Sorry to hear about the event cancellation – that’s a total bummer!!
FTP & Training Suggestions
If your FTP continues to feel too high and your workouts too hard, don’t feel obligated to keep yourself locked into struggling. Feel free to drop your FTP a bit manually and see how things feel – or even take a Ramp Test to get a good FTP value on which you can start basing your rebuild.
The idea of doing a couple of easier weeks using TrainNow isn’t bad either – it’s possible you’re just not used to training and riding hard after 3 months of unstructured riding. There could be an adjustment period as you get back into things.
Early Morning Workouts
Early morning workouts could also be a tough adjustment if you’re not used to them. Personally, I find it easier to bang 'em out if I have everything prepared ahead of time – bottles filled and on the bike, nutrition ready to go, kit laid out… Everything in order so I can basically roll out of bed and hop on the bike. The less hurdles in your way (especially in the morning), the better!
Finally… don’t worry too much about time off!
We certainly wouldn’t call this a failure – it’s totally reasonable to lose motivation after a big goal gets canceled. Training hard also takes a lot of commitment from an athlete, so taking a few months off from structured work is normal, too. Trust that your fitness will come back as you get back into training – and probably more quickly than when you first built it up!
Hope this helps! Feel free to let us know if you have any other questions. 