Modifying The OS For OFs
Up until last year, I was able to pretty much follow the full EN workout schedule for OS and Race Prep. I did drop from advanced to intermediate 2-3 years ago, but last year, I noticed that fatigue which derailed a workout would set in after a couple of weeks doing, say, an FTP and a VO2 and several sets of fast run intervals per week.
Like many of you, I have read Friel's "Fast After 50" (actually, the blog posts he put up while he was writing the book), and noticed that while he emphasized the need to maintain intensity in OF training schedules, he seemed to suggest that lengthening the recovery time between hard workout days might be needed.
So this year, I am putting myself on a ten-day cycle in the OS, rather than a 7 day cycle, at least for the bike FTP and VO2 intervals. What I did was make a five week chart. I put in the first FTP workout, then counted off ten days (WKO day as day 1), and put in another one. Three days after the FTP WK, I put in a VO2, and again counted of 10 days for the next VO2. This will give me four FTP workouts and four VO2 workouts in the five week cycle. I did the same thing with ABP rides. I'm hoping this will provide more consistency then failing a workout and waiting a whole week to get that energy system again.
At least for the first month, I'm running every day, in the range of 30-40 minutes except for the "long run", which I do as written. the only intensity/speed faster than Z3 I'll be doing are strides, and a monthly 5K race. I'll be swimming two days a week, and three days a week, I'll hit the sauna after a run and then immediately do 30 minutes of weight training. I also try to get 25-30 minutes daily on stretching and body weight leg exercises to help strengthen knee and hip joints. The latter two - weights and stretching - I think are imperative for anyone over 40 who intends to engage in serious athletic competition. Both for injury prevention/management and maintaining muscle mass and flexibility.
As to what age to start considering modifications to the OS? I think that will be highly individual. Some folks might need to make changes as young as 48; I may be on the far end of the scale @ age 68.5. The point is, don't be afraid to lengthen the cycle to 8, 9, or 10 days if you feel that the hard stuff is beginning to pile up, and you find that you just can;t generate the mental or physical wherewithal to do things as often as you could a decade or two earlier.
I'll post a picture of my white board with the schedule I came up with...
Like many of you, I have read Friel's "Fast After 50" (actually, the blog posts he put up while he was writing the book), and noticed that while he emphasized the need to maintain intensity in OF training schedules, he seemed to suggest that lengthening the recovery time between hard workout days might be needed.
So this year, I am putting myself on a ten-day cycle in the OS, rather than a 7 day cycle, at least for the bike FTP and VO2 intervals. What I did was make a five week chart. I put in the first FTP workout, then counted off ten days (WKO day as day 1), and put in another one. Three days after the FTP WK, I put in a VO2, and again counted of 10 days for the next VO2. This will give me four FTP workouts and four VO2 workouts in the five week cycle. I did the same thing with ABP rides. I'm hoping this will provide more consistency then failing a workout and waiting a whole week to get that energy system again.
At least for the first month, I'm running every day, in the range of 30-40 minutes except for the "long run", which I do as written. the only intensity/speed faster than Z3 I'll be doing are strides, and a monthly 5K race. I'll be swimming two days a week, and three days a week, I'll hit the sauna after a run and then immediately do 30 minutes of weight training. I also try to get 25-30 minutes daily on stretching and body weight leg exercises to help strengthen knee and hip joints. The latter two - weights and stretching - I think are imperative for anyone over 40 who intends to engage in serious athletic competition. Both for injury prevention/management and maintaining muscle mass and flexibility.
As to what age to start considering modifications to the OS? I think that will be highly individual. Some folks might need to make changes as young as 48; I may be on the far end of the scale @ age 68.5. The point is, don't be afraid to lengthen the cycle to 8, 9, or 10 days if you feel that the hard stuff is beginning to pile up, and you find that you just can;t generate the mental or physical wherewithal to do things as often as you could a decade or two earlier.
I'll post a picture of my white board with the schedule I came up with...
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RSW=run-sauna-weights. Otherwise, daily runs are not listed. I swim because its a thing my wife and I do togethet.
This is great. I am 65 (66 in January), and I use the Intermediate plans - due to slowing down, which I hope is age related.
