coming back after unplanned time off
 

As described elsewhere I had an unplanned almost-3 weeks off the bike right at the start of race season.

Before the time off I had been skating close to the edge of undertraining anyway, CTL in the low 60s, but with a good mix of intensity, and definitely felt strong and competitive the first two weekends of the race season.

Unfortunately a low volume training plan and unplanned time off are a bad mix. By the time I was able to ride again CTL was down to 40. I've been back to normal training for about a week and am feeling more or less normal, no longer injured, but endurance is not good and it seems like there's such a lot of fitness to claw back. I'm currently at 46/-10.

The question is, how to handle training coming back?

One option would be to sort of reset back a month or so, do some base building and try to grow CTL for a few weeks before transitioning back to build and adding intensity. But I really don't want to move backwards, I want to be racing.

The other option is to pick up where I left off, with some adjustments for reality, which is what I've been doing. Back to the same mix of training I had been doing before the time off, but with targets adjusted downward. This is a weekly plan with 2 days of Z4, 2 days of Z5, one mixed/speed/strength/sprint day (different focus each week) and one race day.

As with many internet questions, I'm really sort of looking for ratification of what I'm already doing. But if any of you have experience to share about coming back from an unplanned layoff during race season, I'd like to hear about it.

The reason most of us train is to race, not the other way around, and it sounds like this is the case with you. So I'd keep racing and remember that speed kills. All the endurance in the world doesn't win races. Keep training the speed, and when the opportunities present themselves; if you have a "race free" weekend go throw a century in the mix.

And when you don't have a lot of endurance don't race like you do. FWIW I've won or placed well in races after long layoffs, I just change the strategy and ride like Simon Gerrans instead of Sagan. It's part of the reason I don't do Strava, no one needs to know when I suck.

Endurance is a speed killer so your legs are fresh and fast. The problem is you are not a show pony with the ability to handle much time in the wind. So I vote race but do not over do the training component hoping for a better CLT that will somehow make everything okay.

At the track for speed events such as the 500 and the kilo, it is all about strength and leg freshness.

My suggestion is to take stock in your assets which are probably strength and the absence of fatigue. So turn the paradigm upside-down. Race like you are CDR. After a few races, your fitness will come into balance. If you are popped off the back, get your ticket punched for Offthebackistan and make the most of it. IMO, the less you fret about your lack of endurance the better you will race. It is out of your control.

Some great advice here guys. Thank you.

There is some good advice here that I'm taking to heart as well.

I want to clarify:This means:
A) you either win gloriously, or you get shelled long before the finish;
b) you come home with great race video, you've got good editing skills, decent music tastes, and we all learn a great deal from you, no matter the outcome.

Good luck!

I think CDR is a very talented racer with a lot of skills and knows where he has a competitive advantage and how to use it.

One side effect of the layoff is that I'll be racing the weeknighter tomorrow with TSB -17. ATL is back up where it was before the time off but CTL of course is lagging way behind. I much say I don't feel -17 ish. In fact I am feeling like I might go with the break. We'll see how it goes!

Haha, I love that feeling. Go smash it. :)

So much good from so few posts...

Did the weeknighter with gsteinb, finkraft, and some other fast guys. Only objective was to bury myself until there was nothing left to see where I'm at fitness wise. Went with literally every move for the first 35 minutes until I was completely out of gas, at which point the smart move went of course. Bounced back for the field sprint. Highest NP ever in a race, by 1 watt. Feeling fine and totally happy with how it went.

As a pretty inactive mod I was asked to help with some of the spam stuff that's been hitting BF. Therefore I've gotten into the habit of checking new posts, something I never did before. I hadn't been in here for a while, and saw this under the new posts. So I peeked. Literally lol'ing. Thanks everyone.

Also good job @globecanvas!

Yes indeed.