Critique welcome

Since 2001, over 90,000 cyclist's have joined Cycling Forums to discuss topics from general cycling to equipment, training, racing and travel or vacation destinations (especially in europe during the tour de france). We also feature an great deals in our online store, 100's of articles, classifieds and product reviews.

I just posted my typical weeks worth of training on my blog (http://polskakielbasa.blogspot.com/2008/02/will-i-burn-out-or-fade-away.html) (last week). I would appreciate some comments/critique. I think it's solid, but any input is appreciated. FYI, I just did my first L5 training attempt today (5x 4 min @ 110%) and it went well. Please be constructive and civil. :)

CTL: 80
TSB: -20
TSS for that week: 690

I just posted my typical weeks worth of training on my blog (http://polskakielbasa.blogspot.com/2008/02/will-i-burn-out-or-fade-away.html) (last week). I would appreciate some comments/critique. I think it's solid, but any input is appreciated. FYI, I just did my first L5 training attempt today (5x 4 min @ 110%) and it went well. Please be constructive and civil. :)

CTL: 80
TSB: -20
TSS for that week: 690Wow, 690 TSS in a week alone sounds like a nice improvement over what you were showing last month. CTL ramp of +3 and plenty of varied tempo -- what's not to like. :)

I guess the big question is: How'd it feel? Is that something you could do for 6 weeks straight, and is there a little left in there to fine tune for racing?

I would appreciate some comments/critique. Looks good. I might have exchanged Tuesday's and Saturday's ride just because I like to put more intense rides earlier in the week and earlier in the microcycle but that's me and at this stage of the season it might not matter much. In any case you did some quality work last week...all indoors too.

Wow, 690 TSS in a week alone sounds like a nice improvement over what you were showing last month. CTL ramp of +3 and plenty of varied tempo -- what's not to like. :)

I guess the big question is: How'd it feel? Is that something you could do for 6 weeks straight, and is there a little left in there to fine tune for racing?It felt great actually. I think something changed in my attitude towards fatigue. I no longer take Mondays completely off and I'm better for it. Something in Dave R.'s PMC chart (or was it yours?) that just clicked. I also believe that I passed a certain personal CTL threshold where putting in the effort just isn't as hard as it was previously. I haven't taken an easy week since then and still don't feel I need to. Those medium recovery (40-50 TSS) days seem to do the job.

My last years CTL high was 92 at which point I felt very fatigued. I'm currently sitting 80 which I didn't reach until almost mid-May last year. To be honest, I don't know how long I can keep this up, but I suspect I may need an easy week soon. I'm trying to have an early peak for couple of races at the end of April, but if I don't have at least 100 CTL to taper from it probably ain't happenin'. That's about 3 point a week between now and then so we'll see.

Looks good. I might have exchanged Tuesday's and Saturday's ride just because I like to put more intense rides earlier in the week and earlier in the microcycle but that's me and at this stage of the season it might not matter much. In any case you did some quality work last week...all indoors too.Thanks. I'm scheduled for some good outdoor riding (8-10 hrs) with the team this weekend. All that indoor training definitely carries onto the team rides. I expect to rack up some solid TSS. I'll be ecstatic if I can continue on this schedule beyond this weekend.

I don't think you'll burn out but maybe taking the recovery rides a little easier might be appropriate.

I don't get the reasoning behind chopping off Tuesdays last 25min effort and going harder for 10mins. Keep the effort at the desired level and try and keep proper form as long as possible and then add a few minutes. Just remember that when things get that bad then looking at the watch one second longer and being able to tell yourself that you have "4 minutes and change" rather than 5 minutes helps a little... that's what I do. Maybe Mondays recovery ride was a little bit more than "recovery" in the middle - maybe getting upto ~260 watts at the end of the second block just knocked the stuffing out of your legs but nothing lost, you'll know to save the heroics for the last set next time.

I'm guessing Slayer's Raining Blood and Metallica's Battery kicked in on Wednesdays ride around 48 minutes and 1:05 respectively. :D Looks like the legs died a little after that last peak...