I’ve sat down to write this post a few times, but had upload issues, and parenthood issues…
It was going to be a “last two weeks” post but since I’m doing this to hold myself accountable, and maybe jog my memory in 6 months, its now going to be a “training plan flame out” review.
I’ve been riding for 10 or 11 years now, with winter-only indoor training for the most part. I’m 6-3-and-a-fraction, currently around 188lbs [85+kg]. Previously, I’d take advantage of the free strava plans and structure weeks and a month at a time on their plans, but life (parenthood, work etc) would often prevent me from stringing multiple 4 week plans (consistency) together. My peak 20 minute test based FTP was somewhere in the low 320s, as tested, but I probably had slightly better fitness at least one or two years while spending the majority of the summer riding hard( ish) outside.
I joined TR this March, 18 months after leaving great out-the-front door riding to city riding. Also COVID.
First 20 minute test on TR put me at 297. Corresponding ramp put me at least 10 watts lower. I chose LV plan builder, back in March, with an A-race of CX Nats, with the local fall cross series estimated in as B/C races. Since the “lockdown” I’ve been commuting to the office one week on, one week off teleworking, and with all the free time, I’ve routinely added a Collins or similar ride on “off”-days for volume, so the LV is really at lot closer to MV. My commute is between 25 and 30 minutes, lots of stops and starts, not exactly high TSS, but not exactly a Taku, either. But the gym at the office is closed, so I lost that training stress.
5 weeks in, I allegedly jumped to 325 FTP, but there might have been a calibration issue as 4 weeks later, I dropped to 309 on both the 20 minute and ramp protocols (also, there might have been an issue with lock-down related hangovers, just saying).
336 on June 15th (see, it was mostly the hangover).
331 on July 13th after a big week of the 4th and a recovery week following.
335 on August 10th and 11th (ramp and 20 minute matched well enough, I guess).
341 on September 8 (ramp)
351 on September 9 (20 minute, that’s my number, and I’m sticking with it.)
Leads into a new training level, and the kids are back into their (outdoor) activities so way more chauffeur duties that I’ve had since February. And since my better half wants to get all the activities in before our region gets put on lock-ish-down again, my three kids are overscheduled, as are we.
I moved into SSbase portion of plan builder and had no issues with Ericson or Carson on Tue/Thursday, but Saturday, Tunemah blew me up. Lungs, legs, heart, motivation - it all fell off on my bike in the basement two Saturdays ago. It was easily the worst trainer ride I’ve ever had, I bailed like 5 minutes into the first set of O/U…
I took off that Sunday, woke up with a sore throat on Monday, got tested for Covid on Tuesday, intentionally didn’t ride until I had results, so that meant I was off until Thursday… Felt medically fine by Wednesday, but stressed waiting, and spending the nights on the couch to hopefully prevent passing anything to the wife… No Covid, yay! I have no idea if it was overreach, immune system failing, unrelated to riding, or just “time to shut it down.”
Forget it. I decided not to overthink it, call it a season, hit reset, and take a few extra days off. So 7 consecutive days off the bike, followed by a Sunday spin of 75 minutes on the trainer, with hardly more than zone 2.
Which leads me to the current week in review. The local CX series is cancelled, CX nationals are cancelled, I’m not traveling to race a series. Maybe I’ll take a crack at the spring practice crits. Plan Builder for Crits peaking roughly April 2021. Took a Ramp test, rather than the 20 minute, it says I’m 5 watts better than I was three weeks ago (by ramp vs ramp) or 5 watts down from my 20 minute… I’ll keep those higher vanity watts, for now. SSBase, bumped to MV this time, even if I end up dropping a trainer workout every now and again for commutes or extended commutes.
Mount Field seemed too easy, and too low of a volume, so light it the heck up. (Also, a rainstorm hit, cancelling my son’s baseball practice, so took advantage of the time slot).
Today was Reinstein which didn’t feel quite as easy, but I wasn’t ready for the easy spin down into active recovery, so I rode Z2 and added 5 minutes of stupid easy time.
Tomorrow calls for Glassy, but I might try to get outside for something a little longer, if less predictably smooth.