Build Phase Plans - Failing Tuesday, Thursday, or Saturday workouts

I’m currently in General Build high volume. My question is around the ‘hard’ workouts in these plans scheduled on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday and adjusting the weekly schedule if failure occurs on one of these days. In particular the Tuesday or Thursday w/o.

Over last 2-3yrs, 1x every Build training block I fail a hard workout not due to overwork but due to a bad night sleep (usually dictated by work/schedule, results in 2-4hrs of poor sleep quality. Sometimes make it through the w/o, it’s like 40% chance of success I’d estimate). Try to avoid poor sleep and de-stress but sometimes w/ life it is what it is. Wondering what others think about following modifications to weekly format given say a hard Tuesday w/o fail.

If fail the Tuesday workout (say make it 60-75% way through) I usually just continue with the plan schedule. My legs, while not tired in manner had I completed the Tuesday workout fully, are still usually a bit tired and appreciate the day recovery in Wednesday’s easy w/o.

However, if I fail the hard Tuesday w/o but have only gotten 35-45% of way through, I struggle with what to do per adjusting the weekly plan schedule. My legs aren’t necessarily super fresh the next day, but usually feel decent. Wondering what folks think per following (or any other thoughts/advice):

  • Option 1: Back-2-back hard days. Re-attempt the failed Tuesday w/o on Wednesday and do Thursday’s hard planned w/o Thursday (assuming legs are decent). Then resume plan schedule (Friday easy, Saturday hard). Sometimes I find with a little fatigue in legs I do better next day.

  • Option 2: Just write off failed Tuesday. Move forward as normally would in plan.

  • Option 3: Shift week schedule to still complete 3 hard rides. Re-attempt failed Tuesday on Wednesday, on Thursday do easy w/o, then do Thursday’s planned hard w/o on Friday, take Saturday easy, and do Saturday planned hard w/o on Sunday. Effectively resulting in skipping Sunday original planned workout.

Re-reading this realize might be overthinking, and outside perspective would help :slight_smile: Ultimately 1 missed w/o probably doesn’t matter in grand scheme and guarding against overdoing it could be good. But also, don’t want to look back and feel like left anything on the table.

I think you have already touched on it, but you need to look at WHY you are failing the workouts. You’re not sleeping well, so you’re not recovered, so you’re failing.

Maybe you need to look at a lower volume plan, or alterations to the high vol plan that will allow you to manage these outside stressors and still have a productive training plan

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Option 2 is the best solution in nearly all cases. Listen to your body. Yesterday’s ride was yesterday’s ride. It’s almost always a mistake to let it impact today’s ride.

As @Rondal said, if it’s happening consistently, a step back to MV is probably in order, adding an extra aerobic ride when you have the time. Ultimately, your sleep can be impacted by your training… which impacts your sleep. Listen to your body.

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appreciate the advice @RONDAL and @kurt.braeckel . Also, good point on yesterday’s ride being yesterday’s ride, I need to write this out as a reminder :grinning: Sometimes can’t see the forest for the tress and helps to get outside perspective.

don’t think frequent enough to warrant change to volume at this point, but something I’ll keep on radar as option. Maybe will try nonetheless as experiment. As @RONDAL noted, understanding the WHY and addressing has been a focus of mine over last year. But a good reminder still and appreciate pointing out.

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Having tried option 1 during last year’s MV build phase I would strongly advise option 2. Digging a further trench to (potentially!) bury yourself in by doing back to back tough workouts with a good chance of failure will annoy you greatly and potentially demotivate you, it’s not worth it. Positive attitude is so important in keeping momentum going during training.

I’m doing HV this year, currently sustained power build, and failed last Saturday’s tough O/U workout, my first fail of HV thus far and due to illness. I had to remind myself of last year’s experience with option 1 and the subsequent lessons learned!

Anyway, to sum up. As others have said, as long as it’s not repeated failures just keep moving forward and continue with the plan as scheduled.

First off your use of “w/o” was confusing since it means “without”. I wasn’t sure if you meant O/U (over/unders) or what exactly you were talking about. Rereading it I see you use w/o as a substitute for workout :upside_down_face:. Just to add what has been already said, option 2 is the way to go and +1 on the opinion that you should drop to a MV plan. You can always add to a MV plan if you have a well rested week and feel like you have more to give.

Ah yeah certainly see, my bad on the confusion per ‘w/o’.

Good point to possibly use MV as guidance and up to HV if feeling up to it. Might do that +longer enduro ride on Sunday.

Thanks @rev0knuckle for sharing your experience. Felt like that could be an issue if I did proceed down Option 1 path and helpful to hear someone else’s experience.

I ended up going w Option 2 … easy ride (it was also 72 degrees in Feb here in Virginia so helped with decision to ride easy outside today :grin: )