Hey guys, just a quick question and get your take on this. In September I tested at 288w (146lbs) for my ftp test, did my cyclocross season, took a few weeks off the bike completely and returned to indoor training after the holidays. I tested again at 278 watts and went with the ssb1 medium plan. I was able to do the weekly workouts no problem. Some were definitely tough, but the Saturday workouts I was coming close but failing the last interval or worse. Today I’m in the last work week of the plan and I couldn’t even finish the first interval of McAdie +1. I had set my ftp back two weeks ago to 270 thinking maybe the ramp over estimated my ftp some but today after failing again I’m wondering if it’s still too high and I’m just fatigued and not recovered from this weeks work. Now missing all of my Saturday workouts has left me a bit confused as I’m wondering at this point if I should be repeating ssb1 again. I’ve not had any issues finishing any of the Sunday workouts. Looking for some advice as I know I can get through tomorrow’s workout no problem. Should I be worrying about going back and reassessing and repeating or continue to ssb2? Next week is the rest week and the last week of the plan.
I did my ramp test on a cyclops Hammer with the ramp in erg mode. This is my second year with using TrainerRoad. Thanks in advance.
McAdie +1 is really hard if you haven’t progressed up to it. With skipping some of the Saturday workouts you missed some of this progression. I would just continue the plan as scheduled with your current FTP and retest on SSB2.
I wouldn’t worry to much about a bit of an FTP drop coming off of CX season. Your VO2 engine is probably really strong right now which could lead to the ramp test overestimating your FTP. What you lose now in FTP will allow you to reach a higher high next year.
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Are you fueling for the over/unders? They are way harder than the sweet spot stuff. I treat them kind of like a race and make sure I come in topped off, fueled up and mentally braced. I’ve found O/U workouts the most challenging.
You get a reprieve from them for a couple weeks in SSB2. But Kaweah isn’t exactly what I’d call a “reprieve”. Ha.
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Yes, fueled and digested and mentally ready to go. The over unders are definitely tough but nothing I’m not used to with racing and training. I’m either just at too high a workload perhaps with an off ftp or I’m just not recovered fully enough to make those efforts.
Theoretically your FTP should have improved over the training block to the point where that workout should be achievable, albeit tough.
Were there any indicators that you are overly fatigued?
Yeah, I struggled with the first set of over unders in SSB1, but got better as the training block progressed. I’d think there’s some stress from work, other exercise or training, sleep issues, something to explain a little regression.
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I’ve been in exactly the same place, but without the CX fitness coming into SSBMV1, and was also brand new to training with power after acquiring a Kickr Snap.
I initially tested at 218w, but retested after 3 weeks of SSBMV1, elevating my FTP to 241w (where it is now) as the workouts weren’t really challenging me.
When I got to the ‘proper’ Over and Unders, it was midway through the Christmas period, and I wasn’t quite as rested/ hydrated/ nourished as I could’ve been, so REALLY struggled, despite having very few issues with the rest of the workouts.
I swapped out Palisade in week 4 for Avalanche Spire, made sure I was well rested, hydratedetc, and crushed the workout.
Today, I’d swapped out McAdie for Mary Austin-1. Again, I was well rested, hydrated, fed etc, and really struggled at 100%, so reduced to 95% after 3 intervals, then 92% for the final interval, simply so I could finish the workout.
I’m not exactly looking forward to SSBMV2, as it looks like a VO2max-fest, so any advice for getting through these (apart from Rule 5/ MTFU) would be properly appreciated…
I see in your career that you did finish the over-unders corresponding to the first 2 weeks. Then, I don’t know why you skipped the Saturday session of the third week, and you failed to complete 1 out of 5 intervals of Palisade in the fourth week. What this tells me is that you are probably just fatigued and you should have taken a rest week after the third or fourth week. Also, I see that this exact same thing happened to you last year at the fourth week. It looks like you cannot handle 5 weeks in a row before a rest week. If I were you, schedule allowing, I would take a recovery week now and then , then do SSB1-W5,SSB2-W1,SSB2-W2, rest week, SSB2-W3, SSB2-W4, SSB2-W5, SSB2-W6 (recovery week) and then move on to the build phase.
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I’m In wk 1 of SSBMV2. The last two weeks of MV1 were ok for me, but I got a big bump in my latest ftp test so the new block of work has been a step up.
My best advice is don’t skimp on recovery and nutrition. The workouts have been very hard but achievable at 100% so far, you need to be prepared for discomfort and almost embrace it.
Not strictly recommended but I have been using my HR as a way of convincing myself I can complete the intervals. As long as it is stable then the only thing stopping me completing it is my mental resilience
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In today’s workout, yes. My legs were fatigued for sure not being able to get through the first interval. They didn’t feel good just pedaling an endurance zone. I just backed out of the workout knowing that nothing productive was going to happen when my legs weren’t there.
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I missed that one week due to work. I came home and tried the workout but was too tired from the day to complete it. I’m on my feet all day for my job as well so that doesn’t help recovery too much.
Thanks, I think you’re onto something there with bumping a rest week in the mix.
Ah, good old McAdie +1.
Don’t sweat it too much. That one is HARD. Plenty of people fail it (me included), and you only have to be slightly fatigued or on a slightly bad day for a workout like this to be nearly impossible.
Tip: check and get familiar with the IF of each workout before you do them. Generally I find that 0.92/0/93 for 1 hour or 0.89 for 1.5 hours is about the limit of what I can do for an interval session. So when you find a workout like that (you’ll get them in weeks 4-5 of SSB2), really focus on preparing, resting, and fuelling for them. Don’t let them take you by surprise.
(And if you get to Saturday and you really don’t think you have 90 minutes of 0.89 IF in you, you can always substitute a slightly easier version or modify the session in Workout Creator)
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Thanks Martin, yes I was definitely fatigued from the previous workouts and probably my work week as well. I’m going to do the rest week next week, Retest the ftp, and maybe repeat the last work week of ssb1 . I really feel like I need to complete that and have the confidence knowing that I got through it before going into harder work in ssb2.
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