Blocks

I've been running a new training program the last few weeks with the return of bikeable weather. It has it ups and downs but seems to be producing some worthy results.

3on(bike), 1on(CF), 1off, 1on(CF), 1off. I'd like to try 3on, 1 off, 2on, 1off

During the week I'll work out at cross fit, in the mornings if I can get out of bed. No coffee, no food, just roll out of bed and go. Works best for me that way, as long as I can get out of bed and the out the door.

Friday if possible, short ride. Sat and Sunday also. I've been unable to put any ride together longer than 2hrs though. I need to get some of that endurance back. The rides though are hard by design and course. Hills always. The third day is always hard, and uncomfortable. mid-lower back is starting to give way and it's harder to posture right on the bike so every thing hurts more.

Combining both types of training can get hard because they overlap in certain areas. Upper body isn't too impacted. My shoulders get a little tweaked mountain biking and my triceps. However, not so much that it seems to affect the other workout. Where it really gets me is in the hip flexor area and mid-lower back.

A 3 day block of riding leaves my mid back completely fatigued. This impacts my posture and is a real cause of slouching. My lower back has some serious knots in it but isn't tender or fatigued. When I put my Trigger Point ball under the mid back muscles and find the tender spot, it just takes my breath away, like jumping into cold water. I'm not sure what muscles area actually taking the brunt here, The seem to run vertically about 2 inches away from the spin. about 5" above the belt line.



The other area where I really get taxed from both workout types is in the hip flexor area. Both cycling and any of the olympic style lifting we do hammer these


The area that cycling really taxes too is my piriformis.

What I am seeing is that my Monday workout is tough due to the cumulative fatigue created on the weekend rides. By Wednesday I'm doing better. On Friday when I get back on the bike things are usually going ok but trashed again by Sunday. There is a macro 2 week cycle that I'm seeing. This shows up in defined crests and troughs. Any 3 day block for me crosses the line of 'overreaching' It's not overtraining but it's enough to require about 10-11 days till I'm fully recovered. Prior to that I can and do ride, but these rides never go very well. Whether I sat on the couch or rode, it wouldn't matter too much, come the 11th day as long as I've kept the legs spinning a little bit that I'm on a crest.

There will be one or two days every 2 weeks where I'm riding very well. Meaning perceived exertion is low but the power output is high. I see something similar in the gym too. Some days will be high, feel easy, and pulling big #s, others will be miserable and hard.

This is actually the point of event based training. The sweet science is coordinating those crests with your event. I don't seem to be overdoing it, but could see the potential to. I think that self limitation on the riding created from being pretty busy during the week helps me recover enough for the weekend block. At the same time the break from crossfit between Thursday and Sunday gives time to recover. The fine line though is the continual fatigue in the hips and mid back. It'd be interesting to see which element would tip the scales to overdoing it. Sometimes I do a mid week ride, never long but usually short/hard. I never do any recovery riding anymore.

Also of late, I've been wearing these compression sleeves after riding. My wife got them to help with a calf injury from running. I've commandeered them. I love them after rides. I think they look cool with shorts, sort of like I'm a freerider wearing some shin pads. Or I could like like an elderly man, like my dad who walks around in them in shorts.
they really work whatever they do.