Fellow Sufferlandrians,
Let’s say your taking on a challenging video for the first time, or maybe you’re just not feeling it that day. Do you:
0 voters
I do like option 1, but If I am really fatigued or stressed, I will just put it off for a day.
As for dialing it down, it does depend on the goal of the workout. If I have to dial it down to the point where I am accumulating fatigue without achieving the goal of the workout, I will just stop.
Usually 1 or 2 depending on how I really feel.
To an external observer, I am a Damn the Torpedoes kind of guy, but it’s more subtle.
I start the session with the agreement with myself that I can and will take a break some time after the halfway point. I know that by that time, I’ll be warmed up and mentally switched to “it’s just X more minutes, no point in stopping now” mode. I prefer to keep repeat rides of the same workout comparable so I can track changes in fitness, and stopping to take a break wrecks comparability, so there’s that little thing to tip the balance. Soon I’m in the “other people can do it, I’m sure you can too” range of the end of the workout, and it has been a non-stop session.
However, I remain intimidated by The Kitchen Sink…
I’ll give it a shot but if it soon becomes apparent that aint happenin’, I figure I need more recovery so do something easy, or nothing, and then try again a day or two later.
Good poll but it depends. If it’s a pro-ride then I will decrease the power regardless. If it’s an On Location then I’ll stick with it as far as possible. It’s something about the “come on, come on, you’ve got this” that keeps me in there
So the thought behind the poll was that I was feeling a little worn out from a long threshold week, and God help me had ISLTA on the calendar today.
I’m usually a “start at 100% and dial it down if needed to ensure you finish”, aka “never quit” type, but sometimes end up disappointed and frustrated that I wasn’t able to finish a ride at 100%. So today I started ISLTA at 90% and felt good enough that I was able to kick it up to full-out about an hour in and suffer to the finish.
Good times were had by all. 
I like to start at 100% and hold on for dear life until you either make it to the end in a whimpering mess or blow spectacularly early and be forced to limp to the end gradually dialing up to something approaching a half decent intensity.
I’m guessing the coaches will say better to do the whole session at 90%, than the first half at 100 and the second half at 75??
If you really are not feeling it: Go do something else. Walk, strength, yoga, veg on the couch with a donut. If you are questioning your abilities: 100% at the beginning and then dial it down or lengthen the recovery sections. If you are feeling like you don’t want to see tomorrow: Damn the Torpedoes.
I probably look at this too simplistically, but I figure I should be able to complete all workouts in a 4DP plan on schedule and the way they are designed (power, duration, cadence, etc.). I believe the main place this goes wrong for me is that the 4DP plans don’t account for my age (69). If I start a workout and it soon becomes apparent that I’m not going to complete a workout close to the objectives, I figure it’s because I need more recovery than the plan allows for. Rather than dial back or skip the workout, I do recovery and shift the entire rest of the plan out a day or two. This usually allows me to successfully complete a tough workout. It would be great if 4DP plans somehow included an adjustment for older riders.