Beat Down Every 5th/6th Week
A pattern has developed.
I have spent the last 2 years with lots of shorter training and minimal racing. Been working on things like consistent/healthy run builds, better diets, more sleep (fewer 4am wakeups), better overall balance. I've been able to look back at most of my micro cycles in this macro window and I see something interesting.
4 to 5 weeks of knocking the workouts out like clockwork. Then, in that last week, I usually have one or two breakout efforts. Then, I'm cooked for a week. Like 'fall flat on your face' cooked. No intervals hit. No mojo, Abort. Abort. Even slack up on minding the quality/quantity of food. Then, the next week is a bit of a struggle but by the end of the week, I'm feeling better and back up to par. So, it's almost a 2 week bust.
This has happened like clockwork since spring of 2014.
So, I know we have lighter days built into the weeks as opposed to recovery weeks. But, I haven't had the umph to push thru these busted weeks. Now, I wonder if NOT having a big race on my schedule plays a mental role in this. Maybe, without a big race to go after, I recognize when I'm really tired and I'm just a little too quick to punt.
Do I feel that I'm still getting fitter/faster over the Macro? Yes, most def.
Do I feel that I might be leaving something on the table by giving into this funk when it comes around? Yes, most def.
I have to think that this has more to do with the accumulation of tri specific TSS compounded by the unquantifiable TSS of life.
But, I have to wonder if I'm doing something wrong that is causing me to hit these spots.
Anyways, at this point, looks like I break every 5th week or so. Next year, in addition to the other things that I've worked on this year, I'm going to see if I can slow down some other stuff outside of tri and see if I can stretch that 5 week mark out to about 6 to 8 weeks.
Easier said than done but, with a mindful approach, I think it can be done.
Any feedback is welcomed!
Comments
Chris, are you using Training Peaks and/or WKO+?, or something else that gives you performance management data: CTL, ATL, & TSB on a TSS/day basis? If so, can you correlate what is happening to your training stress balance as you hit this down weeks?
Last year, my data collection on WKO+ had some tech difficulties for the first half of the year. But, I do make some subjective notes on an old school calendar. There were 3 different weekends (which make me think the whole week or two was involved) where I noted that my energy/watts/pace/run cadence just went to crap out of nowhere.
Once, I got back online with WKO+/TP/Strava back in Oct of 2014, I've been pretty solid with inputting everything except my swimming.
These funks seem to hit me somewhere around 5 weeks of consistent work and when the TSB gets lower than -40. Personally, I think that's pretty wimpy but that might be because I want to compare all neg TSBs to my post big bike week TSB of close to -90.
My CTL has been steady. ATL steady, too. Both with reasonable slopes.I have my pseudo A race in 7 weeks. I say pseudo b/c I'm spending a few years with some smaller races while the kids are in college. Using this time to 'practice' for when I can get back to some races with bigger stakes. I'm not too stressed about snapping out of this in time to finish the next 7 weeks appropriately to have a PR at this smaller, local HIM. What I am looking to do, however, is figure out if I should accept these cycles as that 'individual factor' on my EN plan or can I pin point what it is that I'm doing wrong that is causing me to go 60 to 0 in no time flat. (Getting off the call team would be my first move but that's not feasible for a few years.)
[I'm checking out the PMC as I finish this post up. I should be in a for a good weekend.....TSB/CTL/ATL are about to converge to one single point. Funny, b/c I am at the end of that funk window I've been describing. Looks like I'm ready to get back to work.]
<p>I think you are continually digging yourself an over-reaching hole, bordering on over training. Slow(er) and steady wins the race. Volume pops (like my minus 60 after the Tour of California this May) require recovery which only time off will provide.</p>
<p>No one podiums, wins races, or PRs based on mega TSS and TSB. They win on being able to consistently perform appropriate workouts week in and week out, without yo-yoing back an forth as you describe.</p>
I really have that mindset that I don't do 'enough' and I need to do 'more'. I've been much better during this stretch at sticking to the plans. Results? Fewer nagging (and 0 serious) injuries, faster paces, stronger watts, and one race with pretty good results, and....more family time. While I've been able to maintain this restraint for ~80% of the time, I admit that I play catch up when work takes away key training days. And, when I come out of these funks, I do TRY to ease back into the schedule but I know I ramp it up pretty quick.
Without having anything to put my TSBs into perspective, I've just considered my 10-12 hr training weeks as the tip of the iceberg. So, it goes hand in hand that my TSB would also be considered 'light'.
