I’m just finishing up the 3rd week or SSBMV1, and I’m wondering where to go from here. Since it’s only October, and racing doesn’t really start until April, I’ve got a long time to build fitness.
I looked at the FAQ in the “got too much time” category, but it seems to recommend doing traditional base. Since I’m already doing a SS plan, going back to traditional base doesn’t make sense.
Has anyone had success just repeating SSBMV1? And then transitioning to SSBMV2 when I get closer to racing season , and doing the build speciality plans after?
I think it’s too early now to get into the higher intensity sessions that are in the MV2 plans.
My goal is to get my FTP up as high as I can before I start getting into the build/speciality plans.
I suppose the risk of doing multiple SSBMV1 is boredom!
Physiologically I think the SS plans are awesome, have had some good race results just off the back of a ton of SS work. Boredom is definitely a risk though, depends how you’re wired psychologically. Nate seems to be one of those people who can do the same thing over and over (Baxter…) if he’s confident that it will bring results. I’m not wired that way, I do get bored and need to mix it up every now and then. I also feel the need to go smash it on the bike fairly regularly, SS doesn’t scratch that itch!
So if it was me I’d either look at doing SSBMV2, which incorporates a bit of VO2 max work rather than just pure SS/threshold. Or I’d do more of a hybrid between SSB and Traditional Base, with some racing or hard group rides thrown in. E.g. 2 SS rides per week, 1 “go out and smash it” ride, and the rest being endurance or recovery rides which would give me a bit more freshness and recovery around the smash ride. Smash ride could either be a race (CX? MTB? Zwift racing? Assuming you’re in northern hemisphere and road racing is finished) or could be a Wednesday night worlds type group ride.
I’m planning to do the same thing, but on low volume. Besides starting second repeat with higher ftp (hopefully), I also want to add a bit more TSS, for example doing the +1 variations of some workouts or adding endurance workout, but maybe not necessary if you are on MV.
I’m on the same path here. But I’ve decided to go through SSBMV1 and then into SSBMV2 then repeat both again. So in 4 or 5 weeks I start over with SSBMV1 and then I’m on track for April.
But I’ve got to say I’m not all that motivated. Could be that I’m a bit off with a cold but I tried Carpathian Peak +2 yesterday and already before it I felt like “no way I’ll be doing this today”. Sun was shining and there was no rain for the first time in like two weeks. So gave it up halfway through. I think I’ll call this week short and start over again next week with more motivation and better feeling legs/lungs.
I’m going to do something similar. I’m going to meld SSB1 and SSB2 into a hybrid for the next 6 weeks. I’m basically going to do the SSB2 Tuesday and Saturday workouts but the SSB1 Thursday workouts. I do weekday training very early in the morning and I find the SSB2 Thursday threshold workouts just more than I’m wiling to take on that early.
You could try doing something similar. Make your Tuesday workouts the ones from SSB2 to get some VO2Max work in and keep the rest of the week SSB1. I find everyone thinks the SSB2 Tuesday VO2Max work intimidating, but its actually not that bad. Most of the early Tuesday workouts in SSB1 are things like pedaling and cadence drills which I dont much care for.
Thanks for the feedback and your thoughts. I was just looking at the MV2 plan, and maybe it would be a good idea to do that next to provide a slightly different stimulus to keep the body guessing a bit. As you said, it has a bit of Vo2, and brings in more threshold work.
Yeah, I’m in Canada, so outdoor riding is coming to a halt - fast group rides are over at this point. Once the snow comes I’ll be on the fatbike doing my very hard efforts as the trails really dictate the intensity - it’s tough to do an easy ride on the fatbike! I’ll substitute hard fatbike rides for the vo2 workouts and keep going with the TR SS and threshold workouts.
I’m coming back from an early season surgery. I never quite got back my pre surgery fitness, so I’m hoping a solid block of winter training will get me back and even exceed my previous level of fitness.
Yeah, that’s an option to do a combo of the two plans. I’m actually doing a bit of that now. I’m following the SSBMV1 one currently, but I don’t find I need an easy ride on the Wednesday, so I bring in the Wednesday ride from SSBHV1 workout, so I have a 3 day block of sweetspot. I may do a similar thing after this plan and bring some extra intensity in if I feel I can handle it.
I’m used to doing 750-950 tss weeks outside, so the current 650 tss weeks aren’t a problem at this point.
Similar deal here: using SSBMV2 to keep some structure at the end of the season. Weekend rides are outdoors when the waning days of fall permit it. And I drop the Wednesday ride in favor of strength training (Friday’s too).
Idea is to prevent the free fall in fitness that comes with abandoning structure altogether this time of year. Will start proper SSB again after thanksgiving, hopefully from a higher starting point than prior years.
Another idea is to do two different builds. If you were originally going to do short power build for example, you could delay that and squeeze in a sustained power build, which is kind of like SSB.
Doing the same thing here… Past two years I waited until Dec or Jan and it’s just too late and much fitness has been lost. This year did a ssb2 cycle in Aug/sep mostly outside, and now back in ssb1 with time to actually get through entire base build specialty cycle by May instead of just part of build, and starting from a higher level. Will be interesting to see how it works out.
Is it dangerous to go through a full build phase before racing starts? I am like OP in that racing doesn’t start until April, but I am afraid of doing a build phase in Feb/March if it’s gonna run me into a hole for race season.
It is also my first year structured training and I am thinking it might be safer for me to just repeat SSB and then build with Short Power Build during the start of the season.
Not dangerous. After the Specialty phase, you can either repeat taper weeks 7 & 8 to maintain peak fitness, or go back through Build and Specialty to get a second peak.
The reason why I suggested squeezing Sustained Power Build in between SSB2 and your actual build is that SPB is similar to SSB, but may keep you from getting bored.
I’ve spent the last 2/3 years (More or less) doing SSB & SPB - 60w increase since when i started.