Using train now option with no plan since will never race

using the train now option with no plan since i have a 7 day a week work schedule(no racing). I currently doing a 1.5 hr climbing workout followed by a 1-1.5 hrs endurance workout the next day. Then on the 3rd day a rest day follows. lastly, i do an 1.5 hr attacking workout followed by a 1-1.5 hrs endurance ride the next day. 4 workouts a week total. should i do this year round? or should i include a endurance week every two weeks like i plan on doing?

Your plan looks fine to me, and definitely you can do it all year round. IMHO there is no need to include regular endurance week since you have plenty of flexibility. If you feel tired, then replace the hard workout with endurance ride or rest. You just need to do FTP test regularly, say every 4-6 weeks, to ensure the training load is accurate.

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Every 3-4 weeks you should work in a lighter week to soak some adaptations. Do just endurance, endurance at 50%, or much shorter rides

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Be aware of potential training fatigue too: doing the same thing all year round, with little/no variability, is often not very fun :slight_smile:

Also, remember there’s more than endurance , sweet spot (“climbing”?) and VO2max (attacking?), right? When are you working on threshold, tempo, sprinting…? Are those really zero interest to you?

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I only use the recommended option, given to me by selecting train now on the app. usually gives me the climbing which depending on the lenght of workout selected gives me either sweet spot or threshold intervals. and the attacking usually gives a combination of vo2 max and sprint intervals.

If you are happy with the variety of workouts you are getting, then that’s perfect :slight_smile: Just calling out that variety is key to keep motivation high :smiley:

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Do you have goals (understood that you don’t race)? Or just fitness / pleasure?

If just fitness / pleasure, then:

  • Do the rides that you like
  • Vary what you are doing, but you don’t need to be “strict”
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ok thanks, guess the only goal is to reach the highest ftp at age 45, no racing since i working 7 days a week and only off on sunday evenings(family day).some people suggesting to me that i should do 10 weeks and 10 weeks of endurance. don’t know since not many people know about cycling in my area. greeting from belize.

If your goal is to hit the highest FTP, then potentially using Plan Builder could be the way to go. But depending upon how much the freedom to pick workouts fits with your personality or not - some people crave structure, some people don’t - your current strategy could be the way to go.

On the need for easier week: listen to your body. If you are feeling fatigued, take some easy time. If you are feeling good, keep going. Just be honest with yourself.

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I think even if the goal is just higher FTP then the best way of doing that both physiologically and in terms of staying mentally fresh and motivated is a periodised approach with blocks focusing on different parts of the power curve. Doing the same thing all the time tends to lead to both fitness and mental stagnation sooner or later.

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Working 7 days a week feels pretty tough… but you don’t have to justify yourself for having or not time to race :slight_smile: Racing is just one aspect of the sport, and not everyone is even attracted to it. Look after your goals, that’s all that matters. Best of luck! :slight_smile:

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