SSBMV2 - why does my training continue to be in the Grey zone?

Adjusting plans is going to be super personal based on how well you recover, how stressful your daily life is, and how much load you can really handle. Gaining that feel for how much more or less you can do comes with experience.

Being new to the sport, even if you have a background in other sports, you’re gonna see your FTP jump pretty aggressively over this first year or two of structured training. Already you’re up 30w and only part way through base, so there’s going to be a ‘calibration’ period while you play catchup and that starts to level off.

I wouldn’t put too much stock in the metrics for now as I think the data is somewhat unreliable (looking at your 4hr ride at .92IF) and the metrics will suffer as a result. I’d stick to the plan, substituting a long outdoor ride on the weekends is definitely encouraged, and rather than trying to optimize your training, focus on building good habits and understanding the systems that lead to optimal training.

Focus on your recovery, fueling, understanding what the different zones should feel like (especially sweet spot and threshold), and how you feel as you progress through the plans. Work on developing these skills and habits, and then as you start to understand how your body deals with the training stress you can make a more informed decision about when to add volume or when to take it away!

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