I’m just about to finish sweet spot base high volume 1 and had intended to go on to volume 2. Overall HV1 has been doable for me, although I have missed workouts, due mainly to free time and once due to tiredness.
Obviously TSS in HV2 goes up again which could be a push too far, a lot of commenters on here have said the high volume plans are best avoided unless you are already highly trained (I did nothing all summer) and Coach Chad says the 2nd part is where the real work is.
Are there any downsides to switching to the medium plan? I know that as well as lower TSS there are also alot more VO2max stuff which I may not be used to, but I don’t really fancy going back to the start!
I’m in the middle of HV2 (or at least my modified version of it) and it’s not feeling any harder than HV1. Maybe even a little easier as I’ve gotten more acclimated to the long SS intervals (even after a small FTP increase before HV2).
I’m also not mentally ready to do any hard intervals this early in the year and I see a decent bit of v02 stuff sprinkled in MV2. I like the long SS intervals and my body seems to respond well to bigger TSS at the lower intensity. If you feel the bigger volume is beating you down, I’d try switching to the MV, especially if you like doing the shorter/harder stuff.
You might also try tweaking the plan a bit yourself to mix it up. Keep the TSS and “in zone” targets from the HV plan, but mix in some outdoor rides or Zwift. My biggest challenge with the HV plans is that the workouts are all pretty similar, just longish SSB intervals. Too much of the same thing can be more mentally exhausting than physical.
I typically follow the TR plan for Tues/Thurs, but I replace the 90 minute Wednesday session with a couple zwift rides. The first one is a steady hour at lower SS, and then another ride at endurance pace. I’m getting very similar TSS and time in zone, but it mixes things up mentally.
The Friday TR session is just an endurance ride, so it’s very easy to get this by going outside or another zwift steady ride (I avoid zwift racing this time of year, as much as I enjoy it).
Saturday TR ride is replaced by long outdoor with target to get over an hour of SS/threshold intervals and another few hours of tempo/endurance. This certainly deviates from the TR plan, but I really like to get in a long ride once a week when possible.
Anyway, just wanted to make the point that your issues with HV might not all be about the volume, but you might be able to better handle the volume by mixing things up a bit while shooting for the same general outcome.
I’m in the middle of HV2 (or at least my modified version of it) and it’s not feeling any harder than HV1. Maybe even a little easier as I’ve gotten more acclimated to the long SS intervals (even after a small FTP increase before HV2)
Good to hear your experience! I’m expecting an FTP bump too which is another reason I wanted to be cautious. But tbf, I don’t mind the longer SS intervals that much so maybe I will just stick with the high volume. I find I can do the intervals, its just then prioritising the time to recover after - particularly sleep due to having a 13 month old baby - but then that would be an issue on the MV plan as well.
Definitely worth thinking about, where I live the winters aren’t too bad so I’d like to get one outdoor ride in a week, cheers!
I feel like the forum has two camps on the topic of tweaking plans: those who will follow the plans with surgical precision and those who don’t mind mixing in some outdoor riding in place of some of the non “flagship” workouts of the plan.
Not HV, but I find that swapping out SS workouts for longer endurance rides outside (similar to what Chad recommends in the weekly tips) has done so much for my sanity that even if there is a performance detriment, I think it is well worth it.