Coach

You've already ridden today — 52 minutes at 233W NP, 73 TSS. That's a solid effort done.

Now it's recovery mode. Refuel properly, hydrate, and get some easy movement in if you feel stiff later — a short walk or some light stretching. No more pedalling today.

Tomorrow should be easy or off given the crit on Saturday. You're sitting at +19 TSB so you're fresh — just don't squander it with junk miles before race day.

Same answer — you've already ridden today (Cyclone Gail, 73 TSS). The work is done.

Focus now:

With your crit on Sunday and TSB at +19, you're in a good spot. Don't add fatigue chasing fitness that won't materialise in 4 days. Rest is training too.

I don't have visibility of your planned sessions for the rest of this week — only what you've already ridden.

Can you share what's currently scheduled for Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday (race day)? Then I can review it against your current form (+19 TSB, 79 CTL) and the crit on Sunday and suggest any adjustments.

Your recovery looks excellent right now.

HRV: 84ms vs your 78ms baseline — that's +8% above normal. Green light.

Sleep: 7.6 hours — solid, above the 7h minimum threshold.

TSB: +19 — you're fresh, arguably at the upper end of the optimal race window (+5 to +25).

No red flags. Your autonomic system is recovered, you're not carrying accumulated fatigue, and you've got 4 days to hold this form into Sunday's crit.

The only watch-out: your CTL has been dropping (-5.6/week), which means you're trading fitness for freshness. That's fine for a B-priority race — just don't let the taper extend much longer or you'll start losing the sharpness you've built. After Sunday, it'll be time to get back to building.

Based on your calendar, here's what's scheduled between now and Sunday:

Assessment:

This looks well-structured. A few notes:

1. Thursday openers (33 TSS) — Good. Keep it short and snappy. Something like 30–40 min Z2 with 3–4 × 20–30s hard efforts (above CP, full recovery). Touch the top end without digging a hole.

2. Friday rest — Perfect. Full day off or very light spin (<30 min Z1) if legs feel antsy.

3. Saturday opener spin (24 TSS) — Ideal. 20–30 min easy with 2–3 × 10–15s sharp accelerations. Keeps the legs open without any fatigue cost.

4. Sunday race — You'll arrive with TSB somewhere around +15 to +20. That's the sweet spot.

No changes needed. The plan is sound — just execute it and stay disciplined on Friday (rest means rest).

Today is Thursday 19th March — you've got nothing specific scheduled in the calendar.

Recommendation: Rest or very easy Z1 spin

Looking at your recovery metrics:

That short sleep is a yellow flag. Combined with the slightly elevated HR, your body is telling you it's not fully topped up.

You rode 73 TSS yesterday (harder than a typical taper day), and you've got a crit in 3 days. The fitness is already banked — you can't add more now. What you *can* do is protect your freshness.

My call: Take today fully off, or if you're restless, a genuine Z1 spin — 30 minutes max, under 129W, no efforts. Prioritise an early night to claw back that sleep debt before Sunday.

Tomorrow (Friday) stay easy, Saturday do your openers, then race Sunday. You're in good shape — don't give it away chasing miles you don't need.

Today is Friday 20th March — you've got Pre-Race Openers (41min, 25 TSS) scheduled.

Recommendation: Do the openers session as planned

Your recovery looks good:

You're at TSB +24, which is the top end of the race-ready window. The openers will keep your neuromuscular system sharp without adding meaningful fatigue.

Session structure:

The goal is to remind your legs what race intensity feels like, not to train. Touch the top end, then get off the bike.

Tonight: Prioritise sleep — you've had two nights under 7 hours. That's the one thing that could cost you on Sunday. Early dinner, no screens, aim for 7.5+ hours.

Tomorrow (Saturday) keep it very easy — just a short pre-race spin. You're ready for this.

That's a solid amount of activity already — yoga, pilates, and 2 hours of padel is not nothing. Padel especially has repeated short bursts, lateral movement, and some eccentric load on the legs.

My recommendation: No cycling today.

You've done your openers yesterday (34 TSS), your recovery metrics look great (HRV 89ms, +9ms above baseline), and you're sitting at TSB +29. You're sharp and ready.

Adding a spin now would just be nervous energy, not useful training. The padel will have kept your neuromuscular system firing without adding cycling-specific fatigue — that's actually fine as a pre-race day activity.

Focus for the rest of today:

Tomorrow morning:

You're in excellent shape for this. Trust the taper, race smart, and don't burn your W' chasing early moves — save it for when it counts.

Yesterday was Sunday 22nd March — the RCC March Crit (St Patrick's Day Massacre).

Result: 6th overall, 2nd in Cat C — solid result for a B-priority race.

The numbers:

Analysis:

That 271W NP is hot — you spent the race above your CP on average, which means you were drawing on W' repeatedly throughout. That's typical for crits, but it confirms the race was genuinely hard and you held on.

6th overall and 2nd in your category says you were in the mix at the end. A few questions to help me give better feedback:

1. How did the finish play out? Did you have legs for the final sprint or were you hanging on?

2. Any moments where you felt you overcoked it early? Or did you pace it well through the middle?

3. How do you feel today? Legs smashed or surprisingly okay?

The fact that you came 2nd in Cat C while racing above CP for an hour suggests your W' repeatability is in a good place. That's exactly what crit training should deliver.

You rode today (Wednesday 25th March) — Cyclone Michael VO2 max, 58 min, 220W NP, 72 TSS.

That's significantly harder than the planned Recovery Spin (20 TSS target) — you went +52 TSS over plan. Not a disaster, but it changes what tomorrow should look like.

Tomorrow (Thursday 26th): Dial it back

The plan says Z2 with Openers (50 min, 35 TSS). Given today's harder effort and your race on Sunday, I'd simplify:

Why the adjustment:

You're 4 days out from a B-priority crit. Your TSB is +25, which is fresh — but stacking a VO2 session today with openers tomorrow starts to erode that buffer. The race-specific sharpness is already there from last week's crit and today's efforts. Now it's about arriving Sunday with full W' reserves.

Save the openers for Saturday (Race Eve Spin) — a few 20-second accelerations then will be plenty to stay sharp.

Recovery note: Your HRV was excellent today (127ms, way above baseline). Protect that — easy day tomorrow, good sleep Thursday and Friday nights.

Same advice as I just gave — tomorrow (Thursday 26th) should be:

Easy Z2 only — 45–50 minutes, strictly under 179W

Skip the openers that were planned. You did VO2 work today (72 TSS vs 20 TSS planned), so your legs don't need another hard touch tomorrow. The neuromuscular sharpness is already there.

The week should now look like:

You're at TSB +25 with great HRV. The work is done — now it's just about not giving away the freshness before Sunday.

Daily Coaching Brief — Wednesday 25 March

Current Status

You're in excellent shape heading into Sunday's crit. TSB at +25 means you're fresh — probably the freshest you've been in a while. CTL of 73 is solid race fitness. That HRV reading of 127ms is unusually high (your baseline is 74ms), which suggests your body is well recovered and parasympathetic-dominant. All green lights.

Today's Session

You did a VO2max session (Cyclone Michael) — 58 minutes, 220W NP, 72 TSS. The plan had a 40-minute recovery spin at ~20 TSS.

That's a significant deviation. You've added 52 TSS of hard work four days out from a race. Not ideal timing, but not a disaster either given how fresh you are. The concern is that VO2max work creates deeper fatigue than the TSS number suggests — the neuromuscular and metabolic cost takes 48–72 hours to clear at your age.

The good news: you had two unplanned rest days (Sunday and Monday were missed sessions), so you came into today with more recovery buffer than the original plan assumed. That probably absorbs most of the hit.

