Currently in middle of SusPB. It’s key workouts (VO2max, supra-threshold, O/U) leave me quite pumped after intervals. Even if they are really hard and i need to lower intensity to complete them. These sessions usually already include some Z2 work after intervals (Elephants+5, Mills+3) but i like to keep going further to calm myself down more.
So, here is the question: are there any downsides continuing immediately with next day easy workout (eg Collins, Pettit) if time permits? And on easy next day, do something really easy instead (Lazy Mountain, for example)
I sometimes add 15/20 minutes endurance to the end of a VO2 or threshold session but never more than that. I’m playing the long game, looking further down the road.
As the load ramps up during the block, I don’t want to be carrying too much fatigue into the next session.
This is something that you’ll have to experiment with and see how you respond.
For me that’s the other reason to favor merging workouts: although i finish hard workouts without too much obvious fatigue, starting next day easy workout is suddenly hard (it goes away once warming up). By making this day even easier gives more time to rest / active recovery until next hard workout. Of course i would monitor myself (HR, sleep, etc) not to go overboard.
I guess, my main question is whether this merge would affect benefits of hard workout? Or do i lose something if i don’t do specified easy workout with it’s TSS during prescribed day.
Are you going to make a significant gains from this approach? I’d say you should be looking to achieve maximum gains from the minimum amount of effort, to help prevent injury, illness and promote recovery. Not sure your approach fits with that. Maybe just add the extra 10-16 mins on the end if you feel the need.
It’s not so much about bigger gains but just to calm down after too pumped workout
Or to put same question another way – what happens if i extend cooldown period very long (~60min) in Z1 or Z2?
If you’re struggling to complete hard workouts as prescribed the last thing I’d suggest doing is add signifcantly more training stress. If you need to extend by 10/15min in z1 to cool down, because you feel it benefits you, that’s one thing. Stacking workouts (even endurance) and then adding extra is totally different. Whilst 20/30 TSS here and there may not seem like much on it’s own it adds up to additional fatigue quickly.
My recommendation would be to minimise extra work and focus on nailing the workouts in your an, once you can achieve this look at dropping in an extra 10min o2 from time to time and slowly build from there of you feel the need.
It’s my understanding that Z2 work is more beneficial after you’ve got a good bit of fatigue in your legs. I think it creates some adaptation of your fast twitch to contribute more to endurance efforts once you get significant fatigue in your slow twitch fibers.
Right or wrong, I always feel like Z2 is more beneficial the more you can do it continuously. I never feel like a 1 hour Z2 ride is driving much stress/adaptation and the main benefit is burning some calories and keeping me loose. Add that same Z2 hour onto the end of a hard workout (and skip the stand alone Z2 effort), and I feel it is more beneficial in comparison. I’m not sure exactly where the science stands on this, but that’s what my body tells me.
I agree with this in theory. However, those Friday workouts in sustained build MV are absolutely killer, fresh or not. If I remember correctly, week 2 is 4x8min at 108%. I had to play some serious mind games on the last interval to make it through. So the extra or stacked stress may not be the cause of lowering intensity. It could be because his VO2max is a lower % if FTP than the plan assumes. So it would take some personal analysis to determine if it makes those harder to complete or if those are adjustments that would be necessary regardless.
11x2min 120% VO2max intervals are ok and can finish all of them. I’m struggling with 7x5min 108% threshold workout. Can finish 6 of them as prescribed, need to lower last one to 95% intensity. Breathing is hard but manageable, it’s feet that let me down in the end. Similar feeling with O/U workouts as well. I don’t feel it as fatigue from earlier workouts but exhaustion from same workout intervals. Still, once power falls to Z2 range, i can keep going
