Intervals.icu: how to start a cyclist

1. Prepare your account and source data

Register or log in to Intervals.icu. Check the time zone, units, and profile. Prepare one recent trip for which you know the duration and source of the recording.

Decide in advance what you will analyze: only a diary and heart rate or also power. Without a power meter, the service does not turn the ride into a reliable watt recording. To begin with, correct initial data is more useful than the maximum number of indicators.

2. Connect the training source

Open Settings → Connections and find the service where your records are saved. Follow the authorization form for this service and check the permission to upload activities. Connection names and availability may vary.

After connecting, check out one new workout. The presence of the "connected" status does not prove that the whole story has arrived. For old activities, use the available import tool of your source; if a separate trip is missing, you can download the original FIT file.

For Garmin, the developer separately describes the limitations of historical import and the file transfer option: analysis of Garmin imports on the Intervals.icu forum. Do not delete the entire history for the sake of re-syncing.

3. Check one entire trip

1. Find it in the Activities calendar.
2. Check the date and time: the trip should not be on the next day because of the time zone.
3. Compare the duration and distance with the original recording.
4. Open the heart rate, power and cadence charts — the ones that were actually recorded.
5. Check the source of the activity and the absence of an extra copy of the same trip.

Travel time and total duration may vary due to stops. Compare similar indicators. If the graph breaks, check the source file before attempting to correct the analysis settings.

For import problems, there are FAQ Intervals.icu. To contact support, save the date, source, and description of the problem. You don't need an API key in a public post.

4. Check FTP and zones

In the settings for your chosen sport, check your FTP if you train by power, and your heart rate parameters if you use heart rate. Enter values from your testing or work with a coach. A random number changes the meaning of the zones and workload calculation.

eFTP is a data assessment, not a separate laboratory test. If the estimate has changed unexpectedly, first check the record, the presence of outliers and which sensor was used. Do not rebuild the entire plan in one jump.

Parameters and methods of load calculation affect Fitness, Fatigue, and Form charts. For the first weeks, leave the complicated default model settings.

5. Separate the plan and the completed workout

The planned work describes the intention, the loaded activity describes what happened. After the trip, check that the record appeared on the correct day, and the plan did not remain the second completed load.

Add short notes: how the work felt, why the interval was shortened, whether the equipment was changed. In a month, these recordings will explain the schedule better than trying to remember the mood by average watts.

For those familiar with interval training on FATRACING there is training library and constructor. The choice and scope of classes should match your plan, not just an attractive schedule.

6. Connect FATRACING and check the result

Connecting devices to Intervals.icu and connecting Intervals.icu to FATRACING are two different steps. There is already a separate one for the second one instructions with a picture: where to get the API Key and what to specify in the Athlete ID. It leads through your personal account or Telegram bot.

After saving, open the settings again and check the status. If the plan is empty in Intervals.icu itself, the list of future workouts in FATRACING may also be empty. For shared access on the site and in the bot, use the linked account.

• One new ride loaded and checked.
• The data source and zones are clear.
• There are no extra copies and random loads.
• FATRACING connection is confirmed by reopening the settings.