Adjusting Training Plan for Old Man Issues

[Uncle Jam's Army]

Ok, I'll admit it. I'm not a spring chicken anymore. :p But I've had a really good five-month period of training and my fitness is really starting to come around (at least by my standards). My last two seasons have ended early due to injuries (one crash in late March 2013 and knee issues that popped up in May of last year).

However, starting last week, a few niggles here and there have reared their head and caused me to re-evalate my training plan. There's really nothing remarkable about my training plan. I am just trying to avoid the mistakes of last year where almost every ride was a high-intensity ride, which I blame for my patellar tendinitis issues last year.

Monday is usually rest or a one-hour very slow recovery ride, Tuesday is speed/interval work, Wednesday is a 1.5 hour recovery ride (same pace as Monday), and Thursday is a two hour power training ride on some shortish, punchy hills at (but not above) threshold. Friday is rest, Saturday is a hard group training ride, and so is Sunday. If I have a race on Sunday, I usually dial down the Saturday group ride to remain fresh for Sunday. I don't have a coach and I am not following anybody's plan, other than what I did way back in the 1980's when I was racing in college. It has averaged about 10 hours a week the last five months. I have more time to ride, but 10 hours seems about what I could handle physically at this point on this training plan.

A week ago Saturday, about 10 hours after the group ride, I experienced what felt like a quad strain in my right leg. I probably could have "manned up' and did the hard Sunday group ride, but,learning my lessons from last year, I decided that it was a sign I went too hard and my body still needs to heal itself from the effort. So I took Sunday off.

After doing my usual routine Monday through Wednesday, I woke up with throbbing knee pain in my right leg (my knee issues last year were with my left leg). No swelling, just pain, which, mysteriously enough disappeared in the afternoon. Took Thursday off. Friday off, too, as per the plan.

Did the hard group ride on Saturday (dialed back, but maybe not enough) and did two crits on Sunday. After the first crit, I felt some knee pain in my left knee, debated whether to pin another number for the second race. Pedaled around for about 15 minutes, knee felt good, and did the second crit. Completed the second crit just fine (even sprinted in the finish, whereas I've usually been sitting up), and, after the adrenaline wore off, just felt some soreness (not pain) in the left knee.

I've decided I'm going to try something new going forward this season. If my legs are hurting or aching, I'm going to either not ride and give them time to heal, or I'm going to adjust the training plan to do a bunch of long, slow distances, until everything my legs feel back to normal before going back to the regular training plan. Could mean some easy weeks mixed in with the regular weeks. I guess it's just harder to recover from hard efforts at my age (48). Though I have had a good base of training going into this year, many of my friends and fellow competitors have been training uninterrupted for years. I don't have that kind of base.

The whole goal this year is to make it through the whole racing season without suffering some season-ending injury, with an eye toward ratcheting up the training plan next year, with hopefully the accumulated fitness to pull it off. Backing off of the training plan to let my body heal and recover when needed seems the best way to prevent my issues from last year. Part of me feels like I should just muscle through it and "man up," not wanting to let the recent gains recede. But the more pragmatic side of me takes the long-term view of things and thinks this will be better in the long run.

Any thoughts/tips/perspectives on this? My apologies for the long tomb.

[Ralph]

Nothing specific.....but looks to me like you need another rest day (or two), off the bike, in there somewhere. I'm 74, and somewhere around your age, I had to give up some riding days. So gave up the junk mile days. I only ride now 3-4 days a week, and sometimes only 3, and when I ride, I'm going hard with a group of old guys, and we're doing some intervals, regroup do it again, etc.

I think I ride as fast as I did 20 years ago. If I'm not riding hard, I'm off the bike resting. (actually I'm at the gym working upper body and backs of legs....but not too hard). If I do a junk mile day, it's with wife on a hybrid, and that's really slow....so don't count.

Listen to your body.

[MattTuck]

Based on how you described your training, you probably need a recovery fortnight, not a recovery day.

If you follow the Polarized Training stuff that has been discussed here before, it sounds like you need to include more time at low intensity, but I'm not really sure incorporating that into your training would help now.

If I were you, I'd take a week off of the bike, or if you do ride, ride at very low intensity.

I bet if you took a week off the bike you'd come back stronger.

Also, it sounds like the issue is with your muscular system, not so much with your cardio. If that's true, a good place to look might be strength, mobility and flexibility exercises to bolster your knees.

[classtimesailer]

1. More recovery and no riding if it hurts after you have warmed up.
2. Your easy rides may not really be recovery rides.
3. After your Sat/Sun, you need Monday OFF.
4. I didn't see any strength work.
5. Might knee issues stem from saddle and cleat adjustments?

I know old guys like Ralph who kick ass and never go on a recovery ride. Try that.

[HenryA]

snipped.....

Monday is usually rest or a one-hour very slow recovery ride, Tuesday is speed/interval work, Wednesday is a 1.5 hour recovery ride (same pace as Monday), and Thursday is a two hour power training ride on some shortish, punchy hills at (but not above) threshold. Friday is rest, Saturday is a hard group training ride, and so is Sunday. If I have a race on Sunday, I usually dial down the Saturday group ride to remain fresh for Sunday.


snipped more....

Any thoughts/tips/perspectives on this? My apologies for the long tomb.

Short version is: Too much beat down on the weekend.

