Hi everyone!
I am 3 weeks deep into SSBMV2, and plan builder has this as my penultimate work week before dialling it back for the rest week.
Having trained with more TSS than ever in my life before during lockdown, mainly by completing my workouts and adding loads of Z2 endurance rides to hit 750-900 TSS per week, I am now finally feeling pretty cooked.
I want to make sure I don’t completely burn out by over-reaching too far. I would much rather avoid tipping over the limit.
Should I just complete this work week and then bring forward my rest week to next week and cut out the last week of SSBMV2?
Are you struggling to complete the workouts or experiencing the appropriate amount of difficulty but just starting to get fatigued? You’re getting towards the end of a key point in the base phase before really dialing things up in SPB so fatigue is expected.
One thing to look out for though is the “loads of Z2 endurance” and pretty high TSS. I would cut the Z2 and take true rest before dropping the final work week of base. If you are at the point where you really need to cut a week of work or shift up your recovery, you are probably at an unsustainable volume level long term. In the short term it can be useful to really push to the next level, but caution is key and you have to listen to your body very carefully.
I’m still able to complete the workouts - although Darwin (4x10 @threshold) yesterday pushed me close! I’d say it’s more just a general feeling of fatigue… All the usual indicators of all round fatigue etc.
The reason I increased my volume in the first place is to try and push through a plateau that has lasted a few seasons now - I needed to change something up to make a breakthrough!
My workout this morning went well. I’m tempted to push on this weekend, make sure I rest very well Monday, then hit the last week but listen to my body throughout. Then when rest week comes, recover like a pro. Thoughts?
Great Question! I have been having the same “how do I push through a plateau” thoughts and adding Z2 to my mid volume plan has been a wonder of mine. Is that the best way to increase load vs going to high volume @Bryce ? High vol seems a bit too much. I’ve been on mid vol plans on TR for two seasons now. Training with structure for almost 20 years. Mostly 6-8 hours in summer and only 3-5 in winter.
Best advice to break plateau? Add 15-min Z2 on daily workouts or tack on 1+ hours to weekend workout?
What was your TSS range before the volume increase? Sounds like you have a pretty good handle on it and as a short term plateau buster I like it as long as the volume increase isn’t excessive. Your strategy for this week and next sounds solid.
My TSS on an easier (non recovery) week would be in teh 300’s. 400’s in a 3 on/1 rest cycle have been what Planbuilder prescribes and aren’t too taxing as the month progresses. I’ve done a couple of 520+ TSS weeks lately surpassing the 420’s prescribed and after two in a row, I felt it. Those were results of harder group rides on sat than PB prescribed.
Big Q I guess is which is more bang for the buck ? Adding 15-30 min 2-3x /week or an extra hour on the weekend ride??
I’m in the same boat…on the same day in the same plan haha. Just finished Darwin yesterday as well. I had previously been doing 400-500 TSS; it’s been pushing 700 some weeks now. I’m cooked…often go out for an hour or two outside after the trainer workout…or go for a 2-3 he ride, with a 60-90 min scheduled workout on the garmin. Been doing 10-12 hrs. I need to dial things back just a touch I think. I think I can probably hang on through next week. Doing sprint practice last night right after darwin was probably a bad idea lol…
For many people, adding additional Z2 work is a great way to increase overall training volume without drastically increasing the intensity of your training. This approach allows you to monitor your recovery, and dial back if you feel yourself pushing too far.
High-volume is a big jump, and can be too much to recover from for many working athletes. We recommend adding TSS filler to the Mid-Volume plan, and once that becomes to easy, then you are more ready to tackle High-Volume.
Before the increase I was in the 400-500 range, but in previous years I have done blocks of ~700 TSS weeks without burning out. I felt like the 800 range would be manageable. The podcast this week has given me the confidence to push through this next week and, if nothing else, find my limits!
Which would push out of a plateu better? Adding 15-30 min in weekday rides or 1+ hour added on weeknds?
Also, I am a teacher and have considerable time for training outside. How stressful is a jump to High vol starting at base/expert in PB? I’m 51 and have been training 5-8 hr/week for 20 years.
That’s a pretty big jump in TSS. Short term you can probably handle it, but build is coming. Any residual fatigue you carry through this phase will be emphasized by the build workouts. Adding Z2 is great to increase your volume, but that much Z2 TSS could be counterproductive when you reach the build phase and intensity ramps up as well. I think finishing this block the way you plan should be fine. When you hit build though dropping down to 800ish (maybe a little lower). If you can handle that no problem you can always re-evaluate and add more as you move through your progression. If however you start too high and begin failing workouts regularly, the damage has already been done and your cycle will be less productive than starting “conservatively”.
Z2 rides are incredibly beneficial, unless they bury you with unmanageable fatigue. Your TSS increase is reasonable if it’s true Z2. But your body is telling you that’s too much so back it down a bit. Even adding 1 Z2 ride can make a difference. As your body adapts to that you add another or stretch the existing one. It isn’t necessarily a question of “bang for the buck” as figuring out what your body can handle. The easiest way to push more volume is through true Z2 rides.
When you say your group rides are harder than PB plan, how much harder do you mean? Is it supposed to a coffee ride that turns into a bunch of SS and Threshold work? If that’s the case, then perhaps you substitute this ride for a similar TR ride somewhere else in the week and keep the Z2 work for more volume. That would reduce overall intensity but still get you the extra volume you are looking for without being counterproductive.
Also what MV plan are you on? If you are in build and exhausted that makes sense. If you are in base then I would definitely back it down now before you start impacting how well you can do in build.
Good point. I think your plan is a good one - finish the next week as planned, recover well for a week, then hit build cutting out most of the extra Z2.
My gut feeling is that this should be manageable with my current lifestyle - just need to keep listening to my body
Big point in all this is that I’d like to break through and deepen my aerobic base in hopes of improved mtb or gravel race performance for events over 2 hours:
Regarding the group ride. TR Planned a typical over under type at 1.5 hrs and 110 ish TSS. 4 person group ride was a fair bit of threshold when pulling and SS and easy in draft, so surgy efforts with the pulls. Ride was 2:15 hrs and 170 TSS. That added about 60 TSS on the week and the other weeknight rides all went higher than planned a little for the previous two weeks too this resulting in about +100 TSS over amount in the TR plan each of those weeks. (like 520s vs 420s planned). The TR MV-SS and build blocks only put me at 6-8 hours per week and only occasional TSS weeks over 500). I feel like a could handle more as long as the intensity on the more part wasn’t high.
I’ve done MV SSB 1 and 2, short power build, and specialty last season. Started the same this season in Jan, but ended after the build with cancelled Wilmington race which was the A for June 6. TR put me back into SSB1 and this is switching to build as of a week ago. Legs were feeling toasty after what I described and I took this week as a rest week and planned to re-set the Planbuilder plan this monday so rest weeks are re-set otherwise I would’ve been fried after 5 weeks on the gas.
It seems/feels like subbing a longer 3-4 hr Z2 ride on sunday for the TR workout which is usually SS for a two hour workout. Might add aerobic base without too much stress. Also seems like it’d trigger the aerobic system better than just adding 15 or 30 min to a could a few times per week. This is my biggest wonder actually.