Tomorrow (Thursday 26 March)

The plan says "Z2 with Openers" — 50 minutes, 35 TSS.

I'm changing that to pure Z2, no openers.

You've already done your hard effort this week. Adding openers tomorrow would stack intensity too close together. Save the sharpness work for Friday or Saturday when the VO2max fatigue has cleared.

Prescription: 45–60 minutes strictly below 179W. Keep it genuinely easy — this is about clearing today's session, not adding fitness. If your legs feel heavy, cut it to 45 minutes. No guilt.

Revised Race Week Shape

You'll arrive at Hog Hill with TSB around +15–20, which is the sweet spot. The VO2max session today might actually sharpen you up nicely — just need to protect recovery from here.

Daily Coaching Brief — Thursday 26 March

Current Status

You're in excellent shape heading into Sunday's crit. TSB at +21 puts you firmly in the race-ready window, and your recovery metrics are strong — HRV 101ms is well above your 74ms baseline, resting HR at 40bpm is 6 beats below normal. Both signal a well-recovered system. Sleep at 6.9h is slightly below the 7h target, but nothing that changes the picture materially.

Today's Session

Your Z2 spin hit the mark — 50 minutes, 159W normalised power, comfortably below your 179W LT1 ceiling. That's exactly what a pre-race easy day should look like: enough to keep the legs turning without adding any fatigue. The 32 TSS aligns with the plan. Strength and Pilates layered in won't compromise anything for Sunday.

Looking Back at This Week

Monday's crit sharpener got missed entirely, and Tuesday you went significantly harder than planned — that VO2max session came in at 72 TSS against a 20 TSS recovery spin. Net effect: you still got your intensity stimulus this week, just on a different day. Given your TSB is sitting at +21, this hasn't caused any problems — you've absorbed it well and you're not carrying excess fatigue into the race.

Tomorrow — Friday 27 March

Stick with the plan: Pre-Race Legs — a very short, easy spin with a few openers to keep the neuromuscular system sharp without touching your freshness.

30–35 minutes total. First 20 minutes pure Z1, under 130W, spinning easy. Then 3 × 20-second efforts at around 280–300W (just above CP) with 2 minutes easy spinning between each. Finish with 5 minutes cooling down. This primes the legs without burning any matches.

Saturday is similar — race eve spin, 30–35 minutes Z1/Z2, maybe one or two short snappy efforts if the legs feel flat, but nothing more.

Daily Coaching Brief — Thursday 26 March

Current Status

You're in excellent shape heading into Sunday's crit. CTL at 74 with TSB at +21 puts you right in the optimal race performance window. Your recovery metrics back this up — HRV at 101ms is well above your 74ms baseline, and resting HR at 40bpm is 6 beats below normal. Your body is primed and ready.

One flag: sleep at 6.9h is below the 7h target. Not critical for a single night, but worth protecting tomorrow and Saturday — sleep is your primary recovery tool at 53.

Today's Session Review

Your Z2 spin hit the mark. 50 minutes at 159W normalised power keeps you comfortably below your 179W LT1 ceiling — exactly where you should be. The 32 TSS is close to the planned 35 TSS, so no concerns there. Pilates and strength this morning won't compromise anything for the weekend.

Looking back at the week: you missed the crit sharpener on Monday and yesterday's "recovery spin" turned into a 72 TSS VO2max session — essentially you swapped those two around with an extra rest day in between. That's actually fine. You got your high-intensity stimulus, and the timing still leaves 4 days before the race. No adjustments needed.

Tomorrow — Friday 27 March

Tomorrow is about keeping your legs loose without adding any fatigue. The plan says "Pre-Race Legs" at 30 minutes — stick with that.

Session: 25–30 minutes easy spinning in Z1, staying below 130W. Include 3 × 10-second accelerations to wake up the neuromuscular system — these should feel snappy but not draining. Full recovery between each. No sustained efforts, no tempo creep on any hills.

The goal is to arrive at Sunday with legs that feel fresh and responsive, not flat from too much rest or tired from sneaking in extra work.

Daily Coaching Brief — Thursday 26 March

Current Status

You're in good shape heading into Sunday's crit. TSB at +21 puts you firmly in the race-ready window, and your recovery metrics are strong — HRV 101ms is well above your 74ms baseline, resting HR of 40bpm is 6 beats below normal. Your body is responding well to the taper. The only flag is sleep at 6.9h, slightly under target — worth prioritising tonight and tomorrow.

Today's Session

Your Z2 spin hit the mark: 50 minutes, 159W normalised power, 32 TSS. That's right where it needed to be — comfortably below your 179W LT1 ceiling, enough to keep the legs turning without adding fatigue. The yoga and strength work this morning won't compromise anything for Sunday.

Looking Back at This Week

Monday's crit sharpener got missed entirely, and Tuesday you went significantly harder than planned — that VO2max session came in at 72 TSS versus a planned 20 TSS recovery spin. That's a +52 TSS swing. Normally I'd flag this as a concern, but given your TSB was already high and you've absorbed it well (today's metrics confirm that), no harm done. The intensity will have kept your top-end sharp heading into the race.

Tomorrow — Friday 27 March

The plan says "Pre-Race Legs" — 30 minutes, 15 TSS. I'd tweak this slightly:

30–35 minutes total, mostly Z1 with 3 × 20-second openers at 280–300W (just above CP) with full recovery between. The purpose is neuromuscular activation — wake the legs up without touching your W' reserves. Keep the rest of the ride genuinely easy, under 130W.

Given your sleep was slightly short last night, if you feel flat tomorrow morning, you can skip this entirely and just rest. You have Saturday's spin to do openers instead. But if legs feel good, the Friday openers are ideal.

Daily Coaching Brief — Thursday 26 March

Current Status

You're in good shape heading into Sunday's crit. TSB at +21 means you're fresh — possibly the freshest you've been in a while. HRV is well above baseline at 101ms and resting HR is down at 40bpm, both strong indicators your body is recovered and ready. The only flag is sleep at 6.9h, just under the 7h target — not a concern for one night, but worth protecting tomorrow and Saturday.

How Today Went

Your Z2 session hit the mark. 50 minutes at 159W normalised power keeps you comfortably below your 179W LT1 ceiling — exactly what we want in race week. 32 TSS against a 35 TSS target is spot on. The yoga and strength work are fine alongside this; upper body conditioning doesn't compromise your legs.

Looking back at this week: Monday's crit sharpener got skipped entirely, and Tuesday turned into a VO2max session (72 TSS) when you were meant to do an easy recovery spin. That's a significant deviation — you got the intensity work in, just on a different day than planned. Net result is fine given your current freshness, but the missed crit-specific work means you haven't done any race-simulation efforts this week.

Tomorrow — Friday 27 March

The plan says "Pre-Race Legs" — 30 minutes recovery. I want to adjust this slightly.

Given you missed the crit sharpener and your form is excellent, tomorrow is your last chance to include some race-specific sharpness before Sunday. Do this:

30–35 minutes total. First 15 minutes genuine Z1 spinning under 130W. Then 4 × 20-second efforts at 400–450W with 2 minutes easy between each. Finish with 10 minutes Z1 cooldown.

This isn't a workout — it's a neuromuscular wake-up call. You're reminding your legs what crit-pace accelerations feel like without touching your freshness. Total TSS will be around 20–25, well within recovery range.

Saturday stays as planned: 35 minutes very easy, maybe 2–3 short 10-second snappy pedal strokes just to keep things activated. Nothing more.

