Should I not be worried about missing out on Threshold work in High Volume Sweet Spot Base?

Training
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Should I not be worried about missing out on Threshold work in High Volume Sweet Spot Base?

I’m trying out a high volume plan [HV SS Base] for the first time - I’m three weeks in and I think its going well, but I’ve been wondering “Where’s the Threshold work? I’d swear base plans had Threshold.”

Bit of review, bit of research, and I’m under the impression that MV SS Base trades the volume in a HV plan for additional intensity in the form of Threshold workouts.

I used plan builder at the start of April (late start I know) to put together an HV Training Plan for 100 & 200 mile gravel races in September & October. Plan Builder gave me:

HV Sweet Spot Base I - 6 weeks
My C Race
HV Sweet Spot Base II - 6 weeks
HV General Build - 5 weeks
HV Rolling Road Race - 4 weeks
My A Race - 100 miles
Recovery Week
HV Rolling Road Race - 4 weeks - with a B race at the end of the first week.
My other A race that I have to call a B race - 200 miles

Across 25? weeks I have 4 workouts classified as Threshold. Maybe I’m just bummed because I like threshold workouts, but I’m also generally nervous about spending so little time targeting the Threshold energy system for what I expect to be a 7 hour and 12-13+ hour gravel race. I won’t be in Threshold for especially long periods of time, but I really like having it as a tool.

I’m fairly suspicious of 8 weeks of Specialty going into my final race of the year as well.

Looking for assurance and guidance.

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There isn’t any specific energy system active at threshold, its a training zone.

Any lack of threshold workouts is likely due to the over all training volume. Training at threshold puts exponentially more stress on the body compared to sweet spot. In order to manage the training load from a high volume sweet spot plan it is a wise to trade threshold to more sweet spot.

If you feel like it you could replace a VO2max workouts with a threshold every now or then but make shure you are on top of your nutrition and sleep in order to maximize your recovery.

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Sweetspot is threshold work.

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Like PlanBuilder, I don’t think a lot of threshold work is needed for gravel events of that duration. Unless, unless you really are an elite rider. I’ve won 100 mile gravel races before and even then I wouldn’t say a lot of threshold work was needed.

But if you are an elite rider in that style of event you’ve probably got a lot of riding endurance under the hood and a 100 mile race doesn’t seem too long. In that case, sprinkle in some threshold work ad libitum. Let your experience guide you.

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Thank you for the feedback all, it is exactly what I needed - and greatly appreciated.