Soreness From Training: How to Know If You Should Ride or Rest (Ask a Cycling Coach 258)

How to know if you can still train if you are sore or tired from training, tips to “push through the pain” of your cycling training plan, how to adjust your training calendar if you need to move your workouts and more all in this Quick Clip from Episode 258 of The Ask a Cycling Coach Podcast.
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[@mattsimon9154]

It never gets easier...you just get faster!

[@TreyCoursey]

Thanks for the answer team! I'm relieved to hear you guys all "suffer" too. I wasn't sure how I should feel. This gives me the confidence to move forward in my training, knowledge is power, and more POWER drops my friends...lol.

[@TreyCoursey]

Little update, really enjoyed last nights workout, Junction -3. Sweetspot and some sprint intervals. Knowing I wasn't doing harm or going to have a "set back" in my fitness I was mentally strong to get through it just fine. I didn't start the workout with sore free legs like I thought I should....but I got through it just fine and feel better for it!

[@Auntybob]

Oh man so hits home. Often in a race/training i'm like "I can't do this today" but then i realise i'm only 5 mins in, so i say "wait until 10 - 15 mins, i should be proper embedded in the race" and then sure as shit, happy days, can just threshold and chill, then pray i have something for the sprint

[@lifeofarthid3232]

It's like you guys read my thoughts lol perfect timing for this subject. Thank you. Been on Trainerroad for 5 weeks now and I'm loving it.

[@CycoWarriorx]

N plus 1 Studio +1 exactly!

[@CycoWarriorx]

Steve King Work buddy talked me into trying it...

[@asun3630]

Random comment: I was watching super old videos TR posted, and the recent ramp test, and Chad now looks ten years younger. I don’t know what Chad is doing but it is working.

[@uhhgecko7549]

Been doing lots of sweet spot and endurance for the past 3 months. Someone gave me a referral code for your services and I’m starting this week with a 8 week build plan. Very excited to see my threshold improve. Love your podcasts. There very motivating

[@TrainerRoad]

Right on, welcome to TrainerRoad!!

[@kevinkwmiller]

Really great discussion and advice. Very motivating to know even the best of us go through these things.

[@bikedawg]

Another great video!! Thanks Team TR!!

[@conrad6226]

Holy fuck, this is straight up anecdotal bro science.

[@gonzalosevilla9140]

I was hoping so some Dylan Johnson studies

[@marcdaniels9079]

Love this content. Thanks ! I identify with everything that was discussed. Sometimes it’s hard to understand though; last weekend I did a 3x20 threshold session on Saturday am that was very tough and used Chad’s approach to get through it ( plus AC DC 🤣) Then on Sunday I had planned a 4 hour zone 2 ride and was anticipating it being challenging but in fact it was a great session with the 2nd half easier than the first... go figure. My take away is as everyone said: don’t give up - you can work through most fatigue, which will be inevitable in a structured programme. Also since I am 59 from now on I am going to think of myself as a “Master” Athlete rather than an old man👍

[@AnonymousTaco3472]

I’m a beginner, is it normal to increase 40 watts in just 2 weeks. I was kinda blown away but a lot of what you all are saying is making me more confident that it’s accurate. I haven’t done any base training, I have a very athletic background though that may be playing in

[@wrxzboost]

a new (higher) FTP at the start of a build phase is suicide - i've died many times

[@imthetiedyeguy]

yuuup

[@nemamime3334]

Its true

[@brianfisher8449]

I’m a 64 yr old male cyclist. Train with a coach. It’s always hard. Bottom line from this vlog is.....train your mind as well as your body. These are mental workouts which require “us” using our head to get thru most of them. We all have our little tricks.

[@bagpiper4232]

Hey guys! Great video, as always. Thanks so much for the training info. I've got a question: now that race season is essentially canceled, what's the best strategy for maintaining fitness now? Most of my training during this extended "offseason" consists of zone 2 endurance with a few threshold/ anaerobic efforts sprinkled in throughout the week. I'd really appreciate your advice on this topic. Thanks again, guys!

