So first off, I am aware trainer road has a rule about sharing training when talking about training. But I don’t use Tr, soooo I am gonna assume I don’t count. IDk.
So my training has been going pretty well. I did a Spring classic road race and was able to get 2nd from a break away. FTP is over 300. Blablabla some of the best fitness I have ever been in.
But the last two gravel race’s, I have had the same problem. I am absolutely destroyed after the first hour. After the first hour or hour and a half my body just gives up it seems like. My heart rate will be the middle of zone three and I will be noodling at 170 watts feeling like I am doing an all out effort. I just want to lean over my bars in a pupy paw position and just try and recover. Its is like my upper body just is destroyed. I feel exhausted. To the point where I have to just stop and sit there and recover and catch my breath. I just feel absolutely drained only a little over an hour into my race’s.
Now I have considered all the common possibility’s. I have been racing for over four years doing gravel and know what it feels like to go out to hard. While I am not doing a tt style pace strategy, I am by no means blowing up in the normal sense. I don’t feel like I am pushing my limits for the hour. I have been fueling great. I cant rack my head around what is causing this. My tanning is going well. My road race went amazing. I training up to this point has been going great.
The only thing I can think off between the road race and now, is I got my blood tested and found my Iron was low. (22 ferritin level). I have since got on Iron supplements as prescribed by my doctor, and some Vitamin C pills. But I have not felt any gut issues with this, nor found any research that links the two. That is the only thing that has changed so I am not sure what has happened. I am almost wondering if my ferritin is dropping even more now as we enter into the summer. But with the pills I should at least be maintaining.
1h is not that long. You probably have training or group rides that go on for longer. How do you feel then? These should be interesting data points. If you don’t experience the same issues, what’s the difference? Power? NP? Nutrition? Sleep? Stress? Pacing? Hydration?
???
The only rule I can think of is that after a small kerfuffle, TR staff now asks for permission to check and publicly discuss someone’s training history.
Otherwise, I am not aware of any rules.
The first thing I’d check is whether you have accumulated long-term fatigue. Here are a few questions I’d ask:
What do your rest and training weeks look like?
How long are your training blocks?
Have you taken breaks between training blocks?
What does your sleep look like? (Duration, regularity, etc.)
As an immediate measure, I’d take a break right now for at least 2 weeks. After 2 weeks, I’d ask myself whether I want to train. If the answer isn’t a loud and resounding “Yes!”, I’d ask myself again after another week. When the answer is “Yes!”, I’d tack on an extra week until I am giddy with excitement and can’t wait.
Then I’d go to 2 hard sessions per week (assuming you are currently doing more) and make sure to have a rest day after each hard session. No endurance ride, just recovery.
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No way we can tell, so I’ll just give you some thoughts (TLDR: Probably Recovery and/or fueling, maybe ferritin contributes, maybe not)
This could be fatigue - how often do you take a recovery week? When was your last one? Because it sounds like you need a week or more off, As in do nothing hard - easy recovery rides only, no cheating. (I’m doing one this week and I’ve got 2 x 60 minute 40% FTP recovery rides over the first 4 days, with 2 complete rest days then easing back into easy Z2 through the weekend. NO “WORK” ON RECOVERY WEEKS. No go have fun and just rip a group ride. Really no cheating.)
Are you losing weight? Maintaining? I find a huge difference in my ability to perform when I’m fueled well and have glycogen levels topped off. My legs can be pretty fatigued, but if I fuel well before and during I can maintain mid-high Z2 for 4-6 or more hours.
Ferritin could be contributing, but it also takes some time to come back, it’s not a start supplementing, and everything’s good. It could be 6-8 weeks, and you’ll want to re-test then to see. Too much iron is a bad thing too.
Group rides I do are usually fine but I have starticed to notice during interval days. ITs not as jurstic but I was doing 340 for 4 minuet efforts and got to a point where 270 was all out. Which for only 4 minuet efforts is not normal.
I am not sure. My nutrition, and hydration have all been spot on. Might be stress but I have never herd of stress messing up someone only an hour into a race and it not being a constant thing from the start .My power numbers are not that big to be blowing up. Only like 270np with like a 250 avg. I do an hour crit like Wednesdays thing and can do over 300 for that on a normal day so the numbers shouldn’t be it. I am genuinely at a loss for what it could be.
Rest weeks look like a lot of zone 2 for hour and a half. Nothing real long. 2 days of the bike. 1 light gym session that’s more just focusing on technique than weight.
My tanning blocks are 3 weeks.
Sleep is looking like 8 to 9 hours a night.
I wish I could take 2 weeks but Rule of 3 is right there and I race for a club that expects me to at least race. So I might try one after that. We will see.
Good idea’s I will take into consideration. I dont “feel” overtrained but idk, feelings aint exactly the most reliable thing on planet earth.
FWIW crit power is nothing at all like gravel power. The constant spiking in crits tends to draw the average upward in a way that gives false impressions. Gravel is very steady power and is a totally different stimulus/skill and uses entirely different fitness.
I have not measured my protein intake. I always consume a proline shake right after every workout, and figure I eat enough in day to day diet (Usually like 3 eggs in the morning) and a large amount of rice and chicken throughout the day or some other form.
I take recovery weeks after every 3 week block. Not full of the bike but recovery.
The weight thing is hard to tell. I seem to have gained weight over the last year. But I am not sure where. I have gotten a little bit taller (6ft 1, pushing 6ft 2) at 165 now. I was barley 6ft at around 155lb this time last year. I am not sure if that 10lb is fat, height or muscle or if that changes anything really.
I have been taking the Feritin for a good while now and plan to get it re checked after my graduation trip this week.
I dont think it is fuel cause its been pretty spot on for a while now.
True. I should clarify it is not an actual crit. Its a “road race” on a 6 mile loop with a 2 mile hill. 2 mile flat and 2 mile downhill. No real corners. I avoid calling it a road race cause of it only being 36 miles long.
I would strongly suggest that the iron deficiency is a large part of your problem here. Iron plays a critical role in the transport of oxygen in the blood. If your levels are low your body will switch to anaerobic systems which will result in exactly what you’re describing: hitting a wall hard early on.
How does the total ride time of your gravel events compare to your crit or road rides?
How does the total ride time of your gravel event compare to your training? How many hours a week are you riding? How many days a week are you riding over 90min at a time?
If you describe the feeling after an hour of racing that you are “absolutely destroyed” (direct quote), IMHO that should be taken seriously. What’s the worst that could happen? You don’t lose any fitness in two weeks and not a lot in 4.
Isn’t that what a lot of pros do when they are in the middle of race season? I’d do less and see if that helps. Give your body time to heal and recover.
PS 8–9 hours of sleep is really solid. I wish I could manage that. If I’m doing well, I manage 7:30–8 hours, glad to hear you have that one nailed.
I am not sure. I am an 18y old male. Dont see how it would but I barley passed Colloge bio sooooo. Quite funny. I understand and can read studys on traning biology and sport stuff. But can not do colloge bio for the life of me.