Race day yesterday.
First time doing a (modified) taper with AT. Felt like the fitness was right where I wanted it, but interestingly don’t feel the burnout I typically have at a peak. Planning to take some time off the bike towards the end of this week (as I usually respond well to a mid-season break) but don’t feel the need like I normally do. Will take the rest anyway, but a noticeable change for this season
First workout post Covid AND since my FTP increase (253 → 267).
Race day on this past Sunday. Felt pretty good after a choppy swim in Lake Michigan. Coolish weather for the bike and run compared with previous years. Went totally by feel but had the Garmin up to glance at from time to time. Left myself in decent condition to pull out a decent run! Still not sure why my old 520 still reads power and cadence but my replacement 945 watch doesn’t. A mystery for another day, probably a firmware update I’m missing or something. Going to clear all the sensors and pair everything again too.
Later today is Berryessa then a sprint race Wednesday before back to the training grind in my first ever Specialty Phase after all these years of using TrainerRoad. 
Thank you AT!!
Still on a LV base plan and waiting for new bike day so I can get out on my long weekend rides again, and trying to get a tweaked shoulder better so I can get back to lifting.
Workouts for the most part have gotten to the “hard” level with a 6.4 VO2 coming up next week, a sweet spot 7.5 and an 8.3, plus a threshold 4.7 and 5.1 before an easy week and then AI FTP re-eval…
Frustrating feeling, I’m sure. But your confidence in legs and lungs is encouraging.
After my major fail of last week’s VO2 max interval Sugarloaf +3 AI gave me a more realistic workout this week: Inspiration. After the first interval I was really doubting myself to complete the full workout but it worked out quite ok
Question to all: how should I fill these workouts in the survey? VO2 max will always be hard I guess, but overall I managed ok, so I would assume this is moderate intensity due to the long recovery intervals.
I use this form, created by @mcneese.chad
He has a newer version, but I use this one because I just look at the parts that are underlined to make it a simple decision.
Thanks! this is exactly what i was looking for
Here is a later version, and link to the fife that has the latest all the time.
Race day with 2 days rest. Didn’t do yesterday’s workout and just fell asleep early after work.
Again did the race by feel. Glanced at the power meter a few times but didn’t really process the info to change anything. Looks like I rode the 12 miles about -5w compared with the 24 miles almost a month ago. Guess I’m still feeling the aftermath of a 70.3, lol. Swim went okay, 15 sec faster than my self seed pace. Run also went okay with no cramping or issues, probably could have pushed harder but the legs weren’t obliged to help anymore.
Tomorrow is supposed to be a productive Sweet Spot ride but I might push that to Friday and just do easyish Endurance spin for an hour instead.
Home, showered. Now need food!
PS. Oh! I did get my 945 to capture the Power/Cadence data! But then forgot to hit LAP to end T-1 until I was over 2 miles down the road. Hahahahaha.
This was hard but not too bad. I’m building back up after having to drop my FTP by 20 watts after a few crappy life getting in the way weeks. Feeling stronger with every workout the past couple weeks and really happy with the way AT is adjusting as improve.
2nd ride of SSB MV 1 (after completing SSB I, II and SusPB MV)
Two 30m SS intervals, almost at the FTP AI thought* I should be at at the end of build :). Mains power failed from 12.30 to 20m on the second interval and that was sweaty misery without the fans (I have back up power for my kickr and computer thankfully)
10 week difference and 22 watt improvement. I love to compare the same workout as I progress. It’s very exciting!
Saturday is Mesachie +6, which I did about 10 weeks ago as well. Then recovery week, and new FTP baby!
Based on my plan builder, I only had 5 weeks of this base plan, which I think is my max. I think the grave would be a little too deep to crawl out of if I had another week of intensity.
Been doing a lot of SS, so I went off plan and mixed in a few anaerobic efforts to try to get my Garmin to be nice to me.
Friday 6/24 onward
Friday commuted in and long-way home. 78 minutes total, 33 TSS.
Saturday I had to pick mother-in-law up at the airport at 0500, so got home and managed to complete Gould +3 without a breakfast in my belly. Just a half cup of coffee while driving and some light drink mix (Gatorade Endurance) on the bike. I took the recovery intervals stupid easy and managed to be within the tolerance for AT/PL to give me credit as a pass. Going back over each interval, it looks like I was only a few watts low (avg) on most of the intervals. I marked it Very Hard. (90 minutes, thresh 4.6 up from 4.2, productive, 117 TSS).
On to the next.
Sunday was a beautiful day, but too cold to go straight to the pool. I tried to convince child #1 (10) to come for a daddy-daughter ride with me, but she’s too cool or too into lazy summer. I didn’t push it. #2 and #3 were uninterested in my rest-day ride as well. So why not jump on the riverside soft-surface trail and head out? 12-ish minutes to the trail, 66 minutes one-way at honest effort looking for a zone2 HR and power average. 58 minutes back on the trail with the wind and pushing a hair harder. (142 minutes total, 122TSS, IF 0.71). Get home and the kids are at the pool. Added 14 minutes and three miles, plus a very short cannonballing session.
TR has me on a recovery week:
Monday - Took off. I just had a week that was over 10 hours and for the first time in months I drove to work. (TSS 0, negative 13 smugness miles.)
Tuesday - Commute to and from. Power2Max battery died. Skipped Petite. (Strava has me at 55 minutes total, TR has it at 40 TSS by HR.)
Wednesday - Commute in. Work a bit, break time quickie: 4x6 BP at (generic starting weight, trying to keep it light, low volume), 1x6 @ 45 back squat, 1x6 @95, 2x6 @ 135. Commute long way home. (48 TSS, 82 minutes).
Here’s long way home:
Thursday - Commute in. Feeling some range-of-motion DOMS, but nothing serious. Took it pretty easy. Commute home longer way home (87 minutes), and associated that with Whorl (75 minutes). (67 total TSS, 115 total minutes).
Here’s Longer:
Tomorrow (Friday) I have a 2 hour drive for the start of my Independence Day training camp… I mean multi-family vacation. I might get an assessment in tomorrow morning, but might not.
All next week will be outside. TR has me scheduled for a ramp test, Langley (VO2 7.5, 60 minutes) and East Vidette (thresh 4.9, 90 minutes) this coming week. Will skip the ramp test if I don’t get it done early, and plan on getting 120 to 150 minutes of riding in every day next week, maybe get 180 in one day once or twice, and will probably be cooked by the time East Vidette rolls along. I’ll probably look for a simpler, somewhat lighter alternative to do outside, although I do like hard-start threshold stuff.
Last week of SSBMV1 for me kicked off on Tuesday with Truchas -3. Breezed through it. Wednesday’s endurance ride I cut short, feeling grotty.
Yesterday was Eichorn +1, basically the same workout without the 30 second breathers. Night and day difference, depressingly tough to get through, but now I’m laid up in bed with the lurgy, so that probably explains that…
Forecast is good for the weekend…hoping to recover and get a good 3.5 hr endurance ride in the sun on Sunday…may cut this weekend’s threshold workout in the interests of not prolonging this bug…
