What's your big changes for 2020 season?

After evaluating my 2019 season I am doing the following bigger changes:

  1. Maximizing speed (highest watt/aero combo)
  • Big work done on indoor trainer (I do most work on trainer and i had a very comfy pos indoors/big gap to outdoor.
  • Neo front wheel block removed to simulate flat/decline riding
  • “overkill” handlebar drop to force my self to stay low
  • Adjusting seating to new aero position
  • Increasing Gear on my NEO ERG to simulate faster speeds (I used to have a higher gear up to a point where my NEO crashed and i got new neo with new cassette, actually had a harder time indoors vs outdoors (FTP/Watt) with lower gearing when i check back.
  1. Better buildup of CTL/Fitness and TSS controll
  • Reducing CTL during base to better stay aligned to rest of season.
  • Started to take 1 day off (mondays)
  • Biggest trainer rides = 250 TSS instead of 300
  • Biggest trainer 2 day weekends = 400 instead of 500
  • Doing more longer intervals in SSBase up to 45min
  • My SS rides in base have allot higher IF than the original program/last year,

looking forward to hear what big changes you guys have done with training/recovery/nutrition etc.

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This is the first time I’ve trained through the winter since I’ve been racing. Mentally I’m not there, but I’m putting in the work. Honestly during the summer I go so ‘all in’ on cycling I’m fried mentally. So I’m doing to the work, but not totally engrossed. No reading blogs, less forum browsing, almost no outdoor riding, no strava etc.

Its not all from burnout, much of it is bad luck.

2018 - Burnout
2017 - Punctured Lung from a crash
2016 - Burnout
2015 - Groin Tear

So I’m hoping to go into next season on form instead of the last 2 years being in form in the last 2 months of the season. I’ve been soooo close to the top step of the podium so hopefully this does the trick.

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Hitting the weight room during pre-base period. Following a Fastcat plan and excited to see how it helps!

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Not trying to be on form all the time is the main change.

Increasing threshold power to better suit road races and crits.

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I’m aiming to be a well rounded rider. Not good at everything but a rider with a few different cards to play.

Endurance is my key focus up until the end of April when I’ll be doing the Mallorca 312. My history of crits and road racing won’t get me far so I’m having to totally change how I’d usually train in my off season. You know what? It feels great to have a totally different challenge ahead of me.

This year I’m not chasing FTP. If it increases a watt or two, great, but that’s not the goal. This year I want to ‘own’ the number I’ve got and be adaptable and capable across the range of zones.

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Not sure what I need to change just yet, I had a great year until July-August, I had completed SSB2 HV and was successful on sweet spot workouts based on 310w, but I think my short power in July-August was not high quality and I spent too much other time on just endurance, so by the time CX season rolled around my FTP has been 285. Realistically, my ftp might have been 295 in June-August and I was just really good riding at threshold at that point, so I’ve got to better at fine tuning.

Right now I’ve started roughly following SSB1 HV again based on 290 (still doing CX so I’m not being super strict until Dec), so hopefully I’ll get some gains to stick.

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Coming back to TT racing after a season off.

Fall/Winter is all about strength training and long rides. Then planning TR SSB I and II followed by Sustained Power Build (with mods). I’ll do about ten TTs focused on teh 20-30 min time zone. Also hoping to try an Enduro or two and maybe some long endurance XC on the dirt. We’ll see about those.

Also rebuilding my Shiv with SRAM wireless and trying a new “high hands” position.

-Mark

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Considering that I didn’t have a Base-period last year, which in itself was my first year racing, I’m doing SSBMV twice before starting the 2020-season build. The Swedish XCO nationals date was just released yesterday so I have until week 32 (8-9:th of August) until my A-event. So I think this screws up my plans a little but then again it’s early days for my racing so I might be better doing more base and body composition-changes than trying to hit the correct peak. I know that I’m going in to this season with a lot more fitness than previously having done almost a complete block of SSBMV I and II now.

Riding MTB requires a lot more technique so that will be my focus and especially since I haven’t ridden a proper XCO-race yet this will be challenging to say the least.

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To try and get to 4.5w/kg (from 3.8) by July 20 I’m going to;

  • Add 15mins endurance work at the end of most rides (medium vol)
  • 2 x Gym work / week (I’m 49)
  • sort out my diet to loose 4kg.
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My main planned change for 2020 is more strength and core work and even a little cross training. As I age, the long terms effect of just riding my bike and getting no other exercise is starting to wreak havoc on my body. While I can ride a bike well, I’m now old enough that I’ve got muscles that literally have not been used in any meaningful way in decades :frowning:

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These are my goals for 2020

  • Stick to my training plan (80% compliance +)
  • Drop my weight about 10lbs (from low 180s to low 170s)
  • Reach 3w/kg (i’m at 2.3 right now)
  • Spend more time in aero position/get comfortable in that position
  • Improve my swim by 25%, by doing way more OWS (joining an OWS club when it warms up again)
  • Do my Olympic distance tri in under 3 hours which i’ll do by
    -cut my swim time in half, less stopping during the swim, faster swimming, better sighting
    -improve my 10k by actually training my running
  • Do my sprint distance tri closer to low 1h range
  • Eat more fruit and veg
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Having a realistic plan that I can stick to!

