Planbuilder choices

[TmDrssrt]

In my lead-up to possible gran fondos in July 2021, I started a training plan in September. I’ve just finished SSBMV I & II and started my first week of SPB. Although the results have been satisfying, i’m getting doubts about the sequence of training phases.

What i’m looking at from now (beginning of December) until July is Sustained Build, Specialty Phase, again Sustained Build and again Specialty Phase. This was recommended by the TR Planbuilder. The reasons i’m having doubts are:

1. looking at the calendar trainings look very rigourous from now on all the way through to July , and definitely a step up from what i’ve been doing the last couple of weeks. What I fear most here is some sort of training burnout

2. @mcneese.chad tells otherwise:

So should I change the first specialty phase in my plan to 8 weeks of base training or should I leave it the way it is?

Thanks!

[marvel]

Hey, I’m a new user of trainerroad. I made a plan for the XC marathon. Race A will be held on June 21, 2021. I used Plan builder high voulume. The plan looks like Base 1, Base 2, Bulid, Base 1, Specialty. I wonder if that’s okey - Base 1 after Bulid before Specialty?

[mcneese.chad]

Just in case there is some confusion, I am not Coach Chad Timmerman (TR Head Coach). I am just an avid TR member and forum moderator.

That said, the item shared from me above is a short summary off the default case and timing for a regular Base, Build, Specialty training plan.

They took that and a bunch more logic to make Plan Builder. The magic in PB is that it looks to take the input (your experience, available time and planned events), and then shoehorns or stretches the overall training plan to fit the space and time allowed.

As such, it is dependent on the input you give (lots from the experience level) to set the specific plan phases and duration of each. I don’t think I can cover the specifics of your plan questions beyond that. Hopefully other smart members or a TR rep can cover this as needed.

[mwglow15]

It sounds to me like you chose a higher level of experience when going through plan builder. Generally, the higher experience level you say you have then the more ‘base’ the tool assumes you have. Thus you plan is skewed toward build and specialty phases and away from base. If you are worried about burnout then maybe go back to plan builder and play around with giving it a lower experience level. It would probably spit out a plant that has another base phase in there somewhere and thus give you a bit of a ‘reset’ both mentally and physically before you final push to your event.

[TmDrssrt]

@mcneese.chad Chad i’m sorry for the confusion, I’ve adjusted the title to prevent further confusion

@mwglow15 I’ve followed your advice and went through all possible options in the Planbuilder i.e. adjusting volume & experience, but it always come down to the sequence of Base 1 - Base 2 - Build - Specialty - Build - Specialty over a course of 44 weeks, so in other words no ‘advice’ to shoot in some base after the first build block.

Is there anyone who has more insight in the logic of the planbuilder?