[@laurenbeautyx]

Hi I am Lauren dad I am 57 one year on TrainerRoad ftp was 239 it's now 302 it works

[@TrainerRoad]

Stoked to hear it, Lauren!

[@rafibernardo3122]

When do I know when I'm hurting something vs. stressed? my it band has been getting tight and then I feel stress at the knee. I tried the online bike fit and it helped a little but I did 100 miles on zone 1 and lowest gear to be safe. I don't know any cyclers but learning all i can. Training for trans am.

[@owencleverton2509]

There’s a question I’ve had in the back of my mind for years, even decades, given my age. I’ve been road riding and racing for over 50 years, on and off. An enthusiastic, middle of the pack club rider . Over that time I’ve looked at countless training programmes. Almost every single one starts with “base”. ( Not only in cycling but in running and swimming, too.) Usually, this comprises long, steady (or even, easy) rides. The “base” advice generally doesn’t differentiate between those who are just starting out or those who have been riding for years. So my question is: Why, for an experienced rider, do we always go back to ‘base?’ Does a season’s racing mean that you lose endurance, cardiac response, capillary density etc? What part of ‘base’ is lost that you should have to start again and regain it? Where has your ‘foundation’ of fitness gone? Why not just take it easy for a few weeks then get right back into some hard stuff? Surely your ‘carry over’ fitness will enable you to do this? Love your KZbin videos. Best that are out there.

[@TrainerRoad]

This article in our Help Center discusses the merits of the Base Phase for all riders :) support.trainerroad.com/hc/en-us/articles/115005927463-The-Basics-of-Base-Training#can-i-skip-base-training

[@barryotieno2808]

Thankyou guys. Big Fan of the channel. Do you need to take a break between the Base and the Build? Of you can just jump straight into the Build after finishing the Base Or do sort of a recovery week type of easy rides.

[@TrainerRoad]

There is a Recovery Week built into Week 6 of the Base Phase, so you can jump straight into the Build Phase when you complete it :)

[@danielfox1301]

Trust in plan builder, at least until you get to know yourself in training context very well. At least one whole season preferably two at which point you can start building your own plans and even second by second bespoke workouts. They got your back man.

[@htukmumfie]

suppose i field test and complete first three weeks of a plan consisting of tempo, steady state intervals and endurance (progressive over 3 weeks). then 1 week recovery. in the 4th /5th/6th week come hill reps at 105% ftp and overunders at 105/95%. my qu is what do you do if you hit higher numbers for the latter intervals? ....continue trying to hit those higher numbers, stick with original numbers or re-test and then continue?

[@Mark-Huigen]

I miss Chad! 😢 Can we at least get an update he's doing OK on the podcast?

[@soprojj]

Any Whoop users at TrainerRoad?

[@greglovelace7689]

Where do these work outs occur,all on the bike. The intervals,etc. Thanks Greg

[@TrainerRoad]

Yes! This is referring to soreness specifically from on-the-bike training. Cheers!

[@leecoleman450]

Hi guys, I know this isn’t to do with the subject in the video. But I’m a new Trainer Road user and I’ve completed the first 2 weeks. I’m able to ride 5 days per week at medium load, so my plan was calculated at Weds, Thurs, Sat, Sun, Mon. I’ve just noticed that my current calendar has me doing 100 TSS on the Weds&Thurs, but then 60/30/80 on Sat,Sun& Mon. Is this correct as I thought it’d make more sense to swap my Thurs and Sat around, so I’m not doing my two hardest sessions back to back... Is there a quick way of doing this without having to rewrite the whole plan? Thanks

[@TrainerRoad]

To adjust the days for each workout, go to the annotation at the start of your current phase. It will say either "Base", "Build", or "Specialty." From there, you will see a weekly view, where the general workouts are defined with a length and difficulty rating. You can drag and drop these workouts to different days of the week, which will apply those changes to the entire phase of your plan :)

[@RLucas82]