Last year I had a far too ambitious plan which then didn’t line up with the reality of life. So I was constantly missing things and feeling like I was a bit of a failure. Not a great way to go through a year! Sat down with the Mrs and had a good chat about what we can realistically commit to and have written my plan around that.

Consistency is always the key so dropping the planned volume should actually lead to a rise in the amount of training I am doing

Plus strength training. Got to get swol like @Nate_Pearson

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Hi there, I’ve been doing long distance tri plans for a few years, last year I was a bit light on bike TSS as I skipped the 3/4/5h sessions. Run has improved but is still the weakest link. Consistent training needs improvement too.

Consequently I am;

  • Introducing Sweet Spot Base for the first time ever, followed by Sustained Power Build
  • And added lifting
  • Changed my routine to 3 short session opportunities per day, five days per week
  • Training for a sub 4 marathon
  • Doing only Low Vol plans
  • Planning shorter events every month, leaving Ironman, full distance until season end

Having look back, my post for last season is below…:sweat_smile:

I think that I actually got the first four done, except that I reduced the indoor riding without increasing the outdoor riding!

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My 2019 season was marred by an undiagnosed auto-immune disorder (Ulcerative Colitis). This hampered my training in ways I didn’t think imaginable. Top that off with a calf muscle injury early in the race season, I limped through the entire 2019 season when I should have pulled the plug and focused on my health/recovery.

On the plus side, I dropped 26lbs last year to the lowest weight I’ve seen in over a decade!

Looking ahead at 2020, I’ve finally gotten the $120k/year medicine to help my auto-immune issues, and my recovery/overall health is improving drastically. I’ve gained back a considerable amount of weight after several courses of prednisone, but have also been adding strength training to the mix - something I didn’t touch last season.

About to get back on the bike to tackle base period, feeling considerably better than last year, and with an aim at 4 w/kg to enter race season. The biggest change for this season - being healthy! ::fingers crossed::

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Biggest change for me will be to focus on the bike rather than running. I’ve traditionally split my year up 50/50 cyclocross and trail running, but this year has been 100% focused on road running.

SSB LW has kicked off and I 've booked a place in the Tour of Flanders sportive for some winter motivation. Hopefully I can get to around 4,5W/KG which I think would allow me to hold my own at our national MTB championships being hosted in my home city. (Hold my own meaning mid pack)

Things to focus on are technique, technique and technique on the MTB

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Higher volume, less intensity, and focusing on nutrition.

Specifically going to try and absolutely nail diet for 8-12 weeks of traditional base while dropping maybe 5-10 lbs. Then on to SSB.

Going to focus much more on sweet spot work and outdoor riding during the summer. 2 full short power builds was too much.

Thosw are the process goals. Performance…I’f lime to get to 3.75w/kg, and podium in my cat 4 CX races. I’m at 3.2 right now. Need to get FTP over 300, weight under 180. I’m at 188lb and 275 watts.

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more focus; I was distracted by ultra gravel, 100-150 mile gravel, road, etc etc.

and, remembering to train through true B priority races and not letting the ego get in the way and rest more than i should during a big block.

Brendan

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Firstly to fully recover from my back / sciatica issues had since June…

Continue with the focus on improved balanced diet with the strength work in the gym which has been my “go to” positive focus during this back problem whilst the miles / TSS on the bike has completely crashed.

Get back on the Base / Build plans to return to 3w/kg+ …do more cycling trips in Europe both Road and MTB.

Be ready for the 2020 CX season.

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  • Move from 2 cyling A-races to 1 cycling and 1 running A event. This means, I will have to run more. Already work on the running consistency aspect.
  • Lots of tempo and SST work. After 2 years of trying to increase LT or VO2max with a polarized approach, I will focus on maximizing time at tempo and SST. Closer to my A-race I will try to max time at threshold.
  • I will not even think about weight loss before April. I will make sure that I match expenditure with intake. Lesson learned last season.
  • won’t be scared of including intensity in workouts spontaneously according to feel. Generally, will train more after feeling (this refers to the daily workouts, will still use the powermeter).
  • less focus on LIT sessions. If I can’t hit intensity I simply take rest days or do real active recovery sessions.
  • will race on full suspension again (after years on a HT only)
  • try to ride as much as possible outside this winter. Even in adverse weather. All this riding in the basement made me soft. Noticed this in my A race this year when conditions were really nasty. Have to learn again to leave the comfort zone.
  • speaking of comfort zone: I will do everything a notch higher/more intense: workouts and recovery.
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As a recovering consultant (with corresponding letting myself go), my goals are modest for now:

1: Average more than the hour a week I’ve managed this year. (Actually, get back to 7ish)
2: Look for a corresponding increase from my 210 current FTP.
3: Drop from 87 kilos currently back down to 76.

If I do those things the year will be a major success.

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