Sleep is short (c6.5 to 7h) but solid.
I’m an overthinker and anxious, with a fairly stressful job.
I have about 8-10 hours a week for riding.
You’ve almost certainly reached your genetic peak given your training and recovery (sleep). If you want to hit beyond the 305-310w, get more sleep (8h) and increase volume to 12-15 from 8-10.
I don’t really agree with many posters saying that adding volume is your best way to break through
To me, the salient point in your post was the consistent loss of motivation. No other fixes or training adjustments will matter until you can maintain your motivation and thus your consistency. You regularly drop 10% ftp which to me says you’re taking a significant break each time you lose motivation
It’s possible you’re overdoing it based on your current life constraints and adding volume will just make you stop training more often. It’s also possible you’re bored on the trainer and after a certain duration you can’t take it any more. There are a ton of different possible reasons
If you can, think back to when you’ve stopped training over the past years and figure out why. Experimenting with resolving these issues will let you unlock the consistency necessary to improve
There are dozens of different training methods, all of which could be better for you, but none will help until you can train consistently over the months and years
There are 3 things to work on while continuing your cycling training:
*Diet: Develop a pyramidal eating plan where you take in lots of carbs to fuel your long workouts and reduce carbs on easier days (this is what Matt Beers explained in his recent Trainer Road podcast). Also, as an older athlete, you need to really make sure you are getting lots of protein. Add some whey protein powder to your bowl of morning oatmeal, for example.
*Strength/core: As an older athlete, you need to strength train and work your core. It doesn’t have to be much…just a 15 minute routine 2 to 3 times per week.
*Sleep: aim for 7 hours per sleep at night. 8 might be better but 7 is better than 6.
I believe everyone needs enough sleep, not necessarily more sleep. It’s very individual and some need 6 while others need 9+. I train 20+ hours regularly and pushing closer to 30 hours during big volumes. However, I sleep roughly 6.5 - 7 hours and always have. I have the opportunity to sleep 10+ hours but my body won’t allow it and apparently doesn’t want it. Won’t allow me to nap either.
So while you should never restrict sleep, there isn’t a magic number or formula where more volume equals more sleep. Simply just get the amount of sleep your body is asking for.
I’m the same as you…I always provide myself with an 8 hour sleep window but I normally always wake up after 7 hours of sleep, wide awake, before my alarm clock goes off.
This is me, it doesn’t matter what time I goto bed. I’ll be up around the same time everyday. If I sleep til 6 am it means I slept in. So, I try to get to bed the same time every night, which does help me a lot.
not trying to just give you BS encouragement…
but if you’re maintaining your FTP from what it was 20 years ago, you ARE progressing.
something tells me
a) you’re being hard on yourself and you are progressing somewhere that you’re not noticing. maybe your TTE has jumped up? maybe your 3 minute power increased? I dunno. I might hire a coach for a few hours consultation to just do a one-time scan of your data and see what areas you improve on when you’re consistent…then give you a strategy based on your data (not a specific plan as you probably have that down…just an overall strategy).
b) I think the gaps hurt you more than anything - but whatever…maybe the gaps are what keep your interest in biking for all these years. maybe training nonstop would make you sick of biking and you’d stop altogether? maybe the gaps help long term.
c) maybe you just gotta push harder and your ceiling is mental. maybe you can just take a month and mentally prepare and do workouts that you think would blow you up and just do them and grind it out and then come back the next day and crush again. raise your wattage on recovery and endurance. just raise your floor basically til it sticks…then back to structure with a new floor. (I’m just making this up…not a exercise scientist…just helping you brainstorm)
I would be very surprised if someone with a job like OP describes and with an exercise regimen that OP describes gets enough (quality) sleep. But point taken.
I’ve read that book as well as numerous others, I recommend “The Sleep Solution” by W. Chris Winter M.D. Additionally I’ve been to a sleep clinic and have gone down many medical paths. It’s my experience that telling others they need more sleep than they actually may can cause more problems and anxiety around sleep than it helps.
Again, you shouldn’t restrict sleep, but there is not a magic number or formula.
I have it, and I’d say it’s…ok. There is certainly some great insight to sleep and it’s mechanisms. It’s not so hot on the actionable part and it’s honestly a bit histronic.
Agree. The Winter book is fantastic.
Truer words…TR is a good training platform and a good value. They produce a very good product at a reasonable price. The only short coming I see in the product is there is never a substantial increase in volume over time, only intensity and time in zone. This only goes so far. My understanding of human physiology (which is honestly at a basic level) is that you can signal your body to improve two ways: intensity and volume. The intensity signaling plateaus first after which point flooding yourself with more intensity will only put you in the hold. So then it turns to volume. If your life/schedule does not allow for more volume then you’re stuck. This is a general overview to be sure, there is individual variability that may refute this case by case.
You have a valid point here… from a strict training stand point when you begin a training phase (lets assume building from a season break) you would increase and build volume, similar to what we do adding intensity and duration when training tempo/threshold/VO2 (i.e. "time in zone).
I think the issue is that many have a cap on training hours due to life stuff (work, family, etc.). So if you train low or medium volume (3-10 hours) there isn’t much ramping up you can do until you are already at your maximum.
So I am with you… I think the parameters of clientele make it a challenge though.