Daily Brief — Friday 27 March

You're in good shape heading into Sunday's crit. TSB at +24 is right in the peak performance window, and your recovery metrics are excellent — HRV 13ms above baseline, resting HR 2bpm below, solid 8 hours of sleep. The body is primed.

Today's session

Your calendar had Race Week Openers scheduled for today, but I'm only seeing yoga logged. If you haven't done the openers yet, get them in this afternoon or early evening — 30-40 minutes easy spinning with 3-4 sharp 20-second efforts at 280-310W. These keep the neuromuscular system firing without adding fatigue. If you've decided to skip them entirely, that's not the end of the world at TSB +24, but the openers do help you feel snappy on race day rather than flat.

Tomorrow (Saturday)

Complete rest or a very short Z1 spin — 20 minutes maximum, purely to loosen the legs if they feel stiff. No intensity whatsoever. Stay off the bike entirely if you prefer; at this point rest is more valuable than any additional stimulus. The work is done.

Sunday's race — tactical reminder

Hog Hill rewards patience. The circuit's short climb is punchy but not selective enough to break the field alone — it's the repeated accelerations over the crests and into corners that burn through W'. Your 22kJ W' is a strength, but don't spend it chasing every move in the first 30 minutes. Sit in, recover below 179W whenever possible between efforts, and save your matches for the final 15-20 minutes when others are fading. If you go into the last 3 laps with 30-40% W' in reserve, you'll have options they won't.

Anything specific you want to talk through for Sunday?

No problem — here's the adjusted plan:

Today (Friday 27 March)

You've done yoga already. If you can't get on the bike, don't stress about it. At TSB +24 with excellent recovery metrics, you're not going to lose fitness or sharpness from one missed openers session. Rest is fine.

If you find a spare 20–25 minutes later, even a quick spin on the turbo with 2–3 × 20-second accelerations would tick the box. But if it doesn't happen, let it go.

Tomorrow (Saturday 28 March)

Move the openers to tomorrow instead. This becomes your pre-race activation session:

35–40 minutes total:

Keep it short and snappy. You're not training — you're waking the legs up so they don't feel dead on the start line Sunday. Total TSS around 25–30.

Why this works

Openers the day before a crit is actually the more common protocol anyway. Doing them Saturday means the neuromuscular activation is fresher for Sunday morning. You'll feel sharper on the first hard effort of the race.

The key for tomorrow: don't let the session creep longer or harder than prescribed. Get in, do the efforts, get out. Then rest, eat well, sleep well.

Daily Coaching Brief — Saturday 28 March

Current Status

You're race-ready. TSB at +26 is right in the sweet spot, and your recovery metrics are excellent — HRV 79ms (+4ms above baseline), resting HR 41bpm (4 beats below normal), nearly 8 hours of sleep. Everything is green. The taper has worked.

Today's Session

You've already done your pre-race openers this morning — 35 minutes, 150W NP, 20 TSS. That's exactly right. The yoga and pilates alongside it are fine; they support recovery rather than compromise it.

You're done for today. No more cycling. Focus on:

Brixton Crit Strategy — Hog Hill

The Course

Hog Hill is a 1km circuit with a short, punchy climb (~10-15 seconds at 8-10%) that comes every lap. The climb itself isn't steep enough to break the field, but the repeated accelerations over the top and into the corners are what shred legs over 60+ minutes.

Your Numbers vs The Demands

You can afford 5-10 full-gas accelerations before W' is critically low — if you don't recover between them. The key is getting back under 179W (below LT1) as fast as possible after each effort. That's where W' reconstitutes.

Tactical Plan

First 20 minutes — Survive, don't race

Middle 20 minutes — Hold position, stay alert

Daily Coaching Brief — Friday 27 March

Current Status

You're primed for Sunday. TSB at +24 is right in the sweet spot for race performance (+5 to +25 window). Recovery metrics are excellent — HRV 87ms is 12ms above your 75ms baseline, resting HR 43bpm is 2 beats below normal, and you got a solid 8 hours of sleep last night. That's the first night this week you've hit the target — good timing.

CTL holding at 72 means your fitness base is intact despite the taper. You haven't given away too much by resting.

Today's Session

You did yoga only today — no cycling logged. The plan had "Pre-Race Legs" scheduled (30 min, ~15 TSS).

This is fine. At TSB +24 with a race in 2 days, an extra rest day won't hurt you. Your neuromuscular system got a stimulus from Tuesday's VO2max session (72 TSS), and you'll have openers tomorrow to shake out any flatness. Missing today's spin is a non-issue.

The yoga supports recovery — keeps you mobile without adding any fatigue load.

Week in Review

Looking at how this week actually played out versus the plan:

Net effect: you're slightly under on total weekly TSS, but you got your intensity hit. The VO2max session on Tuesday substitutes adequately for the missed crit sharpener — both deliver a top-end stimulus. You've arrived at race week's end fresh and sharp rather than fatigued and over-trained. That's the right side to err on.

Tomorrow — Saturday 28 March

Pre-Race Openers. This one matters — don't skip it.

The plan shows 35 minutes, 20 TSS. Here's the structure:

Warm-up (15 min): Easy Z1 spinning, under 130W. Let the legs wake

Race Strategy — BMCR Brixton Spring Circuits, Hog Hill

Sunday 29 March | Priority B | ~70 minutes

The Circuit

Hog Hill is a short, punchy loop — roughly 1km with a steep drag up to the finish line on each lap. The climb isn't long enough to create decisive selection on its own, but the repeated accelerations over the top and into the corners accumulate fatigue lap after lap. This is a W' attrition race.

Your Physiological Edge

Your advantage isn't peak sprint power — it's repeatability. You can go deep more times than most, provided you don't waste it early.

Pacing by Race Phase

Laps 1–10 (first 25 minutes): SURVIVE AND CONSERVE

Laps 11–20 (minutes 25–50): STAY ALERT, STAY PATIENT

Final 10 laps (last ~20 minutes): RACE STARTS NOW

Race Strategy — BMCR Brixton Spring Circuits, Hog Hill

The Circuit

Hog Hill is a short, punchy circuit — a roughly 1km loop with a steep ramp (~10-12%) that hits every lap. The climb is short enough that it won't break you individually, but the repeated accelerations over 60-70 minutes will systematically drain W' from everyone in the field. The rider who manages their W' best wins.

Your Numbers Going In

You're arriving in excellent condition. HRV has been above baseline all week, sleep is recovered, and your taper has been well-executed. You have the form to race aggressively — the question is when, not whether.

Phase 1: Survival & Assessment (Laps 1–15, ~first 20 minutes)

Goal: Stay in the top third of the bunch, expend as little W' as possible.

Phase 2: Positioning & Patience (Laps 15–30, ~minutes 20–40)

Goal: Move up gradually, stay near the front without leading.

Phase 3: The Business End (Final 15–20 minutes, ~last 10–15 laps)

Goal: Be in the top 5 with W' in reserve when it matters.

The Final Lap

You have two options depending on how the race plays out:

Option A — Small group sprint (3–8 riders):

Option B — Breakaway or solo finish:

Pacing Guardrails

Nutrition & Pre-Race

The One Thing to Remember

Recovery between efforts is your superpower, not peak power. Every time you crest the climb, your only job is to get below 179W as fast as possible and let W' rebuild. The riders who soft-pedal at 200W between climbs are slowly bleeding out. You should be at 130–160W in every recovery section. That discipline in the valleys is what gives you the kick on the final lap.

Race smart. You've got the form for a strong result.

Race Debrief — BMCR Brixton Spring Circuits, Hog Hill

That's a brilliant result. Solo breakaway with 8 laps to go and they couldn't bring you back — that takes serious legs and even better race craft.

