I don’t really see the Phil Gaimon pro approach to base training in the selected Strava hacks. Most take a realy off-time until mid/end November. Afterwards they ramp it up but not with XXL volume. Mid/end December the usual training regime kicks in. And I don’t really see massive volumes either which seems to be a thing of the past.
Interesting. I was under the impression that starting base earlier is a thing of the 2010s? I also thought that the really long January rides of grand tour contenders is something that has made a comeback?
Now with 400+ posts…beyond entertainment, is any of this info actionable for age-group amateurs and weekend warriors? 
riding very long a few days in training camp and posting this on Insta or so is probably more a thing for marketing than usual practice across the board. Yes, there are these blocks and some long rides but overall there is simply no long-slow-distance approach anymore.
I see. Is it in general tempo that has made up for it? I would guess so from looking at some of the files you posted here from early January.
Not really. They do tempo (and other stuff) but overall this isn’t so much. they do these things more frequently over the course of a week. But the dose seems always very controlled.
I’d say it is the racing which has changed everything. Now with Jan-Oct there is not much time left for hard training blocks. Or for building massive volume in base blocks. Too much intense racing during the year.
GT rider, Sepp Kuss, last few days.
Clear prep work for stage racing. Always some stuff, a lot of variability, all intensity zones. Almost no real base rides, more active recovery.
But with classics season approaching, how do the one day racer train. Actually, classics season is almost like stage racing.
Let’s look at a top 10 rider from last week end (who uploads everything to Strava): Oliver Naesen, Ag2R:
two weeks in January:
always with some stuff, no real base rides. Always some intensity
February, no Strava-hack because this says it all:
Racing, racing, racing.
It’s done, I’ve ported my Python tool to a Firefox Add-on. This was an ugly endeavour, all those security restrictions in the browser’s extension frame work. Tricky to navigate through.
The last two weeks of Carlos Verona:
Or a few weeks of a certain “breakaway specialist”:
Sepp Kuss
Carlos Verona 2-28 — 4.5hrs of mountain sprint repeats 
That’s the reason I’m not a pro!
I picked up this book again, it’s been a while since I had it in my hands:
Even though I’m not a triathlete this books has been quite influential for me. Because of this:
made me ditch recovery weeks.
However, I just noticed how much the training templates in the book resemble the patterns we see in the Strava hacks here. This focus on extended periods, no single killer sessions. In almost every workout some “stuff”. Variability. This all aligns quite well, what we see on Strava and what we hear from Filliol/Lorang/the NOrwegians. And this book offers an example for an implementation. Even for single sport athletes.
Agree with that approach even though I’m nowhere near pro or elite. Drop the load but keep doing some work during adaptation/regeneration week.
@sryke – do you have any training/race data on German tri guy Elmar Sprink?
Lots of coverage on this guy because of the story. But nothing in detail on his training. Caps his training at 12h/week. Is anal about not training when there is the slightest hint of an illness. He has to take medication which increases risk for infections
How often would you take these minibreaks? And how would you know when to take them? if you would take 4 days then it kind of is the same principle as a recovery week no? Just curious.
sounds like a pyramidal distribution, in a fatigue-dependent model (sort of like Frank Overton).
for example for an “average” athlete:
“fragile” athletes would work more with 2-day blocks and one 3-day light-block
and in “real world”:
Yellow crosses are light/recovery.
I go mainly according to feel. And I’m more on the “fragile” side, intensity & high volume can be tricky.
Ahh ok ok, so its consistently worked into your schedule. Got it, thank you.
I do prefer the straightforwardness of having a training block followed by a recovery block. Both ways would eventually get the same end result I guess.
the author of the book argues against this. But so many different opinions out there …
I might order it, could be a very good read.
Which is a good thing, otherwise this would be a very boring world.