Sudden Loss of Power and Heavy Legs

Training
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"My legs start to burn and feel heavy very quickly during efforts, even though my heart rate stays relatively low. It feels like my muscles are the limiting factor, not my cardiovascular system.

Recently, I did a 1h30 A block (sweet spot/threshold-style training), and my average power was about 30–40 watts lower than the same session last year — despite similar conditions and perceived effort.

It’s not related to nutrition or recovery, as those are dialed in. I’m currently waiting for blood test results to rule out anything medical.

What really concerns me is that I can barely hang on in races right now, whereas I used to race aggressively and go on the attack. Has anyone experienced something similar or have any insights into what might be going on?"

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Hey @jensh,

You need to incorporate rest weeks into your training! :face_with_peeking_eye:

I counted 15 weeks from the start of your current plan in late October before you took a rest week, which was actually a week completely off the bike. If I had to guess, this was possibly from training fatigue..

Recovery weeks are a crucial part of the training equation. You put pressure on your body, then give it time to respond and repeat. Without giving it that time to bounce back, it’s never going to get stronger..

Check out this TR blog post:

I’d recommend taking some time off, and then starting back up with some Base training when you’re ready, but follow the structure of the plan this time, honoring the rest weeks. You need them! :sweat_smile:

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