What the numbers say

271W NP for over an hour is properly hard — you were above CP on normalised power for the entire race. That tells me your W' was getting hammered repeatedly in the first group, and yet you still had enough to launch a solo move with 8 to go and sustain it.

The tactical read

This is textbook W' management. You made the front group, which cost big matches. When you got dropped, rather than panicking and burning everything to get back on, you settled into the second group — smart. Then the solo move: 8 laps of essentially TT-mode effort, probably sitting right around CP (258W) or just above. The second group couldn't close because you were riding at your sustainable ceiling and they'd already used their matches too.

That's exactly the kind of racing your physiology is built for — your 3.93 W/kg CP means you can sustain a pace that most Cat C riders simply can't hold for 8 laps.

Key questions for your development

1. When you got dropped from the first group — was it a single hard acceleration or accumulated fatigue? This tells me whether we need more peak W' or better reconstitution.

2. During the solo, what power were you holding? If you had a lap-by-lap breakdown I can tell you exactly how well you paced it.

3. How did the legs feel on the final 2–3 laps? Fading, steady, or could you have gone harder?

This race validates the approach — your CP fitness is a genuine weapon in crits when you use it tactically. The fact that a whole group gave up chasing tells you everything.

Looking ahead

Tomorrow is rest. Monday you've got the Hare and Hounds (Priority C). How are you feeling about racing again in 48 hours, or would you rather skip it and recover properly?

Race Debrief — BMCR Brixton Crit, Hog Hill (Sunday 22 March)

What Happened

Two back-to-back laps at 900W on both climbs — that's roughly 640W above your 258W CP. Even at 10 seconds per effort, that's ~6,400J per climb. Four climbs across two laps = ~25,600J of W' expenditure against your 22,000J capacity. Your W' went negative, which means you were writing cheques your physiology couldn't cash.

Then you spent an entire lap chasing back on — almost certainly above CP the whole time, which means W' wasn't reconstituting during the chase. You got back, but arrived at the climb again with essentially zero W' remaining. The blow-up was inevitable at that point.

The Core Problem

It's not fitness — 271W NP for an hour and 2nd in Cat C proves that. It's pacing the climbs.

900W is a full send. You don't need 900W to stay in the group over those climbs — you need enough to hold the wheel in front. That's probably 500–600W for 8–12 seconds. The difference matters enormously:

At 600W you'd have used 62% of your W' across those two laps instead of 116%. You'd have arrived at the third lap with matches left to burn.

The Tactical Fix

Don't lead over the climbs. Position yourself 3rd–5th wheel going into each rise. Let someone else set 900W on the front — you draft them at 550–600W and save 30% of the W' cost. The draft benefit is smaller on a climb, but the positioning means you don't need to accelerate as hard over the top.

The chase lap is where you lost the race. Getting dropped and chasing solo above CP is the worst possible scenario for W' — you're spending anaerobic energy with no recovery window. Better to lose 1–2 seconds on the climb and stay in contact than to save nothing by going harder and then spend 60+ seconds chasing.

What To Train

Your W' is 22kJ — that's decent. The issue isn't capacity, it's how you spend it. But we can also work on two things:

1. W' reconstitution speed — the faster you recover W' between efforts, the more you can repeat them. Over-under intervals (30s at 280W / 30s at 170W, repeated) train exactly this.

2. Climb pacing discipline — in training, practice hitting the Hog Hill climb at 550–600W instead of 900W. Feel what "enough to hold the wheel" actually requires versus "full gas."

Bottom Line

You finished 2nd in category riding at 105% CP for an hour — that's strong. The 6th overall became 6th instead of higher because of two laps where you emptied the tank unnecessarily. Race smarter on those climbs and you're in the mix for the podium. The engine is there — it's about managing it.

Daily Coaching Brief — Friday 27 March

Current Status

TSB at +24, HRV 87ms (+13ms above baseline), resting HR 43bpm (-2 below normal), 8 hours sleep. All green lights. You're ready to race.

Correction on Last Week's Crit

Thanks for the honesty. So the RCC March Crit — 6th overall but other Cat C riders stayed in the front group ahead of you. That changes the picture from what I assumed.

The key question is: what separated you from them?

At 271W NP (105% of your 258W CP), you were riding above your sustainable ceiling for the full race. That's expected in crits — but if other Cat C riders stayed ahead, it likely means one of:

1. They recovered faster between surges — got below their LT1 quicker and reconstituted W' while you were still above threshold

2. They positioned better — less braking, fewer out-of-saddle accelerations to close gaps, which burns less W' for the same speed

3. Their W' or CP is simply higher — possible, but positioning and recovery efficiency usually matter more in a field race

If you were hanging on rather than choosing your efforts, that points to positioning and W' management more than raw fitness. Your CP and W' are strong enough for these races — the gains are tactical.

What to work on in training

This reinforces why crit-specific interval work (Ronnestad 30/15s, over-unders) matters — it's not just about building W', it's about training your body to recover below CP *fast* between efforts.

Today's Session

Did you do the openers I suggested yesterday? I'm only seeing yoga logged. If not, get them in today — 30 minutes easy with 4 × 20s at 400–450W. Last chance to prime the legs before Sunday.

Tomorrow — Saturday 28 March

Full rest or 20-minute Z1 spin. Nothing more. The work is done.

Daily Coaching Brief — Sunday 29 March

Current Status

CTL 73, TSB +15 — you came into today fresh and race-ready. Recovery metrics are solid: HRV 73ms is essentially on your 75ms baseline, resting HR 47bpm is only +2bpm, and 7.8 hours of sleep is excellent. No red flags anywhere.

How Today Went

You raced the BMCR Brixton Spring Circuits at Hog Hill — 64 minutes, 271W NP, 120 TSS, 872kJ.

That 271W NP is again 105% of your 258W CP — identical to last week's crit. You're consistently racing above CP for a full hour, which confirms your W' repeatability is in a good place. The 23-minute warmup ride beforehand was sensible race prep.

No podium this time, but the power data tells me the engine performed similarly to last week's 2nd in Cat / 6th overall. If the result was worse on similar power, that points to tactical factors rather than fitness:

Worth a quick think on that — at your power level, crit results are often decided more by positioning and timing than by watts.

Tomorrow — Monday 30 March

Rest day. The plan says rest, and after back-to-back race weekends with 120 TSS today, your body needs it. No cycling, no "quick spin." Yoga and pilates are fine — they'll aid recovery.

Looking Ahead

You've got Hare and Hounds on Tuesday — a C-priority race. How are you feeling about that? Given today's 120 TSS effort, we should talk about whether to race it hard or treat it as a training race.

That's a seriously impressive ride. Let's break down why.

The Numbers

23 minutes at 247W — that's 96% of your 258W CP. Theoretically sustainable, but only just, and only in lab conditions. Doing that solo, in a race, with no draft makes it significantly harder. The aerodynamic cost of riding on the front adds roughly 30-40W equivalent compared to sitting in the bunch.

W' expenditure: At 247W you're technically 11W below CP, so in theory you weren't depleting W' during the solo effort. But that assumes your CP is exactly 258W in race conditions after prior efforts — in reality you'd been racing hard before the break, so your effective CP was likely lower. You were probably nibbling into W' the entire time.

The fact that you held 247W for 23 minutes solo after already racing hard suggests your CP may actually be slightly higher than 258W, or your durability is genuinely excellent — you're holding near-CP power deep into a race when others are fading.

What This Tells Us

1. Your aerobic engine delivered. Holding 96% CP solo for 23 minutes is elite pacing discipline — you found the exact line between "fast enough to stay away" and "blowing up before the finish."

2. Your durability is strong. This effort came after 40+ minutes of crit racing. That's significant prior kJ expenditure before a near-threshold solo break.

3. Tactically bold. 23 minutes is a long time to be in the wind alone in a crit. What made you go, and how did it end — did you get caught, or did you hold it to the line?

Daily Coaching Brief — Sunday 29 March

Race Result: BMCR Brixton Spring Circuits, Hog Hill

The numbers:

That's the second race in a row where you've held 271W NP for an hour — right at 105% of CP. That's a genuinely hard race effort and confirms your W' repeatability is in a good place.

Analysis

Finishing between the front group and group 2 tells me you were competitive but couldn't quite bridge or hold the wheel when the front group split away. The key question is when the selection happened:

Either way, holding 105% CP for 64 minutes and finishing ahead of group 2 is a strong ride. You weren't blown out — you were in the race.

What This Tells Us

Two crits, both at 271W NP, both competitive finishes. The engine is consistent. To bridge into that front group, the gap is probably:

1. Peak sprint power — the 5–10 second accelerations that create the split

2. Positioning — being in the right wheel when the move goes

3. W' management — spending less in the middle so you have more at the end

Recovery & Tomorrow

You've done 143 TSS today (warmup + race). That's a big day. Tomorrow is rest as planned — take it completely off. Your HRV is slightly below baseline (73ms vs 75ms) and resting HR slightly up (+2bpm), which is exactly what you'd expect after a hard race effort.

Tuesday there's a race planned — Velo Schils Hare and Hounds R1 (Priority C). That's only 48 hours away. How are you feeling about racing again that quickly? Given it's C-priority, we can treat it as a hard training day rather than a target, or skip it entirely if your legs are cooked. Your call — but I'd want to see how you feel Monday evening before committing.

Daily Coaching Brief — Monday 30 March

Current Status

You're in good shape. HRV right on baseline and low resting HR suggest you've recovered well from yesterday's crit. The sleep is just under target — not a red flag but worth getting an early night tonight given you're racing tomorrow.

Today

Rest day as planned. You've done pilates and strength — that's fine, upper body work doesn't compromise your legs for tomorrow. No cycling today is the right call after 120 TSS yesterday.

Tomorrow — Tuesday 31 March

Velo Schils Hare and Hounds R1 — Priority C race, 60 minutes planned.

Given it's C-priority, my recommendation: race it but treat it as a training race. Use it to work on the tactical things we've identified from the last two crits:

Don't chase the result. Use it as a free practice session for the skills that will make the difference at your B and A-priority races. If you feel great and an opportunity presents itself in the final laps, go for it — but don't dig yourself into a hole for a C-race.

Warm-up: 15–20 minutes, easy build with 3 × 20-second openers. Same protocol as Saturday.

One concern: Your sleep was under 7h last night. Prioritise getting to bed early tonight — recovery between back-to-back race efforts at 53 depends heavily on sleep quality. This is the one thing you can control that will make the biggest difference to how your legs feel tomorrow.

# Daily Coaching Brief — Monday 30 March

Today's Status

Rest day executed well. Pilates and strength work only — exactly right for the day before a race. Your body is in great shape heading into tomorrow:

Your CTL at 72 is solid race fitness. Yesterday's Hog Hill crit (271W NP, 120 TSS) was a proper hit, but that was 48 hours before tomorrow's race with a full rest day in between — textbook spacing.

Tomorrow: Velo Schils Hare & Hounds R1 (Priority C)

This is a flat, fast rectangular crit at Newhall — 1.2km laps, 4 corners, ~60+ mixed-ability field. It's almost certainly coming down to a bunch sprint. Breakaways rarely stick on this circuit.

Race execution plan:

1. First half — conserve ruthlessly. Sit in, stay out of the wind, don't chase early moves. With your 258W CP in a flat bunch race, you can comfortably hold the wheels without dipping into W'. Let the young lads burn matches early.

2. 3–4 laps to go — start moving up. Use the corners to advance position smoothly. Don't surge in the straights — that's expensive. Slot into gaps through the turns.

3. Final lap — top 10 position or bust. On a flat circuit like this, being buried in the pack means you're sprinting into a wall of bodies. Find a wheel you trust and hold it.

4. Sprint timing: Check the wind. Headwind finish → sit longer, launch late with a big gear. Tailwind → go earlier, 200–250m out. Your W' (22kJ) gives you roughly 10–15 seconds of full gas above CP — don't waste it by going too early.

5. W' management: This is Priority C — don't empty the tank for a result that doesn't matter much. Race smart, practise positioning, and treat it as a sharpening session for the Hog Hill race on April 12th (Priority B).

Warmup: 15–20 minutes easy spinning with 3–4 × 20-second efforts building to near-max in the last 5 minutes. Get the legs opened up but don't accumulate fatigue.

Tonight: Early to bed. Light meal 2–3 hours before sleep. Caffeine before the race tomorrow, not tonight.

Good luck — use this one to sharpen your race craft. The real target is Hog Hill in two weeks.

Daily Coaching Brief — Monday 30 March

Current Status

You've recovered well from Sunday's crit. HRV dead on baseline, resting HR slightly low — your autonomic system is in good shape. The only flag is sleep slightly under target. Get an early night tonight — you're racing tomorrow and at 53, that extra 30 minutes of sleep is free watts.

Today

Rest day, executed perfectly. Pilates twice and strength — all fine. Upper body work doesn't touch your legs. No cycling is the right call with a race tomorrow and 120 TSS from yesterday's crit still settling.

Tomorrow — Tuesday 31 March

Velo Schils Hare and Hounds R1 at Newhall. Priority C, ~60 minutes.

This is a completely flat rectangular circuit — 1.2km laps, 4 corners, 60+ mixed field. Breakaways almost never stick here. It's coming down to a bunch sprint.

Race approach: Treat this as a training race. Work on:

Don't empty the tank for a C-priority result. Save the deep racing for Hog Hill on April 12th.

Tonight: Bed early. Caffeine tomorrow, not tonight.

Saturday 5 April — Long Z2 Aerobic Ride

The plan has 150 minutes scheduled at 106 TSS target. This is your long endurance ride for the week and it's an important one — it builds the aerobic durability that underpins everything, especially your Maratona preparation.

Prescription:

This ride sits between Wednesday's recovery spin and Thursday's threshold sharpener. The week structure looks like:

That Thursday threshold session is the only hard day between the race and Saturday's long ride, which gives you proper recovery spacing. Good week structure.

I already answered that one — scroll up! But here's the short version:

Saturday 5 April — Long Z2 Aerobic Ride

2.5 hours, strictly below 179W throughout. Target 155–175W on the flats, conversational pace. If HR drifts above 135bpm, back off. Aim for ~1,300–1,500kJ of work.

This is your big aerobic volume day for the week — it builds the durability base that keeps you strong on the final laps of crits and will be critical for Maratona later in the season. Keep it genuinely easy. No tempo creep on hills.

Friday 4 April — Threshold Sharpener

69 minutes planned, 64 TSS target. This is your one hard session for the week between Tuesday's race and Saturday's long ride.

Session structure:

Purpose: This keeps your top-end sharp in the window between races — Hare & Hounds on Tuesday and Hog Hill on April 12th. You're not building fitness here, you're maintaining the threshold stimulus while your long Z2 ride on Saturday handles the aerobic volume.

Key cues:

One caveat: This session depends on how Tuesday's race goes and how Wednesday/Thursday recovery feels. If your HRV is suppressed Thursday morning or legs feel heavy from the race, downgrade this to a Z2 ride and move the threshold work to the following week. A C-priority race on Tuesday shouldn't cost you a key session, but at 53, recovery isn't guaranteed — listen to the data.

Here's the full week laid out:

This Week — 31 March to 6 April

Weekly TSS Target: ~320–330

That gives you a ramp rate of roughly +3 CTL/week — conservative and appropriate given you're between races with Hog Hill (Priority B) on April 12th just one week later.

The Logic

Key Watch Points

1. Wednesday recovery is non-negotiable. After racing Tuesday, your legs need a genuine flush, not a "steady" ride that drifts into tempo

2. Friday's threshold session depends on how you feel. If HRV is suppressed or legs are dead from the race, downgrade to Z2. Don't force it for a threshold session when you've got a B-priority race 8 days later

3. Saturday's long ride must stay below 179W. No tempo creep on hills. This is the most common mistake — feeling good 90 minutes in and letting the power drift to 190W. Don't. The adaptations happen below LT1

Next week is race week for Hog Hill — we'll taper into that. One thing at a time.

Here's the full week — I think you're asking because my earlier response had the dates wrong. Let me correct that:

This Week — 31 March to 6 April

*Tue 31 Mar* — 🏁 Race: Hare & Hounds R1, ~60min, ~90 TSS. C-priority, training race — practise positioning and W' management

*Wed 1 Apr* — Recovery Spin, 45min, ~22 TSS. Z1/easy Z2, stay under 160W. Flush the legs after racing

*Thu 2 Apr* — Z2 Aerobic Base, 60min, ~41 TSS. Below 179W throughout. Genuine easy day

*Fri 3 Apr* — REST. Nothing on the plan, nothing on the bike

*Sat 4 Apr* — Threshold Sharpener, 69min, ~64 TSS. 3×8min at 230–250W with 5min easy recovery. Key quality session of the week

*Sun 5 Apr* — Long Z2 Aerobic Ride, 150min, ~106 TSS. Strictly below 179W, target 155–175W. Big aerobic volume day, ~1,300–1,500kJ

*Mon 6 Apr* — REST

Weekly TSS Target: ~320–330

The Logic

Watch Points

1. *Wednesday must stay genuinely easy.* After racing, no tempo creep. Under 160W

2. *Saturday's threshold session depends on how you're recovering.* If HRV is suppressed Saturday morning, downgrade to Z2 and accept the week as race + aerobic only

3. *Sunday's long ride — 179W is a ceiling, not a target.* No drifting into tempo on hills. Shift early, spin up, keep it conversational

Next week we taper into Hog Hill. One thing at a time.

Daily Coaching Brief — Tuesday 31 March

Current Status

Two amber flags today. Your HRV is 88% of baseline — not red territory but meaningfully suppressed. Combined with sleep just under target, your autonomic system isn't fully recovered. Resting HR being low is a good sign, but HRV and sleep together give me pause.

The Decision: Hare & Hounds Tonight

This is a C-priority race. The question is whether racing tonight on suppressed HRV is worth the cost, with a B-priority race at Hog Hill in 12 days.

My recommendation: still race, but adjust your approach.

At TSB +15 your legs should feel fine — the HRV suppression is more likely from the slightly short sleep than deep muscular fatigue. But don't treat this as anything more than what it is — a training race.

Tonight's approach:

Tomorrow — Wednesday 1 April

Recovery spin as planned. 45 minutes, under 160W. Non-negotiable easy day regardless of how tonight goes.

Health Status — Tuesday 31 March

What This Means

Your HRV at 88% of baseline is in the amber zone (90–80% = proceed with caution). It's not red — that would be below 62ms (80% of 77ms) — but it's a clear signal your parasympathetic nervous system isn't fully recovered.

The likely causes:

The positive: resting HR is actually 2bpm below normal. This suggests your cardiovascular system is fine — the HRV suppression is more neural/autonomic than cardiac. You're not overtrained, you're just not fully topped up.

Action Items

1. *Get to bed early tonight* — this is the single biggest thing you can control. Aim for 7.5h minimum

2. *Race conservatively tonight* — C-priority, don't dig deep

3. *Watch tomorrow's HRV closely* — if it stays suppressed after tonight's race, Thursday should be Z1 only rather than Z2

4. *Hydration* — often overlooked as a driver of HRV suppression. Make sure you're drinking steadily through today before the race

You're not in trouble. This is your body saying "I could use a bit more rest" — and the plan this week gives you exactly that after tonight.

Next Race — BMCR Spring Meltdown, Hog Hill

The Course

Hog Hill is a short, punchy circuit — roughly 1km per lap with a steep ramp (~10-12%) that hits every single lap. There's a main climb followed by a smaller rise straight after — back-to-back efforts that are the defining feature of this course. The repeated accelerations over 65 minutes systematically drain W' from the entire field. The rider who manages their anaerobic capacity best wins.

You've raced this course twice recently so you know it well:

What We Know From Your Recent Races

The good:

The problem:

Tactical Approach

Phase 1 — Laps 1-15 (~first 20 minutes): CONSERVE

Phase 2 — Laps 15-30 (~minutes 20-40): HOLD POSITION

Phase 3 — Final 15 minutes (~last 10-15 laps): RACE STARTS NOW

Final Lap:

The Key Lesson From Your Last Two Races

Pacing Guardrails

Training Between Now and Race Day

You have 12 days. The plan already has this well structured:

*Tue 31 Mar* — 🏁 Hare & Hounds (C-priority, training race)

*Wed 1 Apr* — Recovery spin

*Thu 2 Apr* — Z2 base

*Fri 3 Apr* — Rest

*Sat 4 Apr* — Threshold sharpener (3×8min at 230-250W)

*Sun 5 Apr* — Long Z2 (2.5hrs)

*Mon 6 Apr* — Rest

*Tue 7 Apr* — Easy Z2 spin

*Wed 8 Apr* — Race sharpener / crit openers

*Thu 9 Apr* — Pre-race recovery spin

*Fri 10 Apr* — Rest

*Sat 11 Apr* — Pre-race openers

*Sun 12 Apr* — 🏁 RACE DAY

The taper from Wednesday the 8th onwards is textbook — intensity maintained, volume dropped. You should arrive at Hog Hill with TSB around +10-15, fresh legs, and sharp neuromuscular response.

The One Thing To Remember

500-600W drafting on the climbs, not 900W leading. That single change saves you ~12,000J across two laps — more than half your total W'. Fix that and you stay in the front group instead of chasing back on. The engine is already strong enough. Race the climbs smarter and the result takes care of itself.

# Daily Coaching Brief — Wednesday 1 April

Current Status

You're in good shape on paper. CTL 72, TSB +15 — you're fresh and carrying solid fitness heading into the Hog Hill crit on the 12th. Ramp rate is slightly negative at -3/week, which is fine — you're in a holding/sharpening phase, not building.

However, one flag: your sleep was only 5.8 hours last night. HRV is actually fine at 80ms (+4 above baseline), but resting HR is up 3bpm to 46. The short sleep isn't an emergency but it's worth noting — at 53, one bad night is manageable, two or three in a row starts to meaningfully impair recovery. Prioritise sleep tonight.

How Today Went

You had Pilates (53min) instead of the planned Post-Race Recovery Spin (45min, ~25 TSS). That's absolutely fine. You raced hard yesterday — the Hare and Hounds was a proper effort at 256W NP for 67 minutes, 112 TSS — essentially right at your CP for over an hour. That's a big day. Swapping the recovery spin for Pilates was a sensible call. The Pilates still gives you some active recovery benefit (mobility, parasympathetic support) without adding any cycling fatigue to legs that need to absorb yesterday's race stress.