The last two years I have found myself in a big hole 3 to 4 weeks out from IMs and halves, and couldn't complete the long runs, in particular at the prescribed power/paces.
you have got me thinking that I need to change my running in particular.
As it happens, I am in a mini OS (8 weeks) before I start to build for a half. Patrick and I agreed on a run streak with no intensity, just run every day slower than zone 2. I started with 20 km in the first week and every week just added 2 more run minutes. For the bike, for the first 4 weeks, I did 3 sessions a week of just 8 X 30 secs of VO2 max power (40secs recovery), after suitable Wu and cool down.
What I have found is that mentally this is extremely easy, and physical I am recovering well. I tested my 1 and 2 minute power last week and am at all time highs.
So I am sure you are on to something really good, for us OFs.
As it happens, my next 4 weeks are very similar to yours, except I am using shorter bike intensity, rather than your longer recovery between sessions. It will be interesting to see how you go.
FWIW, I will continue my run streak (I will test my run power next week, but that will be the only run intensity). Three bike sessions with the first 4 X 30 secs @ higher power than the VO2 max power in the first block, but with 12 minutes rest between efforts. The second, 3 X 4 min intervals around 110% of FTP, with 5 min recovery. And the third session is a sweet spot set of 3 X 13 mins @ 88% of FTP, with 2 min recoveries.
As as you can see, we are both taking a fairly similar approach.
i have been doing high hamstring and glut/butt strengthen as well. A good exercise I have found is using a treadmill with 10% incline, and having it stopped. Pushing the belt for 30 secs, then 15 secs rest, rinse and repeat. You can feel it working!
@Al Truscott So where does skiing fit into your plan? Clearly that has a huge impact on fatigue levels
Not only does my Garmin Fenix have ski modes built in, it can translate the work I do (especially if I wear an HR monitor) into a TSS, so I don't have to lose out on my CTL in the PMC.
Coach P suggests I consider doing 4 week blocks exclusively of either FTP or VO2 intervals. These first five weeks, I've done twice as much VO2work as FTP, so I think I will emphasize FTP sessions between Dec17 & Jan 17, my next OS block after two weeks (hopefully, if it snows) skiing. That might mean 6 FTP workouts of 50-90' during those 4.5 weeks, along with Saturday EN Zwift sessions, and considering 1-2 VO2 sessions if I'm not too fatigued.
For the running, I've been doing one "long" run of 70 minutes every two weeks, with 5-8 km of running all other days, is what I;ve been able to do. The only really fast stuff I did was mixing in 8-10 30s strides about 3 times (once a week), and an all-out 5k Turkey Trot. Unless I decide to cut back on running every day, I think any more "quality" running is not practical.
Next block, after successfully running hard with no sunsequent pain or injury, and coming to the emd of 100 runs in 100 days, I'll see if I can follow the OS running schedule as written for weeks 6-10.
Also, the thrice weekly 30 minute weight sessions, which I had been lax on the previous 3-4 years, have certainly helped, both with recovery from nagging injuries, and keeping my running and cycling from slowing down too drastically.
The whole idea, of course, is to end up in March with as high an FTP as possible, no loss of running speed, and no new injuries,
And of course, you are too "young" to need any routine modifying to the schedule. Just rare reduced or off days when the signs tell you it's necessary.
- Heavy Zwifting over the holidays - like 25 rides between Dec 20 and Jan 17. Some were group rides, some were group workouts, some were EN workouts, some were races, and some were weekend EN ABP rides. Never went out for a "recovery ride" by myself, always working.
- Since my return from latest ski trip, I've "only" done 3-4 Zwifts a week, two races/workouts, and 1-2 weekend ABP rides.
- I finished a 95 day run streak on Dec 6, skied for a week, came back and ran 22 out of the next 30 days. Shut down again for skiing, and returned to 12/14 days of running. No real speed work except for strides and a 5K race.
- Swam 2-3 x a week, lifted weights 2-3 times a week when available.
- I found that using travel days as rest days worked OK.
My conclusion so far:I just hopped off my bike after a 20min ride at IF .80. It was healthy and it felt good. Onward.
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