My Vdot falls across the OS?
I started the OS 4 weeks after my season finished. Felt pretty good and motivated to train.
My Vdot tested at 38 (weight 72 kgs), down from 40 (weight 67 kgs) in the last test in my Intermediate IM plan at the end of last season.
I tested 4 weeks later, and I had lost a bit more in Vdot.
Fast forward to this week, at week 14, my Vdot has fallen to 36 (weight 72 kgs). Now this wasn't surprising as I have been struggling mightily to hit my run zones in the last month (particularly the longer HIM pace runs). I had 2 days rest before testing. I executed to the best of my ability and had nothing left at the end. 
I had the same experience last year which was my first EN OS — at that time I thought it was because I was a bit slack with sleep and recovery.
FWIW, I have been sleeping 9 to 10 hours per night regularly and been meticulous with fueling before, during and after each work out.
Within seasons, my Vdot and FTP always seem to peak at the end of my A race build.
My take is that for me to maximise my Vdot and FTP, I need plenty of volume.
If that is the case, what should I do with the remainder of my OS?
One thought was that all the OS intensity was recruiting motor units (rahter than speed and power per se), so continue with the OS with zones based on my last test.
Alternately, I could add some volume to the OS, but perhaps that might curtail the amount of internsity I can obsorb.
I don't need to think about starting my first race build until early December.
Any ideas and thoughts would be very welcome? 
Comments
5 kg is a lot...12# in Old Money. Probably the major issue. For myself, I've seen the best improvements in VDOT from end of season rest to OS from intensity, not volume. Two hard sessions per week and a one hour long run seems to be all I need to return to mid season VDOT wothin 6-8 weeks. after that, fatigue seems to set in and I plateau.
My last OS I used Trainer Road ( TR ) and their programs that boosted my FTP. The OS bike plan was about TR and its concentrated FTP build without thinking God forbid you run on top of that.
For my OS run , I would not do bricks , ZERO, none at all !
My runs were based on Jack Daniels 5k and 10k recommendations to get faster but everything done without volume.
Moral of the story for me was modify the OS tweak as I feel the need to for what my goals were. It was the best OS even coming off a Pulmonary Embolism.
And you Peter with your recommendations to me as far as improving my cadence in a post last year, the info was useful and to this day I'm consistently where I need to be and that is 85 / 90 rpms.
Get creative Mate....
D
If I try and do hard intervals without a base of about 25-30 miles per week, I end up with calf/achillies strains that nag me for weeks at a time. But once I get so I can do several hour long mid week runs and long run on the weekend, then I can switch to include intervals and hill repeats.
My favoirte interval sessions are Yasso 800's on a track. Theyre long enough to make you suffer but short enough to really hammer. They don't exactly fit the EN model but they do get to EN's volume of zone 4 pretty well. Besides, they are simple enough to do without programming a garmin or building a cheat sheet. 800 on, 400 easy, repeat 4 to 10 times depending on how much Z4 needed AND if you can hold the pace for each 800.
I also really enjoy a mid distance tempo run. Often between 8 and 10 miles with the first 3 at a comforable pace, gradually building to MP -10 or so for the middle 4 - 6 then push for the final 1 - 2 as my fastest splits. On really well paced tempo runs each mile is faster than the previous mile from beginning to end. The last mile is often at TP.
I know it's blasphamy..... not following the plan as written, but because of my history of progress as a runner, I have a real good feel for what works for me and keeps me injury free.
As far as vDot falling...ditto to what Al said as probably the primary culprit...without much doubt.
I'm doing a run focus block of training right now, and I've learned quite a bit from my experience so far. I agree with Steve that starting up with base mileage will make you more durable and allow you to absorb the hard running that you're doing without excessive fatigue and decrease your risk of injury. I think this applies more heavily to running than cycling because the former puts much more wear and tear on your body. Base miles should be mostly easy and done for the purpose for building up volume and durability; they won't make you faster, but they'll allow you to do more hard running, and THAT makes you faster. I've noticed that having that kind of volume under my belt really helps me with preventing soreness and excessive fatigue after hard workouts. I remember a year ago my legs were pretty trashed after hard interval sessions, but I'm guessing that's because I was skimping on keeping a good mileage base.
Keep in mind that you and I are in substantially different age groups here, so having a good mileage base might help you more if age-related durability issues are relevant here.
Of course it's likely the extra lbs are a factor but my weight was the same over the last 8 weeks and I lost 2 Vdot points over that time while sticking to the OS workouts?
I think I will add a bit of extra volume, say extend the Sunday run to 90 mins and the Saturday bike to 2.5 hours — also, I guess I should lose those extra lbs.
IMHO -
Adding Volume is probably the worst thing you could do at this point...you are past midway of OS...building volume is not going to help lower your vDot mid OS at all. It would seem to me more likely to me that the decline (38 to 36) is more likely do fatigue combined with perhaps a poor test...adding volume (especially base paced volume) will only deepen fatigue and do nothing to enhance your lactate threshold pace levels which is the key to your vDot. ....go back and reread the training with pace...or even Daniels.
Only my own experience ... But I find both frequency an d volme ... That is, runs longer than 90-100 min, or moer than 3-4 runs of any kind a week....is much harder on my body and more likely to lead to injury than 2 hour long high intensity run sessions a week. YMMV
Peter, are you approaching your testing any different? Meaning did you execute a 5k test pace strategy different last year versus now. This could also be a factor in a loss of VDot. just something to consider.
During the OS I do my 5K tests on a treadmill so the pace at which i run is really controllable. I started mapping out the pace strategy in an excel sheet prior to each test based on what time I wanted to try and make. I found that this really improved my performance.
I am a believer in the "fast" then "far" strategy. My ability and desire to do both is pretty limited. I like to either focus on 5K speed or focus on EP up to Marathon Pace at greater distances. That's just me. I also feel that the Z4 runs are a greater potential for injury and i'm always a little paranoid about injury leading up to an "A" race.
I really appreciate all of your input. It is what makes EN great.
The 5 km test I did where I always do my testing which is on a flat road with a parking lane which is always clear. It is an out and back course (2 and 1/5 laps).
My time was 26:05 (average heart rate of 156 bpm) which is pace of 5:15 mins/km and the mile pace and heart rates were 5:14 (149), 5:14 (157), and 5:21 (160).
So based on these numbers and my RPE, the test was well executed.
As I said earlier, I have been struggling mightily to hit my training paces recently, particularly the HMP runs on Saturdays (>30 mins) and last time all I could hold was 5:40 pace while trying to hit 5:24 (based on my previous Vdot of 38).
So in summary, I am not surprised that my Vdot is lower than it was 8 weeks ago.
In view of this I have decided that it is likely that fatigue is a major factor (or hopefully the only factor).
So I have decided to stand down from training for a a week or so and see what happens.
That said, I totally get where you are at re your progression over a year and how your body peaks...that's valuable n=1 knowledge...so hopefully we get you back with some rest and a nutrition focus and then we can go from there. Keep us posted and thanks for sharing!
I have been resting hard for more than a week and am starting to feel much better. It took 6 days of nothing before my legs were no longer sore and aching.
I have started to log my waking heart rate etc.
I am thinking that I should start some unstructured riding and running at very easy paces next week, and iIn a few weeks (all going well), I will start a 20 week HIM prep for my first race of next season?