No adjustment needed — you made the right call.

Tomorrow: Thursday 2 April

The plan says Z2 Aerobic Base, 60 minutes, ~45 TSS. This is the right session. You're now 48 hours post-race by the time you get on the bike tomorrow, HRV is healthy, and a steady Z2 spin will help flush the legs without adding meaningful fatigue.

Key cue: stay strictly below 179W the entire ride. After a race effort like yesterday it can be tempting to test the legs — don't. Aim for 155–175W steady, keep it conversational, and if your HR drifts above ~135bpm back off. This is a recovery-quality endurance ride, not a test.

Also — get to bed earlier tonight. Your body is still processing Tuesday's race, and 5.8 hours isn't giving it enough repair time. Target 7.5+ hours.

# Daily Coaching Brief — Wednesday 1 Apr

Current Status

You're in a strong position right now. CTL 72, TSB +15 — you're fresh and fit heading into the Hog Hill build. HRV is actually above baseline at 80ms (vs 76ms norm), which is a good sign. RHR is slightly elevated at +3bpm — nothing alarming but worth noting alongside the 5.8h sleep ⚠️. That's below the 7h minimum I'd want for you, especially the day after a race effort. Prioritise sleep tonight — it's your single best recovery tool at 53.

How Today Went

You did Pilates instead of the planned post-race recovery spin. That's completely fine. The Pilates gives you mobility work and parasympathetic support, which is arguably as valuable as a 45-minute easy spin the day after racing. The 6 TSS vs the planned 22 TSS means you're slightly under on weekly load, but that's trivial — and given the short sleep, your body probably made the right call skipping the bike today.

The bigger picture: yesterday's Hare and Hounds was a proper race effort — 256W NP for 67 minutes, 112 TSS. That NP is essentially right at your 258W CP, meaning you were riding at threshold for over an hour. That's a big physiological hit. Today was smart to keep easy.

Tomorrow — Thursday 2 Apr

The plan says Z2 Aerobic Base, 60 minutes, ~45 TSS. I'm keeping this as-is. Here's why:

Key cues: Stay strictly below 179W the entire ride. If your legs feel heavy from Tuesday's race, that's normal — don't push through it, just spin easy. If anything feels genuinely off (elevated RPE for easy watts, unusual HR drift), cut it to 45 minutes and call it done.

Get to bed early tonight. That 5.8h sleep is the only amber flag in your data right now, and you've got a threshold sharpener on Saturday that you'll want to be properly rested for.

# Daily Coaching Brief — Wednesday 1 April

Current Status

You're in a great spot form-wise. TSB at +15 means you're fresh, CTL is solid at 72, and the race on the 12th is 11 days out — plenty of time to sharpen without losing fitness. HRV is actually above baseline (+4ms), which is a good sign the race on Tuesday hasn't left a deep mark autonomically.

However — 5.8 hours of sleep is a flag. That's below the 7h minimum I'd want for proper recovery, especially at 53. Your resting HR is also nudged up 3bpm. Neither metric alone is alarming, but together they tell me your body is still processing Tuesday's race effort (256W NP for 67 minutes — that was right at your CP, a proper hit). The Pilates today was sensible — it's not the recovery spin that was planned, but it's fine. Pilates supports recovery without loading the legs, and honestly, given the short sleep, skipping the bike today was probably the right call.

Plan Deviation Check

Tuesday's race came in at 112 TSS — a big effort as expected. Today you did Pilates instead of the planned 45-min recovery spin, so you're about 19 TSS under for today. That's completely fine — you don't chase recovery TSS. The weekly load is tracking well and there's nothing to make up.

Tomorrow: Z2 Aerobic Base — 60 minutes

The plan says Z2 tomorrow and I'm keeping it exactly as written. Two days post-race with a rest day (Pilates) in between is enough spacing. But given the short sleep last night:

The big quality session this week is Saturday's Threshold Sharpener, and everything between now and then is about arriving at that session ready to execute it well. Tomorrow is about turning the legs over, flushing out any residual fatigue, and nothing more.

# Daily Coaching Brief — Wednesday 1 Apr

Current Status

You're in good shape coming off last night's Hare and Hounds race. TSB at +15 means you're fresh, CTL is solid at 72, and the ramp rate is actually negative (-3/week) so there's no overtraining concern whatsoever. You have a comfortable 11-day runway into the Hog Hill crit.

One flag though: 5.8 hours sleep. That's below the 7h minimum I'd want, especially the day after a hard race effort. Your HRV is actually fine (+4ms above baseline), so you've absorbed the race well physiologically, but the short sleep will be limiting your recovery quality tonight. Prioritise getting to bed earlier — this matters more than any workout this week.

How Today Went

The plan had a 45-minute post-race recovery spin on the bike. You did Pilates instead (53min, 6 TSS). That's totally fine — Pilates supports recovery through mobility and parasympathetic activation, and frankly after a 112 TSS race effort with a 256W NP (right at your CP), a day off the bike is perfectly reasonable. You're 19 TSS lighter than planned, which is negligible. No adjustment needed.

The race itself was a proper hit — 256W NP over 67 minutes is essentially riding *at* CP for the full duration, which tells me you were working hard throughout. That's 906kJ of work with significant W' depletion and reconstitution cycling. Good race simulation regardless of result.

Tomorrow — Thursday 2 Apr

The plan says Z2 Aerobic Base, 60 minutes, ~45 TSS. I'm keeping this exactly as planned. Here's why:

Execution cues:

Saturday's threshold sharpener is the key session this week with Hog Hill in mind. Tomorrow's Z2 is about keeping the legs turning without adding any fatigue cost ahead of that.

Get some sleep tonight, Jamie. That's your most important training session right now.

# Daily Coaching Brief — Wednesday 1 April

Current Status

You're in good shape overall. CTL 72, TSB +15 — you're fresh and carrying solid fitness heading into the Hog Hill crit on the 12th. The ramp rate is slightly negative (-3/week) which is fine — you're in a sharpening phase, not a build phase.

Wellness check: HRV is actually above baseline (80ms vs 76ms norm) which is a good sign, and resting HR is only slightly elevated at 46bpm (+3). But that 5.8 hours of sleep is a flag 🟡. One short night isn't a crisis, but it does blunt recovery quality — and you raced hard yesterday. Prioritise sleep tonight.

How Today Went

The plan called for a 45-minute post-race recovery spin. You did Pilates instead (53min, 6 TSS). That's absolutely fine — Pilates ticks the active recovery box nicely after yesterday's race effort. It's not identical to spinning the legs out, but it supports parasympathetic recovery and mobility. No issue here.

Yesterday's race was the real story: 67 minutes at 256W NP — that's essentially bang on your CP of 258W for over an hour. 112 TSS is a big hit. Your legs will still be feeling that tomorrow, even though your TSB looks rosy on paper. TSB is a trailing indicator — the race fatigue hasn't fully loaded into ATL yet.

Tomorrow — Thursday 2 April

The plan says Z2 Aerobic Base, 60 minutes, ~45 TSS. I'd keep this exactly as planned, but with one firm instruction:

Stay strictly below 179W the entire ride. After a race at CP, your legs may feel deceptively OK but your neuromuscular system is still recovering. Ride at 150–170W, keep it genuinely easy, and don't chase anyone if you're out on the road. Given the short sleep last night, if you feel sluggish on the bike tomorrow, that's your body telling you the truth — listen to it. If you feel genuinely awful in the first 15 minutes, cut it to 40 minutes and call it done.

