Thanks for watching the episode! Fueling is so key, and is often the culprit of bad legs (even seemingly out of nowhere). As interval intensity increases through a build phase, your need for CHO intake will also increase. Many athletes can get away with sub-optimal fueling for base miles, until intensity begins to increase and “out of nowhere” they feel terrible. Our bodies are amazing at adapting, so often the body will continue to adapt to the new loads under the same fueling strategy … until it can’t anymore. That’s where we perceive the drop-off as “out of nowhere” when in fact the body was experiencing it as a consistent, growing concern. To your question regarding fueling, you can use total kcal or kJs burned during a workout as your guide for intake (e.g. higher intensity = higher kcal/kJ = more CHO). If you try to match your pre-workout and during-workout CHO intake to equal total burned during the workout, and you have a recovery drink within 30min post-workout, you’ll be amazed by how much better you’ll feel. Your recovery will be off the hook!
For early morning rides, it can be hard to eat a few hours ahead of the ride, so just focus on eating something easy with simple (easily digestible) CHO just before getting on the bike (toast with jam or honey), then having some CHO on the bike (gels, chews, whatever you like, plus hydration mix). I’d suggest starting with the equivalent of a gel (100kcal) every 30 minutes (e.g. 10-15 min into the ride, then 40-45 min in, etc) and see how your stomach feels. It might take your GI system a while to adjust/adapt. This is an important feature of your training, though, as training your body to accept race-like fuel in training will leave fewer “unknowns” on race day.
I read in one of your other posts that you’re 5 weeks away from TT season. Body composition helps for sure, but keep in mind that for TTs, absolute power is king. In other words, watts/kg is less important (unless you’re doing hillclimb TTs) than straight-up watts. I suggest focusing on increasing the wattage part of that equation, by fueling your efforts to get the most out of each workout. You can create safe/sustainable caloric deficit through your other meals in the day if needed (focus on nutrient density/macros to get what you need). Be patient with the numbers on the scale, and trust your body to make the adaptations you’ll need (including body comp). Don’t stress too much if you’re not at race weight in 5 weeks; give your body the fuel it needs and trust it to optimize your physiology.
Regarding your leg pain, it could definitely be DOMS (which can be surprisingly painful), but be aware that cyclists can also be at risk for deep-vein thrombosis. I know several pro cyclists who have had these. If you feel a sensation like a sustained muscle cramp, or you notice lower-leg swelling/edema, check with your doctor. They can do what’s called a d-dimer blood test, which can rule out a blood clot.