This year has been my first year training with TR, pretty pretty happy with the results.
I’ve almost completed mid-volume Base and Build (2 weeks to complete Sustained Power Build). However, I was wondering about what should I do next, since maybe Specialty phase is not my preferred option.
On the one hand, I’ve been off the bike the last two weeks due to life…On the other hand, the following reasons may affect my decision. I’ve completed my B and A race and I don’t have any close goal, rather than the long-term goal to get 4w/KG. Due to this, and that it is expected that throughout August and September I won’t be able to do much structure training (I’ll skip some weeks due to vacations, and others the contrary, I’ll be able to do hard weeks), and October will be completely off the bike (getting married, honeymoon trip, etc).
Hence, I was wondering what plan should I follow, I don’t know why I’m inclined to re-start with Base phase, but maybe you recommend something else, like do some kind of maintenance plan or complete the whole program with Specialty.
Restart to Base makes perfect sense actually. Since you dropped 2 weeks, and don’t have an immediate goal, I think that reset to Base, and likely follow with another Build is a common prescription around here, when you are just looking to continue working on fitness growth with no particular event in mind.
I have the same question. I just did a ramp test after SSB 2. Looking back, my FTP per ramp test has varied from 182 to 188 since last March. My highest at 188 was after a block of polarized training. At age 65, I’d like to get to 3 watts/kg which would be about 215. So return to base, go on to sustained power build, or jump back into polarized training?
Go to Build. It will mix things up and be a different physiological stress to likely increase your FTP. With no races in sight, feel free to do whatever build looks most interesting/fun and motivates you to get in the bike.
Thanks, I set up the plan builder, it has me doing Sustained power build , Century specialty, then recycling through SSB 1 and 2, rinse and repeat. Much to my surprise, there are no over/unders until the second time through. This doesn’t break my heart.