Mods - i know there are a few of these posts but usually specific to peoples circumstances and goals. Feel free to move if you prefer.
So this is my first year with TR. In October I started SSB HV1 onto HV2 and now I am in week 6 of General Build MV. In that time I’ve gone from around 3.2W/kg to 3.9 (226W to 283W) with a bit of hope I might hit 4 on my next ramp test. Almost all of this has been done inside.
I had planned to move on Century since this would be my ‘ideal’ kind of fitness, a long hilly day out in the saddle. However I don’t currently have any events or Gran Fondos lined up and probably won’t have now until the end of the summer so not sure if this will be a waste of time.
Maybe its better to take the opportunity to go all the way back to Base and keep improving on that. I’ve been looking at a polarized/trad base option but I actually really enjoyed the SSB first time round, even at HV.
Alternatively I could repeat build or switch to something like sustained build.
Don’t know if my lack of goals/events makes it more simple or more complicated!
If you don’t have an event, doesn’t have to be a race, that plan builder can, err, build towards then you’ll just get Base, Build, Speciality. Give it an event on a specific date, tell it that you’ve done Base and Build and it should give something a bit more specific.
It makes sense, remember that specialty is the icing on the cake so if aren’t getting ready to eat it you wouldn’t layer a double the amount of icing on you would bake a bigger cake
As this is your first training cycle with TR I’d consider moving on to Specialty. I appreciate you don’t have a specific goal but in the long run it would be beneficial to know how you respond to certain plans and stimulus. For example “my FTP didn’t increase greatly but I was better at X or Y”. For the same reasons, if you’re intent on going back to build, then do Sustained Power.
How did you find General Build supra threshold / VO2 work after SSB HV 1&2?
One of the goals of your first season of TR should be to maximize variety for all the reasons he stated, and additionally to identify your strengths and weaknesses. SSB2 paints a vague picture, Build adds a lot of detail, and Specialty finishes it off.
My training alternates between training my weaknesses and training my strengths. It keeps things interesting and avoids plateaus. Even if my fitness stagnates in one area, it improves in another, and eventually the improving area lifts up all other areas. For example, I’m currently doing Sprint Intensity Training (one of my strengths) to lift up my FTP (one of my weaknesses), and it’s working.
Interesting point hadn’t quite thought of it in those terms.
Yeah tough, although I’ve seen quick improvements. The first 90s intervals I thought were torture but by the end I was just getting through 3min sessions.
Thanks for the points everyone. I went ahead and added Century specialty to start next week. Noticed that century and SSBI have a big focus on Endurance so good be a good transition. Then set up Plan Builder to take over from there. It actually takes me up to what should be my A event for next year, Mallorca 312 (April 2021)
