Who is intervals.icu for?

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Who is intervals.icu for?

Sorry if that’s a stupid question, but having stumbled upon its name in forums, and starting exploring my data, I’m not 100% sure who it’s aimed at but I’m assuming it’s pros and advanced athletes / coaches?

It’s quite overwhelming at first glance and while I’m loving the data I’m finding even the guides in the forum quite hard to follow. Do you need yo be familiar with advanced training concepts and/or another platform like training peaks / trainerroad (only used the latter briefly).

Right now I just make up my own plans in Garmin based on a few websites about training and just trying to track any improvement. What I’d love ultimately is something to make a plan for me based on recent data history - is this that place?

I tried structured training years ago but it was too complicated and I couldn’t really tell what was working (and am lazy) so fell back into just going off riding and touring and enjoying it, but at 51 I’ve got a rekindled interest.

Thanks for any guidance….

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I think Intervals serves different people for different purposes.
I am neither pro or coach, I am just a casual person trying to keep my health and fitness just a hair over average. And I also like data analytics :slight_smile:

When I just started using Intervals - one of the most important features was (and still is) fitness chart - extremely helpful to keep training at the required level and have rest when needed. Over time, you may learn more features - and start using them to train efficiently.

What intervals does not have - option to create training plans, but there are other apps (like TrainrDay and others, connected to Intervals) which can help with that…

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Intervals.icu is for people who want to improve and like looking at the data. I am 52 and have found I have to do more volume and less intensity than when I was younger to reach a similar level. I use the platform to track training load and to look back to see what worked in the past. My training is not planned in advance but I do try follow the general principles (2 hard rides / week, easy week when starting to feel tired, be super consistent etc.) and the calendar and fitness pages help with that.

You can create training plans and do structured training in Intervals.icu but the platform won’t generate a plan for you. You can use TrainerDay or Intertools for that. You can find all the apps that connect to Intervals.icu on the /settings page.

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Thank you. Yes I’m definitely out of my e depth in many of the other charts but I can really relate to the fitness one and think I understand it so far from the explanation notes!

Would love to find a reliable replacement for the ‘Training Status’ on Garmin. Ie just a simple prompt for whether you’re under or over-working and what you’re next week should look like (easy, same, harder, rest). I guess I can interpret the graph but a single handy prompt is really useful. (Especially to glance at in the morning or whatever). The fitness chart only looks backwards.

The other thing I’m interested to understand is how much about ‘me’ the fitness graph knows from power, heart rate data and weight etc. of course I understand it doesn’t know how I feel or genetically, injuries etc, but is it basing the curve purely on models or is it extracting some personal performance measurements?

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Thank you that’s very helpful. But also slightly disappointing I suppose we’re all looking for the ‘quickest’ (most efficient :smiling_face: ) way to best performance and I was hoping looking at all these training plans and AI that complex shorter HIIT and sweet spot type sessions might be the answer. But seeing this maybe not! Also I’d never heard of trainerday and the first thing I read looking there was ‘most people don’t need a training plan’! Anyway I like the honesty!

I also don’t have an indoor trainer so many workouts are too hard to follow outside - at my low ftp the small bands to try and stick between is nigh on impossible and just means I have a constantly beeping garmin.

Anyway thanks again for the replies. I’ll keep exploring and see where i get too.

Right now I’m nursing a cold that kicked in the morning after my ftp test workout, so of course I’m using that as my excuse for such a disappointingly low number :slight_smile:

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Did you read the Guide section?
That explains a lot. After reading come back here with your questions.

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Yes, like I said initially - I find them pretty confusing so before going too deep thought I’d ask here who it was aimed at.

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Well it’s aimed at all athlete-levels, beginner to pro, who want to add some science and follow-up to their training methods.
You can start ‘easy’ with basic charts and the basic Endurance principles. While getting along, you will gradually learn more.
If all this science and math stuff is not your thing, but you want to improve performance, your best bet is to hire a coach.
My mantra: for beginners and people who workout for health reasons (no competitive goals) things can start out very easy. Start working out at a frequency and duration that you can handle now. For intensity, your best starting point is to cap your HR at 180 - age. For 3 -6 months, keep increasing frequency and duration of your workouts with that same HR limit. That will build some good base. And after a consistent 3-6 months, you’re ready to add some more difficult work. You will also have the needed data to support the choices you make at that time.

