Intentionally lowering weekly TSS

Hi everyone,

I had a good winter making a 31 watt increase in FTP (274 to 305), my TSS was as prescribed and all went well, but i came to a point where i just fancied a break.

So I’ve had 8 weeks away from TR’s structured training, but continued to ride my bike in a variety of power zones. I’ve signed back up and noticed that my training stress score whilst away from TR has increased to around 650 to 750 each week. Bearing in mind i was previously on a mid volume build at around 450 to 550 TSS each week.

So, I intend to stick to the plan, as it works, and do another MV Build which will mean lowering my weekly TSS. Will this have any adverse affects? It might be worth noting that I’ve just done another Ramp Test today and it’s now up to 311 (done on slightly tired legs as opposed to having a recovery week then doing it).

Anyone have any personal experience or thoughts on lowering TSS?

Outdoor, unstructured TSS != indoor, structured TSS

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I think you’ll quickly find the lower TSS will actually feel harder on your legs because of the structure.

If it’s not after a few weeks, then add some outside, lower intensity riding to supplement the TR work.