Bike FTP Suffering/No Progress Weeks 10+ Ironman
Sorry for the cryptic subject line. Here's what I mean. During the first 10 weeks of the IM Adv plan my bike mojo was at an all time high. Hitting/over-achieving watts during Z4 work was simply business as usual - just go out and get it done. Now, at the 13 week mark, heading into the last third (wow, that's perspective) of IMCDA training I feel like I'm struggling just to hit my 100% FTP. I seem to remember RnP saying somewhere in a thread that as you go deeper in the IM plan it will get harder and harder to maintain or nail those Z4 work sets. But perhaps I have peaked too early in the plan? On the other hand, run mojo has never been higher NOW. Upping the vDot, nailing paces and building confidence I never had before.
So I'm confused. Anyone have any thoughts on this?
Comments
Jim, in very short, I think you are now paying the physiological cost of overachieving and that solid running is very deceptive. Look at the thread below, I am recovering from the similar condition. Got excellent advice, read it. It may apply. Fatigue is cumulative and has a lag cycle. I think you are there.
I'll second AT's diagnosis: you've got one foot on a slippery banana peel of fatigue. Catch yourself! It won't kill you to stand down for 3-4 days, freshen up, and prepare for the final load of work. If you don't, you might just kill your race/season. Most Tri coaches spend an remarkable amount of time/energy reigning their athletes back; we're our own worst enemies sometimes!
Another final tip; consider scaling back to the Intermediate plan. Yeah, I'm sure you're a stud, but better to be a slightly under-trained stud than a fried husk. The EN IM plans are real ball-busters; don't let your ego get in the way of success.
I'd worry less about being able to feel strong on FTP intervals and more about how you are reacting to the back to back weekend rides. If you're struggling to get out the door with those, or if Sunday's ride can't get above an IF of 0.65, then, yes, you are hitting a fatigue wall, and it is too soon. The peak of fatigue should hit with the last RR 3 weeks before the race.
If I think I need to back off some, I use one of two strategies. Stand down for 2-5 days, or until my TSB (if you're using WKO+) is over 0. Maybe an easy swim is OK, or a recovery ride but no intensity or long work. An alternate, if I'm not really feeling fatigued on those back to back riding days, is to spend 3-7 days doing just swimming and the long rides and runs, and drop one brick. But do those long days as written, with the intensity they ask for.
I've used both stratgegies with success in my several (15+) Ironman training cycles. Again, for me, the way I choose to recover/prevent burnout is to see where the problem lies - is it excess fatigue making me fail at long rides/runs, or is it a problem with hitting more intense inervals?
6 AM Sunday (May 1), I did my TP run intervals for the week, supposed to be 4 x 1/2 mi then 1 x 1 mile. I'd had a successful long run on the 26th, and a good bike ride the day before. But that morning, I pulled up 200 meters into the last interval, just couldn't make the motor move, and feeling some twniges in my Right calf. I promptly took 72 hours "off": weight work (arms only) on Monday, and 40 minutes swimming Tuesday. Today, I was able to handle another 40 minutes swim, a 4 hour bike, and a hard 30 minute brick on a massively hilly course. I needed the complete rest. But if I had failed last week's long run, and been able to do the intervals, I would have kept going, but without the intensity level.
Personally, I view my training plan as a "suggestion" of what to do each day and each week. But I make an audible every day and every week according to how I feel in real time and what else I have on the menu for the rest of the week.
Run's workouts are on-target, though my 5k run test last week came up short as well (though it was in the middle of some business travel).
Not sure what to do (more specifically, not sure how this fits into the vague 'am I fatigued?' guideline that would indicate backoff, per the discussions here and the wiki)
And you'll notice if you have an audit trail on the My Training plan that I'm flipping it back and forth from IM Adv to Int on a regular basis. For example, I KNOW that on Saturday I will not be able to hit 60' total of FTP work (holy shit, that's a lot!) so I'll dial it back to the Int plan. Might even do less than the Int plan on that day. And for Long Runs I'm usually using the Z3 work prescribed at the Int level.