Do you go back to base plan after a specialty phase?

Hi beginner cyclist here.

Do you go back to a base training plan after going through base, build and specialty phase sequence?

or do you stay in the build phase? How does these phase sequences work if you’ve gone through it sequencially once?

Thank you team.

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I’d suggest using Plan Builder and input all of your events/races for the year. Plan Builder will schedule your training accordingly.

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What he said ^^
Or if you, like me, don’t actually race. Here’s what I do.

Set an imaginary A race as placeholder for PB to aim for early summer.
Then enjoy my fitness, ride and use Train Now when I feel like structure for a few months.
Rinse and repeat when outdoor riding is no longer fun due to weather.
Seems to be working so far, I’m getting faster…

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Also, if you don’t have a specific event or series of events, there is nothing wrong with base, then build, and back to base again. Or two bases consecutively then a build. In the long term, specialty won’t get you far. Those are peaking blocks.

I’ve never used Plan Builder but I assume you can lay it all out there, as already suggested.

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I haven’t used the plans in quite a while but my biggest critique in the past is how going back to base can be way too easy if you’re FTP hasn’t changed much. After going thru the 3 phases, you are obviously more fit than you were before so it doesn’t make sense te restart with the same ftp.

For example, if you were knocking out 20min SS intervals in build or specialty. Then before starting base again your FTP hasn’t moved. Going back to the really short SS intervals at the same power is imo a waste of time and removes the progressive overload we are all after.

BUT NOW with AT, Base won’t really take back to a point where its way too easy. You’ll keep progressing with your PLs and ever rising FTP when it does eventually go up.
So yea. Definitely use plan builder but I imagine it will take you back to base.

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TR’s plan builder is about peaking for an event. Is that what you want? Are you time crunched, and can only ride 3-5 hours a week?

As a beginner you can get really fast just riding more and more, going from 3-5 hours/week up to 6-8 hours/week and simply doing a lot of easy rides and some hard rides. Riding consistently is the key. So whatever you do, make sure it motivates you to consistently ride.

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Yeah, like @WindWarrior says PB is about peaking for a specific event and for a beginner you’re going to almost be guaranteed improvements just be staying consistent in your approach. To answer your question more directly, yes, you should go back to a base training phase after a specialty phase. The reason being is that there is a limit with how long we can ride the hard-earned peak fitness that the PB has designed. TR is all about fitness peaking for specific events, so if that is your goal it’s best to follow the classic base, build, specialty, break then back into base. Your base training can totally look different from the first go around, too. Try a tradition base phase and throw in some tempo riding, as opposed to the standard TR ethos of time crunch base = almost nothing but SS riding.

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