP as a download for an additional fee. There are a lot of admin, time, and other costs associated with having our plans on TP as well as here. I believe exactly zero EN athletes took advantage of that route so we turned it off.

Eric Ensminger

I had used TP with my 1o1 coach the last three years. I did not use the projections of TSS, but I did like having the app and workouts on my phone. To use a plan that is forward though, you have to pay for the premium content.

Robin Rodriguez

Dino I am in the same boat as you. I love traininigpeaks for being able to be my 1 stop source and scheduling/calendaring of workouts. I have a *pretty* good idea of what TSS is going to look like for a particular workout and and going to try to start this OS editing my pre-built template workouts with Planned TSS.

I am hoping that being about to look at projected CTL in the PMC will give me better insight into progression.

I don't build individual workouts, but have generic workouts based on time/type such as: 60 minute FTP Bike, 60 minute Intervals Bike, 60 minute Tempo Run, 60 minute Easy Run etc.

Mark Maurer

I do what John does in terms of entering my workouts into TP. I don't calculate or put in the planned TSS except for sometimes close to a race. If I want to be at a certain TSB on race day I will take the time to enter it. I hardly ever put in planned distance except for ruin workouts since that's often predetermined, but even then I usually don't bother.