The Lull Before the Storm

This is a really weird time of the year for my 'training'... I am currently in a 2 week period of having no structured training.

I've just finished a 16 week Build and Specialty plan. My next phase of training is a 12 week 'base' phase... but before this begins I have taken the advise of all the training literature... to take some 'time off'. 

They never say to take 2 weeks off completely... just don't work to a structured training plan. Go out and enjoy the cycling without worrying about what you're doing and why. So I've been commuting and throwing in some Strava segment efforts for a bit of fun. 

One reason for this is to give your body chance to recover from such a large training load it has just completed. The other... which I believe to be the more important reason, is to give your mind chance to recover. Working to a structure training plan for 28 weeks takes a serious amount of mental power to keep yourself motivated... by the end of that period you need to give your mind a period of time off to ensure your motivation is back on top form for the next training plan. I'm using this time to plan ahead. To research diet plans & theories. To look at new bikes, equipment and kit. Looking ahead to the future and planning for it... imagining myself on the start line in 28 weeks time... with a full season of training under my belt and a new bike/wheels to use builds me with excitement... builds me with motivation to want to succeed! I'm only 5 days into my 'rest' period and I'm already getting 'itchy feet'... I want to train... but I can't... I know there is something I should be doing... but I can't do it.

I've taken the time to look at the last 16 weeks training to reflect and aid me in my goals for the next seasons training.

My training was really well structured for the build phase, I then started a week of 'specialty' before a taper week before the ToS. The ToS saw a massive gain it CTL (blue line) but due to an illness following, it all but disappeared. I managed a week or 2 of the remaining specialty plan before a taper week before the 'end of the season'. The taper week should have been in preparation for an 'A' priority race. I didn't have one. This really didn't help motivate me by the end... I had no end goal... no end goal meant no motivation. If I take anything from the review of this it would be:

1) Don't risk getting ill. A TSB (yellow line) of 30 or below puts you at high risk of illness due to your body being so 'run down'. The ToS dropped my CTL to -39. As a result of becoming ill, I lost all the gains from that training block. I would have been better off sticking to plan and making consistent gains.

2) Have a goal event for the end of the season. The build up to the final weeks is when your mind is at it's weakest. It was so easy to miss a session because I had no event to aim for. 

Following on from my two weeks 'recovery' I have planned out the next seasons training. I've been quite optimistic and prescribed a larger amount of CTL than I have done previously. The end of the build phase peaks with a weekly TSS of 820. It's a bit of a trial so see how my body behaves. The additional CTL comes from the addition of low intensity rides. Time will be the largest limiting factor. 

I've split up each phase so you can see how the periodised plan develops CTL. Each block ends with a 'recovery week' of reduced training load before starting the next phase of training.

Fortunately there are no Sufferlandrian tours during this period to make me ill... and I have the national hill climb championships at the end of the season (as well as the WTTA hill climb series from Sept-Oct) to keep me motivated all the way to the end.

The only thing I have not accounted for is holidays. I'm hoping I can persuade the boss for me to take my bike and complete the prescribed training as planned. Although I have pushed my luck already and told her we can't go away between August-November due to races... that didn't go down too well!