Unfortunately I have to give you a little background so you can understand my predicament, I had invasive breast cancer with a partial mastectomy mid March with radiation in May.
I was off my bike for 6 weeks but walking and hiking, started back on the bike in May , I was just riding my bike feeling " great ",considering my circumstance and recovery.
July I started the cx training bundle plan, unfortunately I wasn’t able to complete a lot of the work-outs due to fatigue during the interval training and I wasn’t able to hit my numbers, can’t seem to get out of my own way. I know it will take a full year or more to feel better, I don’t know If I will ever feel like my self again, but I want to be the best and strongest self I can be…
I have looked at my past power numbers and I am really down… Having said all this I did my first cx race yesterday, I was nervous because I know I am not where I want or need to be to… I raced the woman A’s and the SS… It was a good day because I was on my bike…
Do you think I can get my numbers up during the cross season… how do I do this?
I know that I am feeling better, but still not great. I know I can improve my numbers but just not sure how so late in the game…
I noticed that there is no more running in the cx plan? Can I still incorporate it into the plan, I wasn’t able to fit some of it in due to prior fatigue.
After the cx season I want to do the BWR, in May, how much recovery from a full cx season is good and when should I start training for the BWR.
This may sound like a lot but if I don’t keep focused on training and events, the cancer might get me…
First off all good to hear you have your health now and are able to ride your bike!
You’ve been through a lