Sombody explain "super days"

[jk9270]

Today I had one of those, maybe twice per year days, where I felt like I could push any gear and go as fast as I wanted. I think everybody has experienced this, but I have never heard anyone try to explain it. Does anyone have any idea what makes these days happen, or how I can make it the normal day?

 

[upstateSC-rider]

I've had those days too, I now call the phenomenon IP, Inadvertently Peaking since we're so fond of acronyms here.

 

[Steve_B]

Today I had one of those, maybe twice per year days, where I felt like I could push any gear and go as fast as I wanted. I think everybody has experienced this, but I have never heard anyone try to explain it. Does anyone have any idea what makes these days happen, or how I can make it the normal day?

Well, I can't tell you that I'm going to have a complete explanation but I can get the ball rolling anyway. In general, there's predictable element and an unpredictable element to it.

The predictable element comes when you have built up your fitness and then you reduce training a bit (but not become totally sedentary) for some period of time (a week or more perhaps) to allow your body to compensate. Then, for some period of time after that, usually a few weeks, you should be riding pretty well as your body has shed the fatigue of the build up and it is rested (which can take weeks to fully happen) and ready to go for each session.

The unpredictable element happens to all of us too. People sometimes have really great days, e.g., record power power outputs for a certain duration or maybe what some people call "chain-less" days, even though they ought to be buried in fatigue on that day. It happens and I'm not sure that anyone has been able to figure out why. Perhaps because you never know when they will happen. For me, these tend to be "one-off" events and the next day is not so much of a miracle.

You say that these days happen twice a year. Are they predictable or do they happen at regular intervals? Do you keep a training log and keep track of what you are doing before they happen?

 

[jk9270]

You say that these days happen twice a year. Are they predictable or do they happen at regular intervals? Do you keep a training log and keep track of what you are doing before they happen?

No nothing in the log book shows a clear pattern. It seems very random. But judging by the power numbers and how tired I feel today, it was a great workout. Very little training for a few weeks before, so I can't really chalk it up to being fresh, more like sedentary blast off.

 

[Steve_B]

so I can't really chalk it up to being fresh, more like sedentary blast off.

Yeah, that happens.

 

[Pendejo]

About once a year, I, too, experience this. I have standard training routines, and I know the typical range of my performance for each routine. And about once a year I'll finish a workout and my numbers will have jumped a good bit beyond the range. And, of course, I'll then think that I've all of a sudden I've gotten that much better. But successive workouts go right back to norm.

Trying to figure it out, I've wondered if on those particular days my bike computer malfunctioned. But it's unlikely that just on one day it would do that, plus the numbers on those days are very good, but not miraculous.

 

[daveryanwyoming]

....Very little training for a few weeks before, so I can't really chalk it up to being fresh, more like sedentary blast off.

If you haven't been training then you'll be exceedingly fresh. You might be detrained, and typically your performance would suffer for longer endurance efforts, but you would have been very well rested.

Typically in situations like you describe folks do very well in short anaerobic efforts and sprints and struggle with longer endurance efforts. The body really likes to be fresh (that is well rested) for short high end work. But most folks achieve their best sustained power for longer efforts when they're less "fresh" but better trained.

-Dave

 

[jsirabella]

For me today the numbers made a bit of no sense as I was able to pull off 4 20 minute intervals at 220 for a 4 hour ride. While the 220 watts is nothing special given the amount of weight lifting I did previously, the little cycling and the soreness I was feeling I expected nothing special at all.

Today I credit this ride mostly today was that I was able to wake up later and had a nice big bowl of oatmeal before the ride. I usually never have these luxuries especially a good meal before I start my ride.

I would try and look at these type of things besides your training log.

-js

Today I had one of those, maybe twice per year days, where I felt like I could push any gear and go as fast as I wanted. I think everybody has experienced this, but I have never heard anyone try to explain it. Does anyone have any idea what makes these days happen, or how I can make it the normal day?

 

[swampy1970]

For me today the numbers made a bit of no sense as I was able to pull off 4 20 minute intervals at 220 for a 4 hour ride. While the 220 watts is nothing special given the amount of weight lifting I did previously, the little cycling and the soreness I was feeling I expected nothing special at all.

Today I credit this ride mostly today was that I was able to wake up later and had a nice big bowl of oatmeal before the ride. I usually never have these luxuries especially a good meal before I start my ride.

I would try and look at these type of things besides your training log.

-js

I'm not sure why you'd be surprised that extra sleep and a good breakfast would help you in a 4 hour ride and why do you consider them luxuries as they're more like essentials.

 

[jsirabella]

Unfortunately with the wife and kid these are luxuries. I can not train at night so I need to be up out the door by 5am so I can take the kid to school by 7:30. I find it hard to eat that early in the morning. On the weekends I get the extra hours to train and I can eat but I still have to wake up pretty early so I can spend a good part of the day with the family.

-js

I'm not sure why you'd be surprised that extra sleep and a good breakfast would help you in a 4 hour ride and why do you consider them luxuries as they're more like essentials.

 

[Steve_B]

If you haven't been training then you'll be exceedingly fresh. You might be detrained, and typically your performance would suffer for longer endurance efforts, but you would have been very well rested.

That's what I took him to mean by "sedentary blast off". With me, If I have a certain amount of training under my belt (and especially if I'm in the middle of a long aerobic build-up) and something happens and I take 2-3 days off (for reasons other than illness), I will often find myself completely flying for that first ride back.

It's to the point that I have on a few occasions taken the day before a race totally off the bike when in the middle or towards the end of a big training block. (Otherwise, I wouldn't do this.) It's slightly unconventional (other than it lets your TSB come up) and I bet no one is going to recommend I do this but it has worked out OK.

Typically in situations like you describe folks do very well in short anaerobic efforts and sprints and struggle with longer endurance efforts.

I was thinking the same thing.

 

[Steve_B]

I'm not sure why you'd be surprised that extra sleep and a good breakfast would help you in a 4 hour ride and why do you consider them luxuries as they're more like essentials.

and a good dinner the night before too.

 

[swampy1970]

Unfortunately with the wife and kid these are luxuries. I can not train at night so I need to be up out the door by 5am so I can take the kid to school by 7:30. I find it hard to eat that early in the morning. On the weekends I get the extra hours to train and I can eat but I still have to wake up pretty early so I can spend a good part of the day with the family.

-js

I was assuming that you were reffering to a weekend ride of 4 hours. If you can fit 4 hours in on a given day on the weekends then maybe 3 hours and a good (and relaxed) breakfast if you can really attribute your better ride to a pre-ride feast.

 

[jk9270]

The term sedentary balst off was more of a joke. Detraining is really the case. It was just one of those days when I felt great, for no obvious reason.

 

[BullGod]

also known (here in NL) as "Super compensation"

seems to come after:

Massive training load
Good rest and recovery
Good warm up for a couple of days.

I try and target this for race days with varying success.

 

[jsirabella]

This may not be a bad idea...definitively quality over quantity.

-js

If you can fit 4 hours in on a given day on the weekends then maybe 3 hours and a good (and relaxed) breakfast if you can really attribute your better ride to a pre-ride feast.

 

[jk9270]

also known (here in NL) as "Super compensation"

seems to come after:

Massive training load
Good rest and recovery
Good warm up for a couple of days.

I try and target this for race days with varying success.

I understand super compensation, the difference is that there was no massive training load. Unless sitting on the couch watching football while stuffing my fat face counts.

 

[bigbadwoulfe]

Talk about super days... I just had a super week. So here's a summary of my training load. Eight weeks prior, I ramped up my training from 650 TSS per week to 700 TSS per week during the first four weeks. I then had an unintentional rest period because of the weather. After a break in the weather, I went out and did a super hard 600 TSS day. An epic ride as it may seem. I was with competitive riders who's pushing each others limits. Rested for a couple of days then proceeded with normal training sched. The last four weeks, I was trying to target 750 TSS per week but was a bit motivated and ended up averaging 840 TSS per week in that four week period. This week, I decided to try my limits. Monday (after Sunday rest day) I did an hour of L4. Average power was 10 watts higher than what I normally can do. Tuesday (2nd day of a 3 day block), was intending to do a SST ride but I was feeling good so decided to do another L4 test, ended up 5W higher than the 1st day. Yesterday, another SST ride. I did a total of an hour and 40 minutes averaging 5 W less than what I managed during the Monday FTP test. I was not peaking or anything, it just a normal schedule training week. Current CTL is 109, ATL is at 122. Been at negative TSB for four weeks already. Looks like my body needs volume to improve. Just sharing.