Rest week or just regular rest?
I was planning on taking a longer rest week now based on my past history. In the past I've had problems with the transition to SMSP intervals and have been pretty tired out by the second week. Currently, I'm not doing too bad. In fact I seem to be quite fine.
Not quite sure exactly why. Built up tolerance? Not working it as hard? Choosing power settings that are more doable and therefore not exploding each workout? Eating better/more often and therefore recovering better? Several higher intensity rides prior to entering the SMSP phase?
Regardless, I'm not so sure I need the extra rest right now. One problem with rest is that the more I take the harder it is to get back into it. Mentally I call it negative momentum. Sure I love to ride but the less I do it the harder it is to get myself to do it. The other issue is that it take time to get the legs back underneath you after extended rest.
One of the things is that the Morris rest period is not just pure on the couch rest. There are some 5x1 min intervals in there and some zone 2 to keep things sharper than just laying on the couch. But even with that it still takes me several days for the legs to come around and be ready to work hard.
Work right now is hectic as well, so the additional rest wouldn't be coming at a bad time or anything, but I'd like to continue with the workouts if possible. The last 3 days have been rest.
Easy easy on the trainer and one day outside and another on the trainer zone 2-ish. The legs are definitely feeling it.
On tap is some 3min intervals. 36mins of total work. So far what I've seen is that my 1min power output is significantly more than my 2min (30-40w difference)
I also might be running a lower wattage tomorrow because I might change the body weight used in the calibration of the unit. I think I've been rounding down a little too much!!! Doesn't matter. It is what it is.
posted by Ashwin Amanna @ 6:48 PM
1 comments
1 Comments:
It's me again - anonymous. Here to pick your brain and feed on your experience of having done Morris for a few years now.
Since I don't have the Morris book (not in print any more, but there is one for sale "used" on Amazon for $202!!!!), I'm wondering about the physiology of doing so many interval sessions per week. I am not new to doing interval work (been doing them in running and cycling since the 80's). But I am new to doing them more in the "Morris" way.
I am actually in my 2nd week of SMSP intervals - and I feel gassed. You know the feeling - that blank stare at the wall as the day goes on at work. My heart feels pooped - although the legs feel pretty good and I am enjoying the benefits of a reset metabolism from the effort with some fat being burned off (3 pounds in week one).
A lot of things I have read with regard to cycling on other sites and books say to limit interval workout days to 1x or 2x per week. Some say one of those interval days should be devoted to the 30-90 second interval and the other day (with at least 48 hours rest between interval sessions) should be devoted to the 2-4 minute variety. That's kind of what I have used in the past with some variations.
Having read everything I can possibly find on Morris, my first week (7 days) included 4 days of interval training and one day of a 1 hour Zone 2 recovery ride. Day 1 was 2 sets of 7 x 1 on x 1 off (300 watts). Day 2 was 2 sets of 7 x 1 on x 1 off (337 watts). Day 3 was stare at the wall recovery. Day 4 was stare at the wall just a little bit less than the day before type of recovery. Day 5 was 1 hour at Zone 2. Day 6 was 2 sets of 6 x 2 on x 2 off at 280 watts. Day 7 was 2 sets of 7 x 1 on x 1 off at 320 watts.
And I am feeling gassed and can't imagine how I am going to start pumping up the power as the month unfolds. Maybe after 2 days of recovery before I head into a block of 3 consecutive days of interval sessions starting this Friday I will feel better than I do today. I don't know.
After reading some of your posts and prior posts in archives from previous years, I guess I am not alone in the feeling gassed department. I wonder if you have found any information to support the frequency of these interval sessions under Morris as compared to only doing 2 sessions per week and what it translates to in terms of on the bike performance come race season? Hard to get a handle on the physiology of block training like this compared to previous years for me where I was doing intervals, but not block training versions of them. So the question is, with consecutive day blocks is more harm being done than good? In other words, isn't there a law of diminishing returns with regard to these intense interval sessions? Not having the book, I wonder what Dave says about the value of day 2 or even day 3 when doing consecutive intense sessions.
Thanks for your thoughts and experience.
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