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I’m over 60 and don’t really need a training plan, because to stay mobile and fit all you need to do is get on your bike and ride. But I love data and graphics and want to see whether or not I have improved on my routes. That’s why I plan my rides according to the load and increase the load over three weeks and then do a regeneration week - so it’s actually a plan ;).
With Intervals you can do anything, just ride, use individual units from the library, make a plan for amateurs or prepare for races or other events. There are always posts in the forum that give you new food for thought for your training.
Thats great!!

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Thanks.

I’m sure I’m not unique in not really knowing where to place myself. I’ve ridden bikes since I was a kid, with big gaps here and there. The last 15 years fairly consistently with the odd years off. I tend to jump back in and just ride. Ive had a power meter for a good few years and find it useful for a more reliable measure of fitness long-term, even if it doesn’t always go the way I want it to - like now!

I’m generally the sort of person that rides long and slow, and attempts things way beyond my level - years ago I rode across another country over a few weeks fully loaded with a tourer having done very little prep. I suffered at points for sure. It was one of my best cycling memories, and have done loads of other multi-day rides.
But of course I do a lot of local riding, mostly same places and tend to get bored.

Bought a gravel bike at 50 and am loving that, not just for traffic and comfort, but also exploring new routes. Also I’ve realised how much harder it is than on the road! But to be honest gravel is pretty limited where I am, and I can’t be bothered to slog through so much mud or clean my bike so often so am now gravel biking on road just to keep fit.

And there are quite a lot of fast road cyclists where I am. I always get overtaken (and always have over the years) by people looking like they’re out for a gentle chat while I’m flat out. So I often think, hey I’d like to do that!

So had a bit of time on my hands end of last year and tried to be more consistent riding and thinking about what to do to still enjoy riding and not make it a chore, but get fitter. Many YouTube and forums later (most of it refreshing my faded memory on what to do) led me here.

I have signed up for a gravel event in May but that’s really just to have something new to try. I think you’re right, I’d probably benefit from a coach as the internet is literally a minefield - if you combined all the knowledge out there it would 100% contradict itself and just leave you with a plan of white noise.

Anyway, apologies for the life story…!
[and all the original typos]

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Yes I definitely feel better just riding too, and of course we’re fitter than those just sitting on the couch drinking and eating take outs :slight_smile: .

After a few injuries which are slower to heal nowadays (including one annoyingly persistent calf injury from taking up running late in life and doing too much too soon) I’m also doing a fair bit of yoga and bodyweight exercises. I feel better in life and on the bike and dont care whether it enhances performance, just want to be around for longer and living an even healthier/happier life!

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Too much too soon is so often the cause of people loosing motivation and dropping out. If you don’t want to race or don’t have competitive goals, you are actually doing this for fun, and probably also for health. So keep it fun while all the way being productive. Don’t loose yourself in going too hard, it’s not necessary to become better. Most overreaching, overtraining, excessive fatigue and injuries are caused by too much intensity. Not by too much duration. Go slower, go longer, enjoy what you’re doing. No one is pushing you to go harder. Let it happen! If you enjoy, you will do it more often. If you do it more often, you will get better. No need for sore legs, being out of breath, heart pounding out of your body. The ‘No pain, no gain’ philosophy is long gone. In stead of torturing your body, nurture it by giving it the activation method that it was made for. Look at history of the human being. You are made to move long, relatively slow to survive. The sparse moments that our ancestress needed too move/react extremely fast to escape dangerous situations, that’s what you need as high intensity. Nothing more. The huge gains in fitness come from consistent work at low intensity. The doses of high intensity that elites do, are almost surely much less then what you think. And they need it because sport is their job.
Have you ever asked one of those people in a group that comes by while chit-chatting, how they got so fit? Do it, most of them will gladly give you some advice. You can be sure that if they see someone out of breath passing them during winter training, they laugh and think: This guy will be burned out once the season starts…

I’m 59, cycling for about 20 years now and picked up running a little over 3 years ago. In my first years of cycling I was going way to hard too. But I’ve learned, and now I know that especially on long events, I’m really strong compared to others around my age and even 10-15 years younger.

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I’m most likely at the very bottom of the Intervals.icu users when it comes to performance and experience and I’m having a blast with Intervals :grinning:

About me: I’m 67 years old now. I was a life long Professional Couch Potato when it came to endurance training until I started riding somewhere during 2014 and stopped at the back end of 2016 due to health issues.

