Am I the only one who has this? Typically, I feel really strong during build. But after a recovery week (since I skip ramp test), for me is 1.5 weeks, I have real training anxiety (like with ramp test) when I have to do my first serious high power workout (threshold etc). It’s also like I forgot how to push through when suffering, like I have to “rediscover” it. So the weird thing is, it’s all in my head. My legs feel fresh, my heart rate is where it should be (compared to the same workout in the past), but still mentally I feel like “o no o no o no 5 mins left… 4 mins left… etc”
Ha, exactly the same. During recovery weeks, even with normal volume but only with Z2 riding I am turning into comfortable burito and the firsts harder workouts create some kind anxiety. When I am in the middle of training block hard workout is another day in the office, but after week of easy riding it’s a completely different thing…
I wonder how to solve it? Would it hurt do do, let’s say, lower-IF intervals? Just to “keep the feel” during recovery. So not focused on build, but just on keeping you in the loop how suffering feels.
Do you think the issue might be related to viewing difficult or intense workouts as ‘suffering’? Maybe changing how one thinks about the experience and sensations of these workouts would reduce anxiety and improve your overall experience with them.
I don’t view difficult / intense workouts as ‘suffering’. I mean, ‘suffering’ is not typically a word I would associate with a experience I want to have on a regular basis as part of my favorite hobby. I view them as difficult, intense, challenging, etc. And the physical sensations as ‘going hard’, ‘what going fast feels like’, ‘what blowing other people’s legs off feels like’, etc. Perhaps reframing it in a more positive way would make it easier to mentally deal with and reduce anxiety for these kinds of workouts.
Might be solved by doing the ramp test. If you have a good test, you should be confident, if not, then you could be more confident that the subsequent workouts are lowered sufficiently to give you confidence there. For me the confidence or lack of comes from not knowing where I stand and the ramp test gives me a good idea.
For me it is only a matter of confidence - I am very insecure when it comes to my abilities and I am sure that I have lost everything I have worked for - just because I do not see any kind of confirmation from hard workout. Then comes “ok, I have to do this, let’s see how bad I am” and then after two workouts, everything comes back to normal. What helps a little is a semi-hard workout during recovery week - nothing spectacular but something like 4x20 tempo or doing even one threshold interval.
Rather than reducing intensity for the recovery week, maybe just knock back on the duration. So for example instead of doing 6x4 you could just do 3x4 to keep your legs ticking over.
That is a great strategy. Btw I don’t mean “suffering” in a negative way. I like that part, like “pain is speed leaving the body”. But sometimes the intervals feel daunting and overwhelming. Not how it feels, but just the sheer duration (8-9 minutes 105%).
I had the same problem this week, I did a ramp test today and dropped 30w from 261 to 231, I feel good riding 1-2 hours on my MTB but a 30 min 3x4 threshold workout killed me
I often feel similar, and have a ‘go-to’ workout that I feels wakes me up again, without being too taxing (Goddard). It gives me confidence to jump back in.
I find this a good transition back into intensity.
Agree with this, I’m curious why you’re skipping ramp tests entirely anyway… maybe it’s a confidence level in the FTP change you made?
I try and look at it like… well, I got X on the ramp test, and Chad knows that I can complete this workout at X, so therefor I can lol.
I do sometimes skip a ramp test also, but when I do I sub in another sweetspot workout usually, 1.5 weeks is a lot for me personally.
But relating to what you actually asked, I guess it’s just something mental, and maybe some mental toughness we can work on? I get a lot of unexplainable self doubt lately when I get on the trainer, feeling like I can’t do the workout and am afraid I’m going to fail. Yet, I’ve done a ramp test, my FTP is where I think and feel it is, AND I’m doing MORE work doing TR outside… completely illogical feelings, yet they exist.
So I get where you’re coming from!
I’ve had this to some extent. I find that doing some brief high intensity work during test weeks gets around it. Say, throw in 10min at threshold on one of your z2 rides.
