I can totally relate to this. This week I promised myself a recovery week and yet again, by Wednesday, with legs feeling fresh, I pushed harder and harder on what should have been an easy ride.
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This article is food for thought. I’m halfway through week 3 of a month FTP builder block. I’ve been struggling mentally with focus and a heart rate that quickly rises (we’re talking up to 184 for a 44 yo woman🤦♀️ Well out of the Zones suggested by Sufferfest). Earlier in the year after the ToS I burnt out for a couple of weeks and my FTP and numbers have never recovered since… My BF thinks I’ve been overtraining but on a recovery week I get bored with the lower targets after a couple of days and bypass them. It sounds like I’m setting myself up for failure!!
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Hey @Niaomi,
It’s very difficult to be your own coach and probably more difficult to listen to advice from your significant other. Just ask my wife, Stephanie 
. Utilizing objective and subjective measurements outlined in the article can help reinforce your choice whether to rest or not. I like to use my dogs (5 of them) as my role models. When the play , they go all out . But when it’s recovery time , they are all stars!
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One of my main “tells” is when I suddenly start having trouble falling asleep or staying asleep, despite being very tired.
This doesn’t always happen–recently i just got super fatigued and hit a wall WITHOUT having that happen–but whenever it does happen, it’s consistently a good sign that it’s time for a rest.
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Hi, I have tendency to over do it in training with too many HIIT sessions in a week. Im sure I miss out on some gains as a result And will change habits.
What I notice is that rather than having a lower HR when in a run down state, mine will be elevated about 5-10bpm above normal for a poor workout. Is that also a sign of over training?
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Hey @Tony,
A higher than normal HR for a given workout can definitely be a sign of insufficient recovery.
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I was gonna ask something similar. Good question. I put an hour long easy spin at 1/2 FTP after GOAT and feel great!
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This may seem a little off target. But it’s a good example of how the stressors of life can effect you. I decided to make a major adjustment to my sugar intake. About a week into my changes I had 4 days in a row where my HRV4 scores were in the yellow. I finally figured it out. I was going through withdrawal.
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Rob,
just wrapped up the 2013 ToS on Sunday. Total success! I was at full “Nuclear Option” less stage 4 (90% 4 DP) and “Long Scream” (80%) at the end of stage 6. This is the second time being smart about my endurance events (1st was this year ToS) and it worked. Pumped right now and actively recovering. I’m planning my recovery and doing the 2014 ToS in early August. This is way better than just beating myself up and hammering it all the way till failure 
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@SirShrek,
Nicely done! I have fond memories of the very first ToS. Enjoy the ToS 2014! Keep us posted on your activities.
Cheers
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Niaomi,
Without knowing your position on your bike…that can be a culprit. When I going all in on the App (less a sprint), I make sure my posture allows max air intake for the Supercharger.
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Apologies for dredging up an old topic, but I have a question that is well suited to this thread.
How should we, as athletes, reconcile the need for adequate rest and recovery with widespread advice about avoiding sedentary behaviour/inactivity throughout the day?
Gerraint Thomas wrote in The World of Cycling According to G that “sitting is better than standing, and lying down is better than sitting” (or words to that effect) when recovering from training.
But I recall hearing about epidemiological studies of sedentary behaviour which suggested that intense exercise for short durations doesn’t really compensate for inactivity throughout the day (e.g., sitting in front of a computer for hours). I.e., you actually need to keep moving throughout the day to reduce your risk of mortality over the long term.
Do any of the coaches (@Coach.Spencer.R?) have a perspective on this apparent conflict?
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I am 64 years and started SUF about a year ago. It helped me to improve my 4DP by 20% in all the dimensions. I have been cycling for the last 30 years and found my recovery to be much slower lately than say 10 years ago. I do about 3 rides per week - in total 6- 7 hours per week - 4 hours outdoor and 2 hours indoor. I do not train daily. Should I also have rest weeks - 3 on 1 week off? I do not suffer feeling over stressed - can I continue as I do?
One observation from me is that it was really really hard to do recovery rides as toned down versions of our fave suffering. It’s a lot easier with the new Inspiration rides to keep to target, not overshoot.
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It might help to remember that during the recovery is when you actually get stronger.
This is where following a plan can really help. If you trust the plan to give you the appropriate workouts, you should certainly trust the plan when it tells you not to work out.
The single most reliable recovery sign is how I feel. The nice thing about it is that it does not cost me any money to follow, and it is always available for me to check.
Checking my Garmin, this morning, I found that the effect on my RHR seemed to be delayed by a day in most cases, but not in all.
Feb 13 - RHR 47 - TOS Stage 1 (joyride & cobbler)
Feb 14 - RHR 57 - Recovery Day
Feb 15 - RHR 52 - TOS Stage 2 (9 hammers)
Feb 16 - RHR 54 - TOS Stage 3 (fight club twice (current & vintage))
Feb 17 - RHR 46 - TOS Stage 4 (hie & goat)
Feb 18 - RHR 53 - TOS Stage 5 (norway)
Feb 19 - RHR 49 - TOS Stage 6 (who dates & the cure)
Feb 20 - RHR 51 - TOS Stage 7 (defender & attacker)
Feb 21 - RHR 46 - Recovery Day
Feb 22 - RHR 46 - Recharger & Post-Ride Yoga
Feb 23 - RHR 46 - Pre-Ride Yoga & Inspiration Video
Hey, did anyone get back with you on this?
My thoughts are to pick the novice level of whatever plan fits your goals and ensure you minimally do in the 2 weeks on 1) the speed workout, 2) the MAP focused workout, 3) one of the long weekend workouts. Think of everything else as the gravy or icing - if you don’t get it to, it’s fine, if you do, reward yourself. Then on the 3rd week - the recovery week is more endurance, cadence and recovery focused. So again prioritize the critical workouts and do the rest as time allows.
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