Not necessarily, I’m trying to figure out what’s best for me. If it’s working for you, it may work for me. I took a year off structured training after the 2017 race season and I’m giving the TR program a go full time other than one outdoor race simulation ride or race each weekend. I did a lot of my training on the road and track before and I’m in the middle of trying to figure out how to translate to indoors.
Edit: I agree that it’s possible to cram it in w/ base - I’m just not confident I can or should do it in build or specialty. I loaded up before a work trip during the end of SSB MVII. Came back and was wrecked and couldn’t finish Leconte.
Yeah. I’m looking at your 6hr ride in the middle of week 2… Probably not ideal for recovery. I don’t think it’s the SS work that makes SSBMV tough for people, it’s the VO2 workouts that really help dig the hole.
Fair enough. TR was my first structured indoor training experience. After a full month off I started with SSBLV, the first couple of weeks were kinda rough. Your body is more than capable of doing two days of hard workouts; it will adjust if you train it (and rest it).
Totally agree. Just illustrating that it’s possible to stack base days on top of each other. I just don’t think it’s the best practice later in the program.
I think everyone can muster two or three back to back days during base. The question is can you/should you keep it up as you progress in the program.
I would think so. Maybe not 3 in a row, but definitely 2. You body will adapt and get stronger as you progress through the program. I think we should all give back-to-back days a try if for nothing else than just to see if we are capable of it. Don’t be scared of it on paper, go try it for yourself!
I really labored over what would be the best way to structure my build program starting next week. I often travel mid-week and do a road race simulation or road race or Crit on Saturday. I went back and forth over whether I should go w/ Short Build MV and move Saturday to Tuesday and drop the Thursday ride or use the LV and add Z2 rides. I’ve decided to go with the LV and move the Saturday ride to Tuesday and the Thursday to Sunday add Z2. It should be manageable - even with two difficult rides each weekend. I expect to be wrecked each Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.
I’m similar to @wyku in that i also don’t usually have a day off but have a swim only day thats pretty easy. It’s just a matter of adjusting to a schedule and reading your body to make sure you are handling it ok.
It’s my home route/winter team ride - 50 mile loop w/ 4700 ft of rolling hills - training ride. Seven segments with sprints and hilltop finishes. One point for each segment. Most points at end of day wins. We have another ride called GSD (Get Shit Done) that we’ll start riding in about a month which is a 50 mile race simulation that’s a lot faster drop ride with about 3500 ft of climb. Three segments, with one hill top finish and then two sprint finishes. Roll in 15 miles and home another 15 miles.
I’ll likely wind up doing GSD or a race on Saturday and BILLZ HILLZ on Sunday or race or the scheduled Sunday ride when weather is less than desirable (Or I need a break from race pace).
LMK if you ever want to come to Nashville and join us
So, I finished the second session of this weeks back to back intervals. And I am very pleased to say that it went really well and far beyond my expectations. This is maybe not something to do every week, but it is good to know that if I have to from time to time thats ok.
I also don’t plan full days off, but I take at least one during the recovery week, sometimes two, and will usually cut the weekend ride down to 1 hour.
I think back to back hard days are a bit easier for tri training since I usually alternate run/bike
Mon: Hard bike, ez swim
Tues: ez run
Wed: ez bike, hard swim (know this is supposed to be an easy day, but the duration I swim is still a pretty low metabolic strain)
Thursday: Hard run
Friday: Hard Bike (float ez swim between thursday or friday depending on work schedule since I swim at lunch)
Saturday: endurance bike
Sunday: long run
I completely agree. I had a ramp test on Tuesday and had to travel Thursday. So I moved my Thursday intervals to Wednesday and they went surprisingly well. Then I moved the zone 2 Wednesday workout to Friday instead. Not something I would do regularly, but it was nice to know I can play with the schedule if needed including back to back hard days and still have a successful week.
Something which maybe hasn’t mentioned is the timing of B2B days.
It’s likely easier to string 2-3 hard days together at the start of a plan when you’re fresh than it is in Week 5 of a plan when you have accumulated fatigue.
Guess it depends also how big an FTP bump as well. No way I could have strong back to back on week 1 after an 8% (22 watt) increase. Much more manageable week 5 with only a 2% (6 watt) increase. Yes I’m fatigued, but that also kept my ramp test in check.
