Rest week(s) between programs?

Training
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Hi everyone. What are people’s opinion on how long I should go between training plans? (i.e, should I take a week off? Two weeks? Charge right into the next plan the day after my 4DP, in full Sufferlandrian berserker mode?)
As background, I am in the final week of the 12-week All-Round Road program, which has been going great. I do my 4DP on Sunday (in two days). The snow is finally starting to melt here in Ottawa, and I am looking at following it up with the Mountainous/Hilly Gran Fondo plan (also 12 weeks), since it will add some outdoor rides, as well as adding more distance. But I am wondering if I should take a week or two in between the end of my Road program and the start of the Gran Fondo program, with just some easy rides and yoga/stretching, in order to avoid risking burbnout or over training. Having said that, most of the programs seem very good at “easing” you into them, so maybe a rest week or two isn’t necessary.
Thoughts?

2

FWIW - in my limited history - I finish a program with the FF prep week, do FF on Sunday, then take the week off before starting something new with fresh numbers.

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3

@CPT_A @Robert_Watt This question has been answered before in the forum but I just can’t seem to find the thread. I seem to recall 1 to 2 weeks and you can certainly add in some on the bike active recovery during that time.

4

I would have thought it would have been addressed before, but I did a search and couldn’t find anything. There were certainly a couple threads along the lines of “what plan should I do next” though

5

Here is one where someone asked about back to back plans. I feel like I saw another but might just be imagining things. Anyway - hopefully that helps!

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6

I often wonder about this too. My take is that these plans have enough built-in recovery to be sustainable indefinitely. But if a plan ends with a FF then I would take it easy for the following week before starting a new plan. At the end of my last All-Purpose road plan I took a couple of days off and then did a few easy endurance rides before starting a new plan the following week.

It all depends how you feel. Personally I don’t enjoy complete rest weeks. I much prefer to continue riding, but without the structure and intensity. Much like a typical recovery week during a plan really.

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7

That’s kind of my thinking too. I think any new program will generally start easy and ramp up, so I could probably launch right into one. But I will probably take a week “off” (and just do some easy unstructured rides, rather than doing nothing), and then start the new program a week later (with the new 4DP numbers)

8

I totally agree. All 4-week plans I followed ended with a rest week. The 12-week all purpose plan have multiple rest weeks buit-in. If we keep in mind a rest week is a reduced volume & reduced intensity week, and not a week off, then I believe you can launch into a new plan as soon as the previous one ends.

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I am not sure I would find a training block finishing with FF ,followed by a week off would be very helpful for me. I think I would adjust it to finish plan, 5 days off prep week and FF then go with those new numbers. In practice I grind myself into the dust over months, have a short break and be raring to get the show on the road again

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The last two weeks of all purpose road looks like a long taper. How are you feeling? I would let that dictate whether I start straight away into another 12 weeks.