QT2.0 Physiological States - Ride Structures

QT2 Bike Ride Structure
QT2 Systems — Training Structure

Bike Ride
Prescriptions

Weekly ride structure across CP/P3 ratio bands. Each band reflects a different limiting factor and primary adaptation target. Select a ratio band to view Key, Quality, and Long ride specifications.

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Constant across all bands — the Long ride always concludes with 20–35 min at 79–89% CP (sweet spot). This develops aerobic resilience in Type IIa fibers under accumulated fatigue — a stimulus that is relevant regardless of where the athlete sits in their development.
< 78%
Aerobic Base Development
Large gap between VO2max power and CP. Type IIa fibers are underdeveloped aerobically — they haven't been trained to sustain aerobic metabolism at higher outputs. The limiter is aerobic base quality, not CP ceiling. Primary work targets the sweet spot zone to push OGC upward.
Primary: 79–89% CP Long finish: 79–89% CP
Key
Primary adaptation stimulus
Warm-up
65–79% CP
15–20 min building progressively into the aerobic base zone.
Main Set
82–89% CP
3–4 × 12–20 min
Rest 5 min easy between efforts. Upper sweet spot — Type IIa fibers loaded aerobically at their current ceiling. Total work time 40–60 min.
Cool-down
65–72% CP
10–15 min easy.
Total: 90–120 min
Quality
Reinforcement + base maintenance
Warm-up
65–75% CP
15 min easy.
Main Set
79–86% CP
2–3 × 10–15 min
Rest 5 min easy. Lower sweet spot — reinforces the Key ride stimulus at reduced depth. Fewer and shorter intervals than Key.
Secondary Block
75–80% CP
20–25 min continuous
Sub-LT1 aerobic base maintenance.
Cool-down
65–72% CP
10 min easy.
Total: 75–90 min
Long
Aerobic volume + fatigued sweet spot
Main Body
65–79% CP
Sub-LT1 aerobic base. Duration determined by CTL target and race distance preparation. No structured intervals.
Finish Block
79–89% CP
20–30 min
Sweet spot under accumulated fatigue. Held steadily — not forced. Quality check: if athlete cannot hold this band cleanly, ride was overdone.
Total: 3–6 hrs (CTL-dependent)
Weekly Stress Arc
Key
Deep sweet spot stimulus. Long intervals at upper band. Primary OGC adaptation driver.
Quality
Lighter sweet spot reinforcement. Lower band, fewer reps. Does not duplicate Key.
Long
Sub-LT1 volume anchor. Sweet spot finish builds fatigued-state aerobic resilience.
Note Primary and Long ride finish are the same intensity zone for this band. Sweet spot is doing double duty — primary adaptation stimulus and fatigue-state aerobic work. As CP/P3 rises above 78%, these roles separate into distinct sessions.
78–83%
Threshold Development
Aerobic base is reasonably developed — sweet spot work alone is no longer the primary lever. The limiter shifts to CP itself. Primary work moves above OGC into the threshold zone to push CP upward. Lactate is accumulating during intervals; recovery quality between sessions matters more than in the previous band.
Primary: 89–100% CP Long finish: 79–89% CP
Key
CP ceiling pressure — sub-threshold
Warm-up
65–79% CP
15–20 min building progressively.
Main Set
89–95% CP
3–4 × 10–15 min
Rest 5 min easy between efforts. Sub-CP threshold loading — sustained accumulation of lactate at a manageable rate. Rest short enough that lactate doesn't fully clear between reps. Total work time 30–50 min.
Cool-down
65–72% CP
10–15 min easy.
Total: 90–120 min
Quality
Threshold reinforcement + sweet spot maintenance
Warm-up
65–75% CP
15 min easy.
Main Set
89–93% CP
2–3 × 8–10 min
Rest 5 min easy. Shorter and fewer than Key — reinforces threshold stimulus without generating deep fatigue ahead of the Long ride.
Secondary Block
79–85% CP
20–30 min continuous
Sweet spot maintenance — keeps Type IIa aerobic development ticking over as the primary work shifts to threshold.
Cool-down
65–72% CP
10 min easy.
Total: 75–90 min
Long
Aerobic volume + fatigued sweet spot
Main Body
65–79% CP
Sub-LT1 aerobic base. Duration determined by CTL target and race distance preparation. No structured intervals.
Finish Block
79–89% CP
20–30 min
Sweet spot under accumulated fatigue. Held steadily. Quality check: clean execution confirms ride was paced correctly and aerobic base is absorbing the volume.
Total: 3–6 hrs (CTL-dependent)
Weekly Stress Arc
Key
Deep threshold stimulus. Long sub-CP intervals with incomplete recovery. Primary CP development driver.
Quality
Threshold reinforcement at reduced depth. Secondary sweet spot block maintains aerobic base.
Long
Sub-LT1 volume anchor. Sweet spot finish develops fatigued-state aerobic resilience.
Recovery note Intervals are now above OGC — lactate is accumulating during Key ride efforts. Recovery quality between Key and Quality rides matters more than in the previous band. If the athlete is showing accumulated fatigue across weeks, reduce Key ride interval volume before adjusting intensity.
83–87%
CP Ceiling + VO2 Encroachment
Well-developed threshold capacity but VO2max is not yet the binding constraint. CP needs simultaneous pressure from below and above. Intervals now cross CP, depleting W′. This changes interval structure fundamentally — efforts are shorter than threshold intervals and recovery management is critical. The Quality ride shifts to a maintenance role.
