I’ve using TR for 1.5years now, had some great gains on my FTP as well as becoming much stronger mentally on my bike. But since the start of the new year I’ve been feeling more tired and have been struggling to get on my bike even, I love being in the saddle but my heart aint in it to complete my workouts.
Then something happened here in Sweden, we got a solid amount of snow around Stockholm. Meaning if I want to, I can go crosscountry skiing regularly. I’ve been doing some 10-30km rides before work every day and I’m feeling so refreshed doing something slightly different. My question is, how much will I “loose” of my FTP if I substitute cycling for skiing these coming weeks while doing easier rides on my bike on the weekends?
Currently I’m sitting at 352watts and 93kg, planning on dropping down to 84-85kg and dreaming of hitting 4w/kg before 2022.
If your heart is not in it at the moment, then you definitely need to take a bit of a break, until you get your spark back. If you keep exercising and you are not ill, you are not likely to actually lose much on your FTP, Long term it could benefit you, since without motivation, you are not going to sustain the progress anyway.
A break for a month if you’re doing “stuff” can’t hurt. Everyone needs a break and if this break is fun it’ll allow you to come back with a fresh head.
I would XC ski as much as possible. You’ll build up great aerobic base putting in the hours.
If I could XC ski outside here instead of hammering intervals in the basement it would be a no brainer to get outside. XC skiing is great and being outside is great. Skiing is like cycling right? You can go out and slide around and enjoy the day, or you can do that and add purposeful workouts and structure if you choose to. Win - Win - Win.
Happy sliding!!
p.s. Stockholm is one of my favorite places to visit. Wonderful city.
I used to compete in XC untill I was 18, so it feels like coming home and reliving my childhood every morning I ski. Maybe I could do some light intervalls in a hilly section, or simply go for longer sessions?
I figure that at most I’ll be able to ski for 3-4 weeks until the weather turns and we have spring here 
Nice - I grew up with winter but it was downhill skiing and pond hockey. XC wasn’t popular as we didn’t have the consistent snowfall or any grooming nearby.
If not training for any events in 2021, my preference would be to go longer and enjoy the time outside. You can always add some intensity or push hard(er) when and if you feel like it. Eat right, get some longer ski’s in and the bike should feel good when you come back to cycling structure.
$0.02
I would love to go for the nationals roadrace and ITT, but it’s uncertain if it can be done… So maybe I’ll do a “vasalopp” and do a 90km ski sometime in the upcoming weeks.
I agree! I miss my skis and I’d totally get into it if conditions were prime for it. I’d gladly trade some saddle time for XC skiing. Seems like
some z2 trainer rides thrown in the mix helped me stave off at least a little fitness loss when I took two months off from structure. XC skiing and z2 sprinkled in would, I bet, stoke the fire for a full season of riding once the weather flips.
So spring hit with full force a few days ago, no more skiing for me this year 
But now I’ve got the the hunger for riding outside back, probably time to start commuting by bike 40k to work in a week or two.
In the meantime, my gf made me try horsebackriding. Man that is a different beast compared to boring trainer workouts 
Probably going to keep at it as a side hobby to get some great balance workouts.
If you find a big enough treadmill, you can ride the horse indoors in front of a TV.
Good for her! YAY! Horses are amazing. Horse riding is amazing. And I honestly think there is little that is more rewarding than establishing a relationship with a horse. However, in my experience, horses, even more than bikes, have a way of sucking up all available time and resources.
The important question here is: What´s the horses FTP? Hope it tests regularly…
In all seriousness: i have done a month of traditional base now, call that structured but actually it was nothing else than just riding in Z2 for hours. I actually liked that a lot, it gave me some relieve from this pressure about upcoming high intensity workouts: will I make them, did I eat enough, am I rested etc. I dont feel that I have not progressed although I fear I might have overdone it a bit.
Anyway traditional Z2 and outdoor rides are the mix I will beting on in the coming weeks hoping that the lockdown finally ends (no end in sight though)
FWIW I only use structure in the winter months. From March/April to late October I ride outside no structure no intervals, the exception being if there isn’t fair weather, I will Zwift or do random TR work inside, usually something endurance Ish to force myself to ride easy and recover from the outdoor.
Despite this I have made progress year after year, so get out there and don’t be afraid to have some fun and don’t worry about losing fitness if you’re not specifically focused on building fitness
My experience is you need to take breaks. The feeling you are having is likely a result of the multitude of stressors and the mental toll of structure makes it one of the things your mind wants to jettison to relieve some pressure. When I do this I instantly feel more relaxed and find I’m ready to come back sooner than I figured. How much FTP you will lose is highly individual and based on how long you ease off and what you do instead. I wouldn’t worry much about it as your fitness will come back faster than you earned it since your body will “remember” how to adapt.
It really is amazing that I never tried it before. Got to try galopping this time, could not stop having a goofy smile all the time
I noticed that aswell, hopefully I can start riding outside soon. As that is much easier for me to deal with, I can do my workouts to/from work. I’m expecting decent drop in FTP, but it’s fine as long as I’m feeling better mentally.