PMC and stacking afternoon/morning workouts

whoawhoa

Here's an example situation:
Day 1: Relatively fresh, do evening workout. 2 hours tempo with some group ride race-like efforts. Workout finished at roughly 7:30.

Day 2: PMC says TSB is -2. Go out for morning workout starting a bit before 9:00. Feel completely crappy, tired, and just generally slow.

does this sound like a normal situation when performing workouts spaced this closely together? Should afternoon workouts not be followed by a workout the next morning unless one or both of them is fairly easy?

Steve_B

What's normal? Seriously, everyone is different and every day can be different for some. It depends upon what the workout the day (and week) before was that caused you to go to -2.

Plus keep in mind that PMC can't account for everything going on in your life. How have you been sleeping lately? How did you sleep the night before and the previous night? (I have found that poor sleep affects me more 2 days later than 1 day later.) Did you have a fight with your wife/partner/SO? Is your boss a jerk and stressing you out? Is your CTL low or high? I'm not asking for answers to these questions, I'm just trying to make you think.

Catch my drift?

Here's another question to ask yourself: how do you usually feel when your TSB is slightly negative (0 to -10 or so)? Is this a similar feeling to the other times when your TSB has been at that level?

I have been able to do back-to-back workouts like you propose but I also know that I'm generally better after 24 hours, rather than 12-16 hours, depending upon the nature of the workouts. I'm more of an afternoon/evening person. That's just the way I am wired.

daveryanwyoming

In addition to Steve's input are you paying close attention to critical half hour glycogen replenishment after the evening workout? That makes all the difference for me when it comes to double workouts on the same day or evening/morning doubles. I've become a big lowfat chocolate milk fan for morning/afternoon double workouts, two a day events during weekend stage races or evening/morning doubles like you describe. I also use Endurox, Recoverite and Metabolol depending on what I have on hand, and if I really want to spoil myself a fruit smoothie with some yogurt. But however I go about it I find I do much better in close together training/racing sessions if I'm really careful to restock my glycogen stores immediately after getting off the bike.

-Dave