This weekend is a good example. Both of the scenarios from above are coming into play this weekend. Work took away last weekend and many of the key wko's this past week, including my 2hr run. Not bad timing since I was already in Stand Down Mode. So, I have to be sure I don't overcook this weekend. The only hack that I'm doing to the weekend is moving that last week's long run to tomorrow (replacing the ABP ride). That gives me enough time to recover for the key wko's of next week. So, this is 'backed off' from the way I used to do b/c I would try to ride with the guys who are training for a big 110mi Gaps ride in September and I'm going to pull the plug around 3.5 hrs. Point is, I really think I have dialed it back.
On a side note, I've been using a drink mix before my key workouts that contains an herb called yerba mate. And, it drains the adrenals. I'm going to have to rethink whether or not I can drink this for anything other than race day, or maybe take it off the plate completely.
Thanks for the perspective, REALLY helped!
Here's a couple of thoughts on a gradual adaptation and a hammer/recover adaption approach's you could try... Think they both have their merits.....
1st- would be starting lower (intensity, volume across the board in all disciplines relative to the plan) and then very gradually incrementally move upwards on a weekly basis.... this allows more time to see how you feel and adapt to the slower progression... I took this tact to my first KQ while training for IMTX in the NH winter.... How slow a progression? I'm talking adding 10' a week to long run and 20' a week to long bike , maybe 4' a week to FTP and 2' a week to v02 , 1/2 mile a week to run speed wko's.... this can be tracked with TSS and volume as well making sure its very small incremental moves week to week and keep it in an upward trajectory... Remember to start with very low numbers... the mental aspect of this approach is only adding such small numbers to the previous similar wko that you KNOW you can do it and wont allow yourself not too...
2nd - the other way to address is to simply build in a recovery week ... Since you know you get hit in week 5 I would suggest taking your down week in week 4 of the cycle maybe push it to every 5weeks but the idea would be do it before you really need it , pre-empt if you will.... this has a mental aspect to it as well... its like running the next aid station...you begin to look forward to a down week and do not let off on the gas until you get there....
Thanks for the thoughts. That's exactly why I'm breaking this down during a period where the stakes are low. I've mentioned before that I'm about to have 2 kiddos in college. This is the perfect time to train hard, dig into these types of mysteries, practice execution at the occasional small local races (low wallet hit, lower family hit).
Progress...yes, I now accept that monitoring the data does matter. And, when a pattern shows itself, there probably is a reason for it. That reason may be as simple as being uniquely individual or as specific as too many drains on the adrenal glands due to a pre wko drink (see 'yerba mate').
Again, this process isn't much more than evolving from blindly doing the work to analyzing the cause/effect relationships of so many factors. But, it's about time I opened my eyes to it. I've probably wasted years on the blind method. No worries, tho. It's just a small part of my journey.
As far as your 2 suggestions, I'm not sure which I would choose to try first. #1 would require a ton of discipline to cap time/miles/TSSs. Honest with self to say the least. #2 looks easier to pull off. Goes against the EN philosophy but I have to consider.
I may use the time between my Oct 10th HIM and Jan OS as a time to try one of these approaches. Again, I'll sleep on it for a while.
Thanks, again!
However...remember that no two TSS points are created the same.
I can say this as my year has been two different types of work -- the winter volume to TX, then a fun "go hard" 8 week block, now back to volume for Kona. When I was in both IM builds, the TSS is low but my TSB never gets close to 40 just due to the time/volume constraints I have...but when I was in HammerTime mode? IT was constantly between -25 and -40...and I was close to blowing up all the time.
So the moral here...the harder you work, the more you need to rest.
As the OP suggested, factor in rest on the earlier side so you don't need extended downtime (unless that fits your schedule!).
Yeah, your other thread sounded familiar to me, also.
I notice the same pattern more so when I am doing speed/intensity work vs the lower intensity but higher volume work. My biggest mental hurdle is along the same lines as you have in that if I feel good that day, I am going to HAMMER whatever I am going to do. The consequences are predictable though. For me the staying true to the workout (if target watts are 250, don't go to 270 because my legs feel froggy) because I now know that is going to come back to haunt me in week 5 when I can't get out of bed and have to take a couple days off. Making that mental downshift has taken time (and I am still working on it) but adding in more consistency saw some good gains this last year and I hope to do better this year with more of that experience/approach.
No matter what plan I am on, the only days that seem to vary are the weekends. Meaning that most of my work days, I'm forced to get as many TSSs as possible in a very short amount of time available, go Very Hard for an hour. Hi volatility. I'm a little more cautious/conservative with my run due to injury history, but I def pushed it this year, too. Sat/Sun vary more with the plans simply b/c there's more time to 'not' work.
My work schedule is what it is. I think that the silver lining here is that I'm seeing the connection. I think I can tweak some things and continue to make progress over the next couple of years with this kind of information.
Thanks so much!