I’ve come to realise (finally my wife is saying) that at 54 I’m struggling to recover enough to complete Geiger today after a VO2max session on Tuesday and then an hour endurance session yesterday. I just can’t seem to recover in time no matter how well I’m eating and sleeping. The joys of ageing.
Looks like I might need to drop to 3 sessions a week…
VO2max | Geiger | Boarstone(or 3 to 4 hours outside) 
I hear you. I’m 51. Tuesday is now my day off, usually. I try to run that day but it’s no stress if I drop it and make it a rest day. I’m on the bike 3 days (Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday), running 3 days (Sunday, Tuesday or Wednesday, and Thursday), and swimming 3 days (Monday, Wednesday, Friday). Thursday is light with only a run (like today) and Tuesday, as I noted, is now a usually a much required rest day. Age isn’t kind.
GA: You make an observation that I think could lead TR to add a significant feature to their calendar–inserting days. I’m 61 and a new TR rider, just got through the first three weeks of Base 1 Intermediate. I made it, but can see issues on the horizon. For ANY rider, but especially we more mature types, inserting a day (automatically pushing the program to the right) would be hugely helpful in avoiding the failure/guilt/foreboding cycle that happens when you need more rest to execute the program. For me, pushing my weekly schedule off a day isn’t an issue. I can get out of cycle with particular workout days. BUT (like all of us) I NEED TO BE PROPERLY RESTED! I don’t need an 8-day program or a 9-day program–I just need to be able to push my schedule. Sure, I can rearrange my calendar day by day by day just to insert a rest day, but it’s way to easy to screw up.
On the other hand, just because we’re getting old doesn’t mean we can stick to a 7-day program! I hung in there, inserted one rest day when it was getting hard and I was acclimating to full-up indoor training on my KICKR, and clawed that day back the following week to stay on course. But it took a lot of attention to sleep and especially eating. The TR program changes the way you must eat to stay on top of things. But we’re older and allegedly smarter so we can do all of that. I sleep more and do little active recovery things like short walks and not sitting too much and doing stairs just for the hell of it so I don’t fall behind.
But take all of this with a grain of salt. I’m a new guy, so I basically don’t know squat. My advice would be to hang in there, supercharge your recovery, sleep, & eating, insert days the hard way. My advice to TR would be to give us that day insert capability, and we’d be set! I am a huge fan of the program and can’t wait to see my ramp test after six weeks of Base 1.
Hi George,
I’m also 54 and have encountered “the wall.”
I’m on the SSBHV plan and found that I was completely smashed entering the 5th workout. My fourth workout was Pettit. (1 hour endurance)
Even with the hour long endurance I didn’t feel recovered for my 5th workout. I switched Pettit for Dans (30 minute active recovery) and that really helped! The 30 minute active recovery really helped flush out the heavy feeling in my legs and I feel much more recovered enter workouts 5 and 6.
Some weeks I find I might have to lower the intensity of workouts 5 and 6 but only by 3%-4%. (never lower.)
Beyond that, I’ve really been focusing on rest, recovery and nutrition. I’m also do a full-body stretch after every ride which has also helped greatly with recovery.
I’m 54 and do TT’s and club group rides a couple of times a month.
I started off about 4 months ago on SSB MV. I managed it, but I ended up aggravating an old knee injury.
It took 2 months or so before I don’t really notice it much at the moment.
I am now on the low volume plans and that gives me more time to recover and also do a TT or group ride if necessary.
If even that gets a bit much then I skip a workout in favour of a TT or the longer group ride. So I always get at least 2 high intensity rides in each week.
I may not be able to recover as fast as I want, but I don’t think my age is stopping me from smashing myself in the intense workouts.
57 here - and that’s why I selected the low volume plans. It’s easier to add a ride or workout if things work well than to pile up the plan.
AT 51, I did the same, choosing the LV plans. After SSBI, II and General Build, while I was completing all the workouts, my ramp tests were’t getting better as I started into Sustained Build. On the advice of everyone here, I backed off of Sustained Build and back into SSB-LV. I am completing workouts without feeling beat up, probably an indication that my FTP is about to up again.
BTW, from the looks of it, we could get a Seniors division going here…
Do we get a rebate?
I think you are on to something here
If I’m going to turn into an old grumpy fart who can’t keep up with the pack, might as well get something positive for it.
I think you get a Di2 Cervelo with Enve wheels
I’m not a dentist.
Honourary DDS
I’m 63 and schedule the low volume plans. I add recovery and endurance as I feel on that day. I feel the 3 high intensity days are where the improvement comes from. Everything else is focused on those three days, so my personal plan ends up with a TSS between low and mid volume. Tue, Thurs, and Sat are high intensity workouts following the low volume plan
mon and wed are active recovery
Fri is core, weights and walks
Sun is endurance if I can handle it, some weeks I need to back this down (bale before I complete the workout)
I also skip days when necessary, like after a very long or stressful day at work.
Joe Friel’s book “fast after 50” has some good takeaways
1 We can still be fast
2 intensity is the key
3 We need to pay more attention to recovery
3 days a week can definitely work. I’m 53 in July, had a forced 3 month break last year, since November my FTP has risen from 190 to 257. I was at 240 ish when I stopped last August which is a factor but anyway, 3 days a week with the occasional ‘filler’ session does work.
Suggestion…
Pick the low volume plan or mid volume plan and then do one or both of the following:
The plans are descriptive, not prescriptive.
@Ehrpower The ability to insert days and auto push the calendar would be nice. Did you write up a feature request here on the forum? If not, you should! To make it clear and searchable, title it “Feature Request: xxxx” and add tags for “calendar” and “feature-requests”
KickrLin: Thanks for suggesting I post a “feature request.” Is a “feature request” a thing? First time on the forum and don’t understand the lingo. Haven’t got a clue what you said about tags and searchable or how/where feature requests are posted. Got ideas, but no forum skills. Barely discovered the forum itself.
I edited the title to include Feature Request and added it as a tag in the TR Software category.
You can do the same when you create or edit your own thread in the future.
If you click on the TrainerRoad icon at the top left, it will take you to the main forum page. Now select, the “New Topic” button on the right to create a new post.
For the title I suggest something such as “Feature Request: xxxxxxx”
For the category, scroll down and select “TrainerRoad Software”
For the optional tags, you can use “calendar” and “feature-request”
Finally, write up a the description similar to what you described above.
KickrLin: Thank you! I just followed your instructions and posted the feature request. Much appreciated. Old dog has a new trick.