A lot has been discussed about needing extra recovery, 3:1 vs 2:1, etc.
I had a thought. Why do we restrict ourselves to weekly cycles? Of course I am assume it is because the rest of life runs on the same. But, has anyone experimented with making their week longer? E.g. a 3:1 plan but add an 8th day to each hard week, with a recovery ride, to give yourself a bit of extra time?
Any thoughts?
Joel Friel in The Cyclist Training Bible discusses various types of periodization including a 9 day cycle.
The 3:1 ratio is three hard weeks back-to-back with a week of recovery. If that’s too much, then consider 2:1. I definitely need more recovery when I hammer it over a weekend (and I’m about to do a 7.8 mile hike on Saturday that will put me in redline for most of the time). Then I take a few MORE days of recovery and adjust the plan. Looks like this is being done, but maybe a consult with a coach is in order at this point.
I kind of do the opposite - I shorten my recovery week on a 2:1 cycle.
So I do the 2 weeks as per the plan, then the recovery week weekday sessions. On the recovery week weekend, I still do my longer ride on Saturday as it’s a group ride and it’s what I love doing. I usually take it easier on the Sunday.
This has been working well so far.
@leebo - I think you are mostly right. This, I believe, is primarily to accommodate weekly schedules. And you are also right that it is totally OK to experiment with the length of cycles, and the length of recovery! This is ideal because you are further improving your mind-body relationship. As coaches, we are really hoping our athletes gain greater insight into how their body is feeling so they can make more informed decisions when training! Great job,