Over reaching???

[Felt_Rider]

"The more you train the more you can train." - A. Coggan

I was thinking along these lines this morning in particular adaptation.
While I was on the spin bike the spin teacher was training on her off day for a 1/2 marathon coming up in two weeks. Here we are talking about physical limitations and yet I see many examples of these aerobic teachers in the gym that teach classes through out the day for a living and like this teacher also train for events.

I believe she does 3 or more spin classes every other day during the week and also runs everyday because that is her competitive event. She has a very energetic look and a positive attitude.

How does she and these other teachers endure such a load?
It really seems to say a lot for gradual adaptation through progressive training.

This has been true for me in weight training and over many years I can train with more than 20 sets per bodypart without over reaching. I just need to gradually build up in endurance events.

 

[normZurawski]

"The more you train the more you can train." - A. Coggan

Is there a limit? Granted it's going to be pretty hard to maintain a CTL of 600 all year around. I wonder if there is a practical limit, in terms of diminishing or even lowered returns. IOW, if you maintain a 150 CTL maybe you do well in your events but at 200 you've added an untenable load that only results in decreased performance. Thinking out loud.

 

[frenchyge]

I wonder if there is a practical limit, in terms of diminishing or even lowered returns.

I would guess that the answer is probably yes, and that that limit would depend on the type of event one were training for. Thinking back to the sweet-spot chart in the middle of this page, the highest CTLs are going to be achievable by training where the physiological strain is the lowest (ie, at the very lowest end). Raising the intensity necessitates lowering the volume. I would expect that enormous volumes of low-intensity training might be very good for certain types of events (ie, 24-hr endurance races), and less beneficial for other types of events. Even for the 24-hr specialist, I'd be surprised if all their training were done around the L1/L2 border.

 

[normZurawski]

I would guess that the answer is probably yes, and that that limit would depend on the type of event one were training for. Thinking back to the sweet-spot chart in the middle of this page, the highest CTLs are going to be achievable by training where the physiological strain is the lowest (ie, at the very lowest end). Raising the intensity necessitates lowering the volume. I would expect that enormous volumes of low-intensity training might be very good for certain types of events (ie, 24-hr endurance races), and less beneficial for other types of events. Even for the 24-hr specialist, I'd be surprised if all their training were done around the L1/L2 border.

Good reply! To use Dave Harris, since he's the CTL King as well as an endurance off-road rider, he does a lot of HI work in the early season, then spends a lot of time in the L3 area, with weekly brush ups in L4/L5 to keep that where it needs to be. I'm sure he fills in the gaps with L2 work, and any simulation ride is going to have plenty of it. His basic premise is that in order to raise the right side of the curve, you need to raise the left side. I'm going with that general philosophy this coming season.

 

[acoggan]

Is there a limit? Granted it's going to be pretty hard to maintain a CTL of 600 all year around. I wonder if there is a practical limit, in terms of diminishing or even lowered returns. IOW, if you maintain a 150 CTL maybe you do well in your events but at 200 you've added an untenable load that only results in decreased performance. Thinking out loud.

Your "out loud thinking" seems correct to me, even right down to the values you use to illustrate the idea.

 

[acoggan]

To use Dave Harris, since he's the CTL King

Actually, many elite road and track cyclists carry the same sort of chronic training load as Dave. What sets Dave apart, then, is that he's 1) over 40, and 2) has a full-time (albeit quite flexible) job.

 

[joemw]

Actually, many elite road and track cyclists carry the same sort of chronic training load as Dave. What sets Dave apart, then, is that he's 1) over 40, and 2) has a full-time (albeit quite flexible) job.

and it would seem that elite nordic rowers carry a load almost 50% greater. or whatever % greater 180ish is compared to Dave's.

 

[acoggan]

and it would seem that elite nordic rowers carry a load almost 50% greater. or whatever % greater 180ish is compared to Dave's.

Assuming the 180 TSS/d I estimated is correct, that's only about 20% greater than Dave's CTL.

FWIW, I've seen a preview of an article slated to appear in VeloNews this summer, which shows the Performance Manager data for a US rider (not a GC contender) around the time of the Tour de France. Even including the Tour, his CTL tops out at about the same level as Dave's.