By noodling I mean that my endurance rides were almost always unstructured. I never concentrated on staying in Zone 2, which is something I do in my training now. Most of my old endurance rides I probably averaged high Zone 1 / low Zone 2. Rarely looked at power during the ride, just focused on time in the saddle.
Historically I have always done intervals on Tuesday/Thursday. “Endurance” on Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday. I often do recovery rides Monday & Friday now.
Looking back I can tell I was in a deficit because I often bonked. Or went hunger flat. I’d finish rides ready to eat everything in my kitchen. I just thought that was part of the experience in cycling. I figured as you got more fit, that feeling would go away. Now that I consume more carbs during my rides I rarely ever get that feeling. If I do I assume that I messed up nutritionally.
If you’re not feeling like that, you’re probably doing okay too? I’m definitely not a nutritionist or anything, but I’ve been trying to learn more about it. I really do think my riding is night and day different, particularly those Zone 2 days, now that I’m focused on consuming carbs. If I’m riding, I’m taking in something. Even if I don’t feel hungry on the bike.