Get to bed earlier tonight — that's the single highest-value thing you can do for your Hog Hill prep right now.

# Daily Coaching Brief — Wednesday 1 April

Current Status

You're in good shape overall. CTL 72, TSB +15 — you're fresh and carrying solid fitness heading into the Hog Hill crit in 11 days. That's a great position to be in.

However, a couple of flags today:

Overall readiness: 🟡 Amber. Not compromised, but not fully recovered either.

Today's Training

The plan called for a 45-min post-race recovery spin (25 TSS). You did Pilates instead (53min, 6 TSS). That's absolutely fine — Pilates supports recovery through mobility and parasympathetic activation, and after yesterday's race at 256W NP / 112 TSS, your legs needed easy movement, not more pedalling. No issue here at all.

Speaking of yesterday — that was a proper race effort. 256W NP for 67 minutes is right at your CP of 258W, which means you were racing at the limit of your sustainable power. 112 TSS in just over an hour is a big hit. Your body is still absorbing that.

Tomorrow — Thursday 2 April

The plan says Z2 Aerobic Base, 60min, ~45 TSS. Given the amber wellness picture and the residual fatigue from Tuesday's race, I'd say proceed but keep it genuinely easy. That means:

The bigger priority tonight is sleep. Get to bed early, aim for 7.5h+. That will do more for your fitness than any extra watts tomorrow.

# Daily Coaching Brief — Wednesday 1 April

Current Status

You're in good shape overall. CTL at 72 is solid, TSB at +15 means you're fresh, and with the Hog Hill crit 11 days out you're in a great position to absorb some quality training this week before tapering.

One flag though: 5.8 hours sleep. That's short. Your HRV is actually fine at 80ms (+4 above baseline), and resting HR at 46 is only slightly elevated (+3bpm) — so you're not in the red. But at 53, sub-6-hour sleep nights genuinely blunt recovery. If this was a one-off, no issue. If it becomes a pattern this week, we need to be more conservative with the hard sessions.

Today's Session

You did Pilates instead of the planned post-race recovery spin. That's absolutely fine — Pilates gives you the mobility and parasympathetic benefit, and after Tuesday's race (112 TSS, 256W NP — essentially right at your 258W CP for over an hour), your legs needed a break from pedalling more than they needed 45 minutes of easy spinning. The 19 TSS shortfall is irrelevant. Good call.

That race was a proper effort by the way — 906kJ in 67 minutes at race-level NP. Your body knows it happened.

Tomorrow — Thursday 2 April

The plan says Z2 Aerobic Base, 60 minutes, ~45 TSS. I'm keeping this as-is. Here's why:

The key instruction: strict Z2, below 179W the entire ride. No tempo drifting. If you're on a hilly route and a climb pushes you above 179W, soft-pedal the top to bring the average back down. This should feel genuinely easy — conversational, legs turning over, nothing more.

One thing to watch: given the short sleep last night, if you wake up tomorrow still feeling groggy or your legs feel heavy in the first 10 minutes, shorten it to 45 minutes. The session matters less than arriving at Saturday's threshold sharpener fresh and ready to hit proper numbers.

# Daily Coaching Brief — Wednesday 1 April

Current Status

You're in good shape overall. CTL 72, TSB +15 — you're fresh and carrying solid fitness heading into a block with three races in 11 days. The ramp rate is -3 CTL/week, which just reflects the taper-ish period you're in — nothing to worry about.

Wellness flags: HRV is actually slightly above your baseline (80ms vs 76ms) which is a green light. Resting HR is up 3bpm at 46 — not alarming but worth noting. The real concern is sleep at 5.8 hours ⚠️. That's below the 7h minimum I'd want to see, and at 53, short sleep directly impairs recovery quality — growth hormone release gets hammered when you're under 6 hours. Tonight needs to be better. Prioritise getting to bed early.

How Today Went

You did Pilates instead of the planned post-race recovery spin. That's absolutely fine. You raced hard yesterday — 256W NP over 67 minutes is a proper crit effort, right at your CP — and the Pilates gives you mobility work and parasympathetic nervous system support without any leg load. Given the short sleep, skipping the recovery spin was arguably the smarter call. The ~19 TSS gap is negligible and won't affect your week.

Yesterday's race itself: 112 TSS in 67 minutes with 256W NP — that's a serious hit, essentially riding at CP for an hour. Your legs will still be feeling that tomorrow morning.

Tomorrow — Thursday 2 April

The plan says Z2 Aerobic Base, 60 minutes, ~45 TSS. I'm keeping this as planned, but with a firm instruction:

One condition: if you sleep poorly again tonight (under 6 hours), downgrade tomorrow to Z1 only — 45 minutes below 129W, genuinely just spinning. Two consecutive short nights at 53 means the body is not recovering, and pushing even Z2 on that would be counterproductive.

Friday is rest, then Saturday's threshold session is the key quality day this week before Tuesday's race. Protecting that session starts with what you do tomorrow and how you sleep tonight.

It's Wednesday 1 April and you've already done Pilates today. That's your lot — you're done for the day.

The planned recovery spin got swapped for Pilates, which is fine after Tuesday's race. No need to add anything else. Your one job now is to get to bed early and fix that 5.8h sleep. That matters more than any session today.

Tomorrow is Z2, 60 minutes, below 179W. Show up rested for that.

I know you *can*, but I don't think you *should*.

Here's why:

The Pilates you've already done today is the right amount of stimulus. Adding a recovery spin on top won't make you fitter — it just nibbles into the recovery budget you need for the rest of the week.

The priority chain this week is:

1. Saturday's threshold sharpener — the key quality session

2. Tuesday's Hare & Hounds R2 — next race

3. Sunday's long Z2 — big aerobic volume day

Everything between now and Saturday exists to make sure you arrive at that threshold session fresh and ready to hit 230–250W for 3×8 minutes. An extra 22 TSS recovery spin today doesn't help that goal. A proper night's sleep tonight absolutely does.

My recommendation: stay off the bike today, sleep 7.5h+, and show up tomorrow for the Z2 ride with fresh legs.

If you're genuinely itching to move, go for a walk. But don't ride.

*Current Status — Thursday 2 April*

You're fit and fresh with solid form heading into a three-race block starting Tuesday, but the short sleep is the one thing holding your recovery back — fix that tonight and you're in great shape for Saturday's threshold session.

# Daily Coaching Brief — Thursday 2 April

Current Status

You're in great shape right now. TSB +13 puts you firmly in the fresh/race-ready window, and your wellness data backs that up completely:

🟢 All systems green. Your body has absorbed Monday's race well.

Today's Training

You had a Z2 Aerobic Base session planned for today (60min, ~41 TSS). Instead you did Pilates (47min) and Strength (41min) — no cycling.

That's absolutely fine. The Pilates and strength work support recovery and general conditioning, but they don't deliver the aerobic stimulus that the Z2 ride would have. With your TSB at +13 and a race next Tuesday, missing one Z2 session costs you less than 1 CTL point — negligible. No need to make it up.

Tomorrow — Friday 3 April

There's nothing on your calendar for Friday, and you've got the Threshold Sharpener on Saturday. Given:

I'd slot in a Z2 endurance ride tomorrow to keep the legs turning and maintain aerobic contact before Saturday's threshold session. Nothing fancy — just accumulate some easy kilojoules.

Saturday's Threshold Sharpener then serves perfectly as your last quality session before the race-heavy block ahead. The sequence flows well: Z2 Friday → Threshold Saturday → Long Z2 Sunday → Rest Monday → Race Tuesday.