Thoughts on workout on way to group ride? I m currently in midde of Base 1 of training ahead of Lotoja. Yes, it is nearly a year from now but I am less than a rookie at only 2.76 watts/kg and I am trying hard to become abetter, stronger, rider. I do a B ride group ride on Saturdays, but my plan calls for threshold on Saturdays and sweet spot on Sundays. Last 3 weeks I have been doing the workout on the way to the group ride. I finish the workout just in time, so no issues completing it. I wonder if there would be a detrimental impact to my training if I continue that. Or if I should just stick to the plan as prescribed and ditch my group ride every week?
If you feel like you’re recovering fine, I say go for it. It’s not like the plans can’t have any deviation. You don’t get extra points on your wkg just for following it religiously (I wish!). During the spring I usually will wake up early and do my workout before heading out on a group ride. I will just sit in and enjoy being outside for 2-3 additional hours of riding. If I feel like I’m tired after my workout or if I’m not recovering like I want to, I’ll skip the group ride.
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Personally, I’d focus more on enjoying the group ride especially since it’s Novemeber. Just take some pulls on the front to get some SS/Threshold work. I used to tack on an extra hour of zone 2 after my Saturday group ride and that really helped with the fitness.
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Depends what level the group is for me. If after doing a training session and going all out you’re struggling to hang on so that it becomes no fun I’d ditch the Threshold work out and perhaps go for a LV plan and keep the weekends free for fun. If you feel you are recovering fine from a Threshold session though and the group ride is at the correct level for you to enjoy, go for it. My self personally if I go all out with a good Threshold session my group rides with a fast group would need to be the next day at the earliest.
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I echo what @daness40 said. If you are able to do it and recover, then keep it going. If it affects your next days SS workout or if you start climbing into a fatigue hole, then you should back off. Also, I assume the B ride pace is z2easy pace and you aren’t pushing it at all.
Lastly, make sure you respect your rest weeks and allow yourself to fully recover.
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x3 on what’s been said.
If you can sit in on the group ride in roughly zone 2, then it should be fine. If the group ride is z3+ and leaves you wasted for the Sunday workout, either dial back the ride, or ditch it.
You might also find as your fitness increases, and the workouts get harder, that the group ride starts to become a liability. Keep close tabs on how you feel during and after those big Saturdays and be prepared to start skipping the extra ride (or do a few hours solo or with a slower group)
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I’d add, that I wouldn’t hesitate to drop the Sunday SS workout down to endurance. Group rides are valuable for more than just fitness growth so unless it leaves you totally wasted I might not drop it completely.
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At your level, you need Time In The Saddle more than anything. Ditching the group ride would be my last move, especially this time of year. I wouldn’t even bother with doing the workout on the way to the ride unless the group ride is too easy for you (tons of stopping for example). This can especially happen with mountain bike rides. A group ride is a fun way to gain experience and push yourself. I would adjust other workouts down to z2 and below if needed so you don’t burn out and make sure you have some rest going into the day of the ride and recovery afterwards if the ride is hard.
Group rides can become a problem when you get more advanced and you go too hard and aren’t able to complete other workouts. But at 2.7 w/kg, I think having other people push you to go faster is actually a good thing and you’ll get more out of that than you will solo workouts.
I say this as a die hard solo workout, polarized training person lol.