If Sundays are your race days, I suggest:

Race on Sunday.
Easy short cruise on Monday.
Good warm up and then short hard intervals or sprints on Tuesday (low volume).
Big moderate tempo ride on Wednesday.
Beat down race ride on Thursday.
(or flip Wed. and Thurs. but never two beat downs in a row)
Nice recovery on Friday with a few efforts. (what feels fun)
Saturday easy cruise for 45 minutes.

[John H.]

I see a few possible things
1.) Too much intensity
2.) Zero or little true foundation work
3.) You mention niggles. How is bike fit? Specifically feet, shoes, pedals, stance width. saddle height, and saddle setback?

[shovelhd]

I agree that you may be missing base. Since you're racing and doing intensity now that horse has left the barn. Start earlier next year. I disagree with not doing two hard days in a row. That's a good way to compress training time. Just make sure you get enough rest, including a rest week at least every four weeks where you cut you training load in half. Also ice your knees down immediately after every ride for 20 minutes until your fitness catches up with your joints.

Monday one hour or less in recovery zone do not exceed.
Tuesday tempo
Wednesday hard
Thursday hard
Friday off
Saturday openers which are one hour, 50 minutes at recovery pace with two to three hard efforts at 150% of FTP, each until lactic sets in. For the last ten minutes do three form sprints at no more than 80% effort. Focus on efficiency pedal stroke and shifting. In between recovery pace.
Sunday race

[pjmsj21]

I apologize if I am stealing or more appropriately borrowing this thread. However being older riders, my wife and I are doing an 8 day Canadian/ US Rockies ride in August. There is a fair amount of climbing as you would think and two back to back 90ish mile days. Most other days are in the 60-70 mile range.

We have probably never ridden eight days in a row but do centuries every year. So it isn't the distance but more a question of the eight days in a row. I think getting faster may help reduce the amount of saddle time.

Can someone point me in the right direction to develop a training plan for such a ride. We are both 65.

TIA

[shovelhd]

Since you are not racing, just ride lots and spend time doing hill work. Taper your riding in the week before the ride.

[shovelhd]

UJA if the Tuesday tempo is too much load then take the day off. You should taper off your tempo work once race season starts anyway. It's mainly junk miles.

[MattTuck]

I agree that you may be missing base. Since you're racing and doing intensity now that horse has left the barn. Start earlier next year. I disagree with not doing two hard days in a row. That's a good way to compress training time. Just make sure you get enough rest, including a rest week at least every four weeks where you cut you training load in half. Also ice your knees down immediately after every ride for 20 minutes until your fitness catches up with your joints.

Monday one hour or less in recovery zone do not exceed.
Tuesday tempo
Wednesday hard
Thursday hard
Friday off
Saturday openers which are one hour, 50 minutes at recovery pace with two to three hard efforts at 150% of FTP, each until lactic sets in. For the last ten minutes do three form sprints at no more than 80% effort. Focus on efficiency pedal stroke and shifting. In between recovery pace.
Sunday race

I would not ice your knees. Inflammatory response is a normal part of healing and ice disrupts that.

[Ralph]

LOL But at age 48......I don't think of that being old enough for "old man's" issues.

But somewhere along the line...age 48, or 58, or somewhere.....the aging body just can't take the training. It starts to break down somewhere. You can plan out the perfect schedule for yourself, but the body can't do it. So older guys (and gals) figure out how to still go fast for shorter distances, which "might" allow less on bike training, and allow them to rely more on their experience, especially tactics. Train smarter, not necessarily harder, and maybe not like you did in the past. I've noticed many masters racers can still race well against younger riders, but mostly when they carefully pick the races. Maybe what you lose with age, you can make up SOME of that with smarts. For sure.....at 74.....I know I can't bench press or do other weight lifting stuff at anywhere near my max 20-30 years ago, but have got better turning over a big gear for speed, bike position, etc. So haven't slowed down as much as the text books might suggest. However....I know the day is coming when I can't keep up. My riding buddies getting older also.....so maybe we can keep up our 3-4 day/week hard rides a while yet.

Hope you work this out.

[Uncle Jam's Army]

Many thanks everyone for your insights. All of this is very helpful. I am still absorbing it all. For starters, though I was completely kitted up and ready to go out the door, I took the day off. Probably take a few more consecutive days off, too, if not the whole week.

All my riding was base mile work from October through the end of January. All told about 1,800 miles worth. So I thought I was being methodical before introducing intensity/intervals to the plan at the end of January.

As to bike fit and cleats, that is dialed in. Except for an experimental change for several months last year, my fit has been pretty much the same the last five years, after three fits.

[shovelhd]

Then it sounds like just what you think it is, old man stuff. I'm 57 and still do races with pros. I understand. You'll get through it. Once your speed fitness comes up the niggly stuff should go away. At least that's how it works with me.

[HenryA]

Enough rest is always a good thing.

I'd still split the hard efforts with rest every single time until later in the season. About the end of May is when I personally could do two race weekends and still feel great both days.

At some point you'll feel really good after a race and know you can go again the next day. It'll be doable or not and you will know afterwards. Just like this time.

If you can only race on Sunday, I'd ditch the hard group ride on Saturday.

All just my opinion.

[Tandem Rider]

I'm 54, learned through the "ages" that:
1. Need a BIG base, I do lots in the non race season.
2. Training and recovery are both done in blocks.
Several consecutive hard days, followed by
SEVERAL consecutive rcovery days. Repeat.
No more go hard or go home.
3. Keep records of what you do and how you respond.