It’s a chronic issue but with the help of a brilliant doctor things have cleared up OK and I got back into endurance training during 2023.

Like a friend said about training again, we’re not 65 anymore, which I found very funny as well as poignant. I’ve been told that I can forget getting stronger due to the health issues and age but as I think is the case for all Intervals users, that kind of statement is a trigger.

I’m only in it for Long Distance riding. Back in 2016, I did the Swedish Ride of Hope charity ride for children with cancer. 1360 kilometers from one weekend to the next with a daily average of over 150 km, some days averaging above 30 km/hour. The same year I also rode the (in)famous Swedish Vätternrundan for the 2nd time, at a time of 11:44 without a group. That ride was 185 miles, I made it a 1-stopper and was very happy with that result. That of course sets up a natural goal of riding the VR at sub-11 this year but that is most unlikely as the route is now 195 miles with a devastating change in the elevation map, strategically placed at the very end of the ride.

Adding to the general cornfusion is that I ride that bike in the image. A Husqvarna ladies steel bike from 1949, all of 75 years old this year. A very long story but it’s very “updated” to say the least and sports a modern drive train and a power meter :upside_down_face:

No matter my low performance and lack of experience, I enjoy numbers and stats and the power meter was of course a game changer. I then needed a solid way of analyzing the numbers. I had done some work in Golden Cheetah back when but was not happy there and was told by strong riders to take a look at Intervals.icu. I did and that was the second game changer in my quest for being a better cyclist. I’m never looking back.

I cannot say enough about Intervals. Sure, maybe it was a tad intimidating at first but that passed pretty soon once I understood how David coded the UI and what features one could expect. Basically, just look for what you’d find interesting and sure enough, it’s in there. Case in point, after a while I started playing around with planned workouts and such and I find that functionality astounding and an important part of my training for this years 195 mile ride in June.

Of course this Forum is brilliant and chock full of knowledge from people who take their time to share and do so in a very pleasant and polite manner which is not the run of the mill experience elsewhere.

Too much too list but just stay at it like I’ve done. I’ve learned more about endurance training in the short time that I’ve been an Intervals user, since October last year, than all before.

Note that David has put in links all over the place that go to external information sites. I think I’ve hit most of them and that has led to countless hours of studying. Not all of it is applicable to my level but “the burden of knowledge is an easy carry”.

I struggled a bit with the Fitness-tab. No problem at first as it seemed “basic” in a way but the more I got into it, the more I understood that I did not grasp it all. Some more studying here on the forum set me straight where riders like @MedTechCD, @Gerald and others have been instrumental in getting me the gist of the underlying dynamics. Thanks guys :+1:

That was the kind of typical wall-of-text rants that I unfortunately produce at times. My short answer to the question of this topic is “everyone with an interest in bicycling”.

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Great posts! I’m really enjoying learning about you all and how you use intervals.

Personally, I did my first bike race (road) in 1988 and have been training/racing since then with a few ‘down periods’ where i tried other sports and/or went to school and/or traveled.

I don’t use the training planning features of intervals as I find myself less motivated when training is too structured. I prefer (like David to some extent) to have a general rule on types/intensity of rides per week and larger picture of recovery/adaptation time. I use my own ‘feelings’ (RPE) to determine how I’m going (i rarely look at the fitness chart!) and follow a slightly less structure to my training depending on the time of year (I race track from September to March and so the summer months are my ‘off season’ as I don’t race road anymore).

What I do look at, and use intervals for, is the power info. In the summer months I look at specific sprint efforts or known hills in my area and gauge my progress on power output. On the track I use power info for specific durations to determine how I’m strengthening, but also to help me determine optimal gear ratios for specific races.

So, I use intervals more as a feedback loop to specific training efforts, gearing, and race data. From that, and my ‘feeling’, I determine if i need a recovery period or need to work on a specific duration power, or adjust my gearing on the track to get faster.

Thanks for asking this question, @Velo-city as I’m not sure I ever really formally thought about how I use Intervals.icu :slight_smile:

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i am 57 and have found I need a bit of structure in my training now. I have an annoying recurring achilles tendon problem which I am trying to keep at bay. For that I use various Polar running programs, which force me to slow down, and so far, having got over the initial frustration of not feeling in control, I’m quite pleased with my choice.