Primary: 95% CP → P3 Long finish: 79–89% CP
Key
CP ceiling pressure — straddles CP
Warm-up
65–79% CP
20 min building progressively.
Activation
95–98% CP
2 × 3 min, 3 min easy
Primes the system without meaningfully depleting W′ before the main set.
Main Set
95–105% CP
4–6 × 5–8 min
Rest 4–5 min easy between efforts — long enough to restore most of W′ for repeatable quality. Efforts straddle CP: target 95–100%, accept 100–105% on strong efforts. If athlete fades across the set, extend rest before reducing intensity.
Cool-down
65–72% CP
15 min easy.
Total: 90–120 min
Quality
Threshold maintenance + sweet spot
Warm-up
65–75% CP
15 min easy.
Main Set
89–95% CP
2–3 × 10–12 min
Rest 5 min easy. Sub-CP — maintains threshold capacity built in the previous band without depleting W′ or generating deep glycolytic fatigue ahead of the Long ride. This is a maintenance session, not a development session.
Secondary Block
83–87% CP
15–20 min continuous
Upper sweet spot — reinforces sub-OGC aerobic loading as a secondary stimulus.
Cool-down
65–72% CP
10 min easy.
Total: 75–90 min
Long
Aerobic volume + upper sweet spot finish
Main Body
65–79% CP
Sub-LT1 aerobic base. Duration determined by CTL target and race distance preparation. No structured intervals.
Finish Block
82–89% CP
25–35 min
Upper sweet spot under accumulated fatigue. This athlete can hold the upper band more confidently than Band 1–2. If it feels easy at the end, check whether CP/P3 has risen above 87% — the athlete may have outgrown this band.
Total: 3–6 hrs (CTL-dependent)
Weekly Stress Arc
Key
CP ceiling pressure straddling CP. W′ depletion is meaningful. Deepest fatigue-generating session of the week.
Quality
Threshold maintenance only — sub-CP, no W′ depletion. Holds the floor while Key pushes the ceiling.
Long
Sub-LT1 volume anchor. Upper sweet spot finish — Type IIa aerobic resilience under fatigue.
Recovery note Above-CP work depletes W′ and generates more glycolytic fatigue than sub-CP work. Genuine recovery between Key and Quality rides is required. If swim and run volume is high, shorten Key ride interval volume first — protect the primary stimulus. Only one session per week should cross CP.
> 87%
VO2max Ceiling Development
CP is very close to VO2max power. The limiter is the VO2max ceiling itself — it must be raised before CP can follow. Sub-CP work alone cannot drive further adaptation. Primary work is above CP, targeting VO2max directly. Intervals are short by necessity — W′ limits how long you can sustain above-CP efforts. Quality and volume management are paramount.
Primary: Above CP / VO2 Long finish: 79–89% CP
Key
VO2max stimulus — above CP
Warm-up
65–79% CP
20 min building. Full warm-up is critical before above-CP work.
Activation
100–105% CP
2 × 2 min, 3 min easy
Primes VO2 system without deep W′ depletion before the main set.
Main Set
105–115% CP (→ P3)
5–8 × 3–5 min
Rest 3–4 min easy — incomplete W′ recovery is intentional; it creates cumulative VO2 stress across the set. Target is P3 territory. If athlete cannot hold target wattage, extend rest before reducing intensity. Total work time 15–30 min.
Cool-down
65–72% CP
15–20 min easy. Lactate clearance after high-intensity work.
Total: 80–110 min
Quality
CP maintenance + threshold floor
Warm-up
65–75% CP
15 min easy.
Main Set
93–100% CP
2–3 × 8–12 min
Rest 5 min easy. Straddles CP at the lower end — maintains the CP platform that the Key ride is pushing upward. Sub-maximal above-CP exposure without the full depth of the Key ride. No VO2 targeting.
Secondary Block
85–89% CP
15 min continuous
Sweet spot maintenance — preserves the aerobic base that underpins all higher-intensity work.
Cool-down
65–72% CP
10 min easy.
Total: 70–85 min
Long
Aerobic volume + sweet spot finish
Main Body
65–79% CP
Sub-LT1 aerobic base. Duration determined by CTL target and race distance preparation. No structured intervals. Aerobic base maintenance is critical — high-intensity work in this band is only sustainable on a robust aerobic platform.
Finish Block
82–89% CP
25–35 min
Upper sweet spot under accumulated fatigue. Even at this CP/P3 ratio, the fatigued-state Type IIa aerobic stimulus remains valuable. Maintains the aerobic floor that all above-CP work depends on.
Total: 3–6 hrs (CTL-dependent)
Weekly Stress Arc
Key
VO2max targeting. Short, high-intensity intervals with incomplete recovery. Highest acute fatigue of any band.
Quality
CP platform maintenance. Straddles CP at low intensity. Holds the ceiling the Key ride is pushing upward.
Long
Sub-LT1 volume anchor. Sweet spot finish maintains aerobic base — essential foundation for above-CP work.
Volume note High-intensity work above CP is acutely fatiguing and recovery-demanding. Total interval volume in this band is intentionally lower than previous bands. If total triathlon training load is high, the Key ride should be the protected session — shorten or remove the Quality ride main set before touching the Key ride.