Barely 3wks into TR. I chose the century plan high volume to train for the whistler gran fondo forte in september. I have lots of time, no kids and i was doing 9+ hrs/wk before signing up. Mostly z2 with the odd zwift race thrown in. I feel good and am completing all work outs. I eat and hydrate well both on and off the bike and am always motivated for my next session. The only workout i dont feel fully rested for is the sunday session with there being a 2hr saturday sweetspot ride but i can still get through it. During yesterdays ride i watched a podcast from 4 months ago where they talked about choosing the right plan and it got me doubting i chose the right plan and that i might be over doing it. It recommended mid volume when i signed up but i was so close to 10hrs a week i let my ego choose high volume. Should i carry on with high volume until my body tells me otherwise or should i drop to mid volume now and avoid the possibility/probability of overtraining altogether? Ive been riding a yr and a half with a 3month break at the end of 2022. I appreciate any advice
Drop to low or mid volume. You don’t have the cycling history for high volume and unless you’re a genetic outlier you’re going to overtrain yourself at this level
If you listen to their podcasts and look at the other content, they don’t recommend most people to use HV. Since you are new to TR, start with mid volume and, time permitting, add some endurance or low tempo rides to fill the available time.
This. The training load can really stress your body. You’ll feel good — until you don’t. It’s really easy to burn yourself out. TR is a good program, but you need to build into it and see how you perform over time.
Just want to add another vote for dropping down, but knowing that if you’re feeling good, you can always add more Z2. As mentioned above, overtraining often hits out of nowhere. You think you’re doing great, have a tough week, start to look forward to a rest week, and all the sudden realize you’ve dug a hole you can’t get out of. Consistency over time is far more valuable that overdoing it for short term gains and then ending up on the couch.
By the way…kudos to you for recognizing it before it becomes an issue!
What is your athletic background? Do you have a history of consistent training? What are your goals?
I understand the idea of being careful and not burning out. But if you have trained and competed in any sport at a high level you know that fatigue and pushing through is just part of the process. To be your best you need to be right on that edge. To me… being tired at the end of the week is normal. I mean, when you are in a load phase are you ever really fully rested and feel great?
That said, now I’m a Dad. I do this for fun. I enjoy training and racing but still remember how painful those days were chasing times on the track and have no desire to do that again. So I err on the side of doing less rather than more… because I like riding and want to do it tomorrow.
So I guess it comes down to goals and how much you are willing to suffer. But a little fatigue at the end of the week is no biggie in my opinion.
Park your ego - your body will thank you for it. And, as you successfully progress through a lower volume plan in a sustainable and consistent manner, so will your ego.
Thanks for the replies. I dropped down to mid volume. Ive got lots of athletic experience over the years but nothing as intense as hard cardio every day. I got a 7w ftp improvement in my 2.5wks at high volume though lol
Comments like this accentuate the idea that the high volume plan is something to aspire to do….when in fact, it’s an aberration called out even by @Chad.
I don’t think I made it something to aspire to. I said it wasn’t a fit for someone with his background in the sport, not that it was something to aim for.
My apologies if I made it seem superior in any way as that was not my intent
Yeah TRs high volume plans are probably inappropriate for just about everyone. Even people who CAN handle them would probably be better off doing something different.