OS planning / targets 2014 / NovOS vs. JanOS

bfelver

hi EN team, i need your advise, please help me out here with the issue i'm having:

i started training with EN october 2013 and only spend running hours for the first few weeks due to a half marathon i did middle of october. then i entered novOS after preparing my bike with all watt measurement devices, etc and tried to keep up with the plan as good as possible, getting stronger on the bike and faster during my running sessions (5k test, october 2013 @ 21:28... 5k test, december 2013 @ 20:21 and improving… / on the bike i improved my FTP from 240w to 260w in very short time)

due to the winter season i started ski touring and i also play hockey twice a week which doesn't suit my tri training plan at all to be honest. now with 5x5@Z5 i'm struggling to get constant watts on my intervals and my legs are feeling heavier and heavier.

my primary goal is to compete on my highest level May 25, so i'm asking you whether there's any chance to switch to JanOS and improve my training from there. i don't want to switch to the intermediate plan but remain in the advanced level.

thanks for your advice,

bernie

Brad Marcus

@Bernie - I'm sure that Coach Rich has put together a season road map for you. If not, make sure you have him do that right away. I'd say that a lot of this depends on what you are racing on May 25 - IM, HIM, shorter distance? The problem that I see starting over with the Jan OS is that if you are doing a long course race in May, you may not be leaving yourself enough time to lengthen your distances on your bike/run before your race after the Jan OS is complete (I think the Jan OS ends in April). Like I said, Coach R would know better than me, but it sounds more like you can dial back on your Z5 targets (or FTP) to be able to hit your targets and finish up the Nov OS successfully.

Mark Maurer

@Bernie, I second Brads comments. I'm doing an IM on July and I'm transitioning into a swim camp and then other plans rather than OS after that. Also, of your legs are getting heavier and heavier, then you may be seeing the first signs of overtraining. Even if you haven't been doing all the OS workouts, it sounds like the skiing and hockey is adding a lot to your workload and you may not be recovering adequately. You may need a recovery block up to a week. A little recovery break now may save you weeks later.

Gaudir8

I got 20 years under me and I started in the Intermediate bike group as the Coaches advise if this your first OS. I do the advance run but even though the bike is my strength I do the intermediate workouts.

The workouts build from week to week and just become more and more taxing. The cumulative fatigue from the over exertion on the bike will fall over to the run and anything else you are doing and before you know it you are burned out.

 It was a tough pill to swallow to accept the fact that I could "only" do the Intermediate bike plan ( I have a 5:05 IM South Africa bike split and a 2:21 70.3 under my belt) but I am glad I did. My recommendation would be to stay in the NOS but dial back to the intermediate .