Cycling, I can still just get on my bike and ride, but as it is a soggy winter here, I’ve recently invested in a basic smart indoor trainer. I use it with icTrainer, which has lots of structured plans which I find ideal for the winter months. I expect when the weather picks up, I shall just get out and ride again. Perhaps more mindfully after 6 weeks of structured training.

So for someone who wants to see how their fitness is progressing whilst at the same time coming to terms with physical limitations of creeping age(= damage limitation&staying in control), intervals.icu seem to be just the thing for me.
BTW I only signed up earlier this year. I think it’s going to be worth becoming a supporter :wink:

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I feel for you there. I’ve managed to pretty much avoid injury most of my life, give or take - thats my main memory anyway. But jumping heavily into running at 49 - with hard structured efforts and endurances I wasn’t ready for - tipped me over the edge with a calf injury. I exptected it to just heal up in a month or two. but it’s stubborn and two years later I’m still nursing it. I abandoned running after a few physio guided attempts to slowly re-start it, just couldn’t stop the calf flaring up.

I’m still managing it even on the bike now, whereas I never had the issue before.

What helps me the most is knowing the sensations and how far to push, and dealing back - might view mean dropping back to recovery pace on a cycle. The few times I ignored the signed the injury flared up much worse. I’m hoping with my continued program of yoga, bodyweight exercises and managed efforts - and LISTENING to the warning signs (which is of course different to just sensing them, which is what I did previously, ‘oh I can feel it hurting a bit today, ah I’m sure it will be fine’. Not, haha !!), I’m hopeful to get through.

Fingers crossed for your recovery.

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@Real_ale @Velo-city
Regarding your achilles and calf problems. I’m turning 45 in 2024. Have had calf problems since my 20’s and got serious achilles problems in 2020. Tried several times to rest until the pain was gone and then slowly build mileage but always reached a point where the achilles pain returned and I had to stop training again.

In may 2023 I once again reached a point where the achilles pain were too severe to keep training, after a spring of consistent and decent training. I then decided to do fix the problems once and for all and started to do a lot of calf training, all the different exercises you read about online. For the first months daily, and when I got stronger I shifted to 3 and then 2 calf strengthening workouts per week. After 6-7 months I could run both as much and with the intesity that I wanted. Not only did my achilles tendons tolerate the training, my calfs feel better than ever!

The most important thing for me to get this far was to make the rehab and monitoring my achilles tendons and calfs my number one priority. I still prioritize getting in the calf training in over running since for me the strengthening of the calfs is a prerequisite for running.

Like you I had also given up on running several times before I decided to do everything I could to get back into running. So if running is important to you, consider if you really have given yourself the chance to once again be able to run.

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Thats encouraging, nice work!

I do just a few calf exercises during my bodyweight/calisthenics sessions (mainly single leg straight and bent calf raises) plus stretches, and again as part of yoga. Maybe you can ping me any other key ones you do if you think they work better.

I think I will ignore running for a while longer but I would like to start again at some point in the future as personally I find it a much better winter/rainy sport (which is weird as I always imaged it a Summer activity). But more importantly when I travel - sometimes for extended periods - I dont have a bike with me and then running is such a great exercise. I also like the fact that you can be out ion the door in minutes, whereas somehow cycling takes ages…

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The most important thing (I think) I did this time was that I loaded the heel raises with weight to actually get stronger. After a few weeks doing body weight heel raises I started to do them with a 8 kg kettlebell in my hand and gradually increased the weight, just as you would do with any strength exercise like barbell squat or deadlift. For the last couple of months I do two different exercises. Single leg heel raises (straight knee) in a smith machine, can now do 3x10 reps with a 35 kg load. I also do seated calf raises in a machine for 3x10 reps. Doing these and other exercises meant that I had to go to the gym at least 5 times per week during the summer and fall.

When strength training you always hit a plateau when you can’t just do the same sets and reps and still expect to improve. When I hit that plateau I increased the weight and settled för maybe 4x6 reps to keep getting stronger.

I kept running during the whole time, except for the first few weeks, using the pain monitoring model described in this article. The article also describes the strength program I used for the first months, before hitting a plateau.

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Thank you.
I’m (mentally) allergic to the gym unfortunately so I try and do everything at home with bodyweight. But i have dumbels and use them for Bulgarian split squats now so will try and get a feel for adding weight to the calf’s too.

And wow you can lift some weight!

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