I’ve been off the bike, and off this forum for ages, but I’m hopeful about now returning to both! I had a long time of really struggling with hip pain on and off the bike, resulting in me stopping training and only doing 15 mostly short rides since May 2020. However, changing my bike fit and lots of physio means I can ride without pain now. So I’m going to continue with gym work to look after my hip and start a low volume plan with TR (as soon as the broken car is out of the pain cave - maybe even next week!).
I decided I wanted my goal event to be some CX races late next year, put them in and asked Plan Builder to sort out my plan, expecting a significant set of base to build back up after all my time off.
It scheduled Sweet Spot Base 1, followed by Short Power Build! Then SSB2, Short Power Build again, SSB1 again and then CX Speciality. I’ve not been using TR since Adaptive Training came out, so maybe I’m way behind the curve here, but I thought it was going to do SSB1, then SSB2, then Build, then SSB2/Build and then Speciality. Everyone preaches getting a good base, and I certainly don’t have that now - why is it taking me from SSB1 straight into Short Power Build? It’s like 6 weeks of barely above threshold, followed by 8 weeks where every single (non rest) workout goes above threshold! I believe in TR, so I’ll do my best to follow the plan and let Adaptive Training sort things out for me, but I’d love to know what’s going on!
When setting up your plan, what did you put down as experience level? The higher you select there, the less base you will get. When I set up my plan for this season I got the same set-up as you; Base1, Build, Base2, Build and then Specialty (which has worked out well for me based on my experience level and training history). But if I try to set up a plan for next season and select Intermediate for experience level I get the Base1, Base2, Build, Specialty set up.
Yes, now man-up and do the work! Actually the plan you got is wrong. So it must be a combination of events/races you put on the calendar and what you put down as your experience. Start by adjusting your experience level and see how PB adjusts.
I would expect and recommend something more similar to Base 1, Base 2, Build, Base 2, Specialty. Assuming your A event is later in the year.
I put it in the most basic (0-3 hours, low volume, beginner) and it gave me the same setup. Maybe it’s because I have a set of B races starting in September (A race start of December), but I’m still confused why it has me doing Build rather than Base in April.
For plans with a lot of time, Plan Builder seems to favor alternating base and build blocks.
Now with adaptive training this seems like a better strategy than earlier. You’ll end up doing easier above-threshold work, which will segue unto harder above-threshold in Base 2.
Think TR changed their philosophy a while ago (just when plan builder came out) to alternating base and build blocks.
And yes, if you select you have more experience, it’ll favour build and speciality blocks, but I think that’s mostly when you have less time than a whole base-build-speciality cycle.
To be honest, in your current position, I’d leave plan builder, and do a base block first. Or, use the plan plan builder has made, but after the first base block, recalculate it. I wouldn’t go that quickly into short power build.
Maybe try the highest experience level and see if you like that schedule better. There’s probably no wrong way in PB, but I completely understand not wanting to do ShortPB so early in your training
I’ll do SSB1 and see how it goes. I assume if my progression levels aren’t high then the Short Power Build will get adjusted downwards a bit by Adaptive Training. It’s been so long since I’ve buried myself on the trainer, I don’t know how my body will react.
Sometimes you can do more than you think you can, at least that’s how I look at it. Also with adaptive training it will help make workouts more productive, make sure you rate them properly and don’t let the ego get in the way.
The last thing Vo2max intervals will never be easy.
So I’m going to continue with gym work to look after my hip and start a low volume plan with TR (as soon as the broken car is out of the pain cave - maybe even next week!).
Then SSB2, Short Power Build again, SSB1 again and then CX Speciality. I’ve not been using TR since Adaptive Training came out, so maybe I’m way behind the curve here, but I thought it was going to do SSB1, then SSB2, then Build, then SSB2/Build and then Speciality. Everyone preaches getting a good base, and I certainly don’t have that now - why is it taking me from SSB1 straight into Short Power Build? It’s like 6 weeks of barely above threshold, followed by 8 weeks where every single (non rest) workout goes above threshold! I believe in TR, so I’ll do my best to follow the plan and let Adaptive Training sort things out for me, but I’d love to know what’s going on!