Adding to start of 32week plan -overtraining?

Training Plans
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I am only 2 weeks into the 32 week plan. This is my first ‘real’ structure training plan, so I am expecting great things :). My base fitness is very strong (lots of mtb time during COVID summer) but I haven’t developed my aerobic fitness (no FTP gains over a year ago).

My question is about adding to the training plan. I host 2hr (elapsed) intermediate mtb rides for a local club 1/month and have been able to juggle that into the weekend group rides section of the plan with some extra uphill pushes that annoy my ride-mates. However some hosts are out due to injuries and we need to cover for them on weeknight rides… I am worried about ‘adding’ these to my training plan and whether that may lead to overtraining. These rides can be anywhere from 30-80hr TSS (hr) depending on who shows up and how much stopping and chatting there is. The weeknight ones generally fall where I have rest days in the plan. I can be a ‘bad host’ and trying and force the TSS closer to 30 if needed… How important are rest days as full rest at this stage in the plan? I have to sign up to host weeks in advance so I can’t play it by ear depending on how I feel. Training plan is very important for me! (I am getting old, I want to increase the base that I have to ‘sustain’ before I am too old to be make any gains). I just want to balance personal obligations as reasonably as possible…

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Hi!

The only way to get faster is with proper training and recovery. Even with a lighter workload if you are not resting on your off days you will struggle to get adapt to the training which in return will make you faster. So it is important to keep the off days.

You can do some juggle around of your workouts so that the days you host line up with the days you have training rides. Match workouts with the type of riding you can accomplish while hosting. You would want to keep the higher intensity days after rest days. But this can get complicated.

You could always sign up for our coaching subscription and have one of us go into your TrainingPeaks and help you arrange the plan and make it work for you.

Early on in the 32 week plan doing the fall foundation you will not feel the overload too much with missing an off day but that will add up and come later on you will pay the price for missing those recovery days.

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Coach Jakes gives an excellent answer that is simply FtFP and trust the plan:

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