Training Plan Check

Hi all. Apologies for another ‘is this the right plan’ post but would appreciate some advice and guidance from more knowledgeable folk than I.

Long story short, to start a Plan Builder suggested plan and merge it in as best I can with what I’ve already done will have me doing 2 lots of SSB2 in a row. Just wondered if this ok?

To give a quick bit of background if helpful, this is my 3rd year of TR training. The first 2 years I’ve always done SSB1 & 2 followed by General Build (all LV), then called it a day there and did my own thing for the rest of the year. I’m 50 years old, 71 kg and currently training at 262 FTP.

The Plan Builder suggestion to take me up to my only A event in June 2020, based on when I actually started training on 14th October, is (all LV) SSB1, Sustained PB, SSB2, Sustained PB, SSB2 (first week only), Climbing Road Race, Event.

I’ve already completed SSB1 and about to start week 5 of SSB2. To follow the suggested plan as is, I’d have to switch to week 6 of the Sustained Power Build before jumping back to start another SSB2. If I set the start date to 7th October the start of the first SSB2 in the suggested plan is the week after I finish my current SSB2, which I’d complete and just ignore the overlapping last 2 weeks of the Sustained PB the Plan Builder has suggested. This is obviously the better option but to follow the Plan Builder suggestion as of 6th Jan will have me doing SSB1, SSB2, SSB2, Sustained PB, SSB2 (first 2 weeks only), Climbing Road Race, Event.

I’m guessing with the amount of time I have to prepare for my A Event this isn’t going to be a problem?

The other question I have is to the choice of build and speciality phase types. The events I’m training for are nothing like the type of riding I’ll be doing for the rest of the year so am trying to find the best combination to match everything as best I can if possible.

I live in a pretty flat part of the UK and the only hills we have are of the short punchy variety. I don’t race and the majority of my riding is with my local club at the weekend. It’s usually pretty spirited, with varied types of riding and distance so need to be pretty well rounded in pretty much everything except sprinting.

The event I’m training for in late June is 3 days of riding in the French Alps with my club. I may also be doing the Fred Whitton challenge solo, 2 weeks prior to Alps (if I get through the ballot), which I’d treat as a B event. There may also be another trip to the Alps in July but not yet sure on this. France is going to be long sustained climbs, the Fred Whitton is a 114 mile sportive with a lot of shorter, steeper climbing.

Although my focus is on the event(s), I don’t want to detract from the type of riding I’ll be doing pretty much all of next year if at all possible. Is the Sustained Power Build and Climbing Road Race the best approach to get the best of both worlds? Or is there a better combination? Or do I need to accept that I’ll have to sacrifice one to get the other?

Have tried to keep it short but apologies for the novel and thanks in advance for any advice.

Also want to say thanks to the TR team for the Plan Builder. This is an amazing feature and one that has motivated me to stick with the training this time round instead of giving up after the build phase. Chapeau!