# How to handle unplanned time off **URL:** \ **Category:** TrainerRoad Software\ **Created:** [May 1, 2025, 6:14pm UTC](https://www.trainerroad.com/forum/t/how-to-handle-unplanned-time-off/102901 "2025-05-01T18:14:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![tjeffs](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/trainerroad/forum/user_avatar/www.trainerroad.com/tjeffs/32/132399_2.png) [@tjeffs](https://www.trainerroad.com/forum/u/tjeffs)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2025, 6:14pm UTC](https://www.trainerroad.com/forum/t/how-to-handle-unplanned-time-off/102901/1 "2025-05-01T18:14:15Z")
TL;DR - I’m looking for some general guidance and best practices on how to change (or not) a long term training plan after missing workouts for a prolonged period (e.g., 3+ weeks). Thoughts? Background - I have a season long custom training plan that’s aimed at keeping me in shape for a competitive local group ride. Work, life, etc. (insert other excuses) often gets in the way of me being as disciplined as I’d like (e.g., work intensive projects could keep me off the bike for 2-3 weeks, or longer). After one of these periods, how should I adapt my plan or not? Will TR make enough adjustments to account for such long unplanned breaks? Appreciate any thoughts or feedback after logging 0 TSS in four of my last nine weeks of training thanks to a work project and moving. How best should I use TR to get back in the saddle? ---
**Author:** ![TrekCentury](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/trainerroad/forum/user_avatar/www.trainerroad.com/trekcentury/32/123801_2.png) [@TrekCentury](https://www.trainerroad.com/forum/u/TrekCentury)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2025, 6:21pm UTC](https://www.trainerroad.com/forum/t/how-to-handle-unplanned-time-off/102901/2 "2025-05-01T18:21:31Z")
I would let TR figure it out. No need for you to do any mental work. This is what you are paying for. ---
**Author:** ![Jolyzara](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/trainerroad/forum/user_avatar/www.trainerroad.com/jolyzara/32/97333_2.png) [@Jolyzara](https://www.trainerroad.com/forum/u/Jolyzara)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2025, 9:58pm UTC](https://www.trainerroad.com/forum/t/how-to-handle-unplanned-time-off/102901/3 "2025-05-01T21:58:39Z")
3+ weeks? Depends on how far you are into the training plan and how close you are til your “A event.” But if I am reading your post correctly, you train for general fitness. If this is the case I would call it a season break and start over. But that’s me. ---
**Author:** ![Un-QuittingBikes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/bb73d2/32.png) [@Un-QuittingBikes](https://www.trainerroad.com/forum/u/Un-QuittingBikes)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2025, 2:07am UTC](https://www.trainerroad.com/forum/t/how-to-handle-unplanned-time-off/102901/4 "2025-05-02T02:07:03Z")
Definitely bump up FTP by 50 watts. ---
**Author:** ![Deleteme](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/trainerroad/forum/user_avatar/www.trainerroad.com/deleteme/32/12895_2.png) [@Deleteme](https://www.trainerroad.com/forum/u/Deleteme)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2025, 12:07pm UTC](https://www.trainerroad.com/forum/t/how-to-handle-unplanned-time-off/102901/5 "2025-05-02T12:07:52Z")
During all my unplanned time off I couldn’t wait to get back on the bike. I usually lower my FTP and ride that for a while and let the apps adjust it if needed. Sometimes it goes down further but sometimes it goes up too. And when I’m back in the saddle, I try to do a ride a week at my old pre-time off level to see how far I’ve fallen, and see if I can push yet. As I age I see that recovery is harder to pull off, but if I keep at it, I can rise out of the down time and reach my old performance levels, and increase too. My last down time was post surgery and took a solid month off and getting back on was hard, but I’m mostly back. Just be good to yourself and don’t beat yourself up over it. But I’m not a semi-pro or a racer, just an old guy trying to ride faster than the reaper. Good luck!! (But, an aside, I wouldn’t let work stop me from riding. I had a killer job, and would ride in the wee hours of the morning just to get it in because ‘work’ can suck everything out of someone if they let it. I just couldn’t do many killer rides before work or I’d fall asleep at lunch time. I found it really helped with the stress in the office) ---
**Author:** ![Caro.Gomez-Villafane](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/trainerroad/forum/user_avatar/www.trainerroad.com/caro.gomez-villafane/32/129856_2.png) [@Caro.Gomez-Villafane](https://www.trainerroad.com/forum/u/Caro.Gomez-Villafane)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2025, 5:33pm UTC](https://www.trainerroad.com/forum/t/how-to-handle-unplanned-time-off/102901/6 "2025-05-03T17:33:41Z")
Hey @tjeffs 🙂 Sounds like you are in it for general fitness so there’s two ways to go about it! 1. Build a [custom training plan](https://support.trainerroad.com/hc/en-us/articles/360037923191-Plan-Builder-Overview) with a **General Fitness** goal and let us adapt the training as you go (missing training). Note: you can add these [training adjustments](https://support.trainerroad.com/hc/en-us/articles/4404676155035-Training-Adjustments-and-Notes) as you go. 2. Use [TrainNow](https://support.trainerroad.com/hc/en-us/articles/360057075531-TrainNow-Overview) to suggest workouts based on your recent training history so that you can quickly select a workout that matches the duration and workout type you’d like to do.