This video is right where I find myself with TR. I’m new to TR, and structured training. I had a better than expected ramp test, and completed the first few workouts well with my new FTP. But fatigue+pain caught up with me and started affecting the quality and duration of my scheduled workouts. I reduced workout intensity to 85% and tried to increase it gradually as I felt I could hit my prescribed targets. I have now reduced my FTP by about 7.7% keeping workout intensity at 100% but still finding it tough. I’m more focused on my recovery days... sleep, nutrition, activities. I’m also wondering if I can substitute the ramp test with a 20min FTP test. My biggest issue has always been pacing and endurance

[@danielfox1301]

If you have trouble with pacing then 20 min test would be difficult for you and likely give you even less accuracy not more, ramp test is designed specifically to overcome that. It sounds like you have a certain amount of unevenness in your fitness profile, this is precisely what base phase is aimed at rectifying. What volume are you on? My guess would be reducing volume until your body adapts as your first point of call. Also, what do you mean when you say 'pain'?

[@RLucas82]

Daniel Fox Thanks for the reply. I was considering the 20 minute FTP test to give me a better view of what power I can hold for a longer duration. My ramp test FTP might look good to me but I’m struggling to keep up with the workout targets. When I say pain, it’s just muscle fatigue. I’m aiming to complete the sessions and focus on higher quality form. I’m currently on a low volume plan, 3 sessions per week. I’m going in to a recovery week in a couple of days, and then base 2.

[@danielfox1301]

@@RLucas82That seems like the best plan, good luck with it. Having to reduce to 85% seems a little odd on low volume so there's a few other factors you could look at, here's a few off the top of my head. 1. Bike fit, prob not necessary to rush out for a professional bike fit straight away but have a quick look at saddle height, reach and check you have correct frame size. Doing 25 min ramp test on a badly fitted bike is a very different beast to an hour of sweet spot or over understand etc. 2. Lifestyle stressors, alcohol, work stress, Home stress, global pandemic stress, kids, lack of sleep etc. 3. Diet, are you eating a diet well balanced between fat, protein, and carbs. The right balance between is personal and takes some experimenting but usually best to start with a ratio of 40/30/30 the 40% being carbs. Don't fall into the trap of thinking you can cut out the others, particularly good fats. Too many endurance athletes think they can live on carbs alone. 4. I've mentioned it above but it's worth mentioning again, sleep. Get a good solid eight hours at least and it can make a huge difference. Hope that helps, good luck with your next block.

[@greglovelace7689]

Please put in Layman's terms this 3x20,threshhold,threshold,etc .I have mountain biked for 30 years and gravel biked for 3 years. But when I hear you guys talk I have no idea of what all the words and talk means.Please help. Thank you Greg

[@TrainerRoad]

Hey, Greg! This article should help with that: support.trainerroad.com/hc/en-us/articles/201377644-Common-Training-Acronyms-Defined-

[@juanorozco1602]

Fuck!!! this is what I needed to hear, I didn’t need to recover more I was just being a pussy.

[@diegoeleazar9154]

It's funny that you get scared on your new ftp score 😂

[@rostonnordell3218]

I really need to get a trainer road account

[@TrainerRoad]

If you want to give TrainerRoad a shot, you can try it out risk-free for your first 30 days. If you don't love the platform for any reason, just let us know and we will issue a full refund :) You can sign up easily here: www.trainerroad.com/sign-up

[@danielfox1301]

It does work, makes you feel good too. Mostly...

[@adamkeifenheim1727]

There are two myths in the world of fitness on this subject. A: You should never work out a sore muscle and let it recover before taxing it again. B: You have to have pain to make gains. Neither of these are correct and the truth is in the middle. You need to learn to recognize what soreness is just adaptation and what soreness is telling you to ease off.

[@brianfisher8449]

I’m a 64 yr old male cyclist. Train with a coach. It’s always hard. Bottom line from this vlog is.....train your mind as well as your body. These are mental workouts which require “us” using our head to get thru most of them. We all have our little tricks.