What a huge training mistake I made



awilki01

New Member
Sep 20, 2011
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I'm in my rest week of my Build 1 phase. I took 4 days off. On the 5th day, I thought I would be rested up for an FTP test. I felt great warming up. Then I started the FTP test and blew up within 5 minutes!!! My legs were screaming at me.

Anyone ever experience this after too much rest?
 
Originally Posted by awilki01 .Anyone ever experience this after too much rest?...
Yeah, it's pretty common though apparently not universal that folks get 'blocked up legs' when they take a lot of days off. Try scheduling test days to follow a couple of days of easier training as in Tempo work or below or at least following a day or two of active rest where you ride easily for a short ride rather than completely resting with no riding at all.

BTW, this is also one reason that a lot of folks don't buy into the pre planned rest week approach or at least don't take complete rest 'weeks' but rather back training down a notch and perhaps skip their high end work on their easier weeks but keep their legs moving. FWIW, I have a hard time getting back into a solid training groove if I've been off the bike for more than about four days, it usually takes me another four or five days of Endurance pace and Tempo riding before I feel ready to really train hard again so I try not to take too much time off the bike during easier weeks and definitely don't schedule tests following breaks of more than a couple days.

YMMV,
-Dave
 
Yeah, everything I read in Friel's book says the same thing. I guess I should have listened.
 
Yeah, Friel's book has you still doing 50+% of the training volume during your recovery weeks. I personally ignor adding "other" types of traing such as strength, stretching, etc. into my time when planning out my workouts and base all time off of time on the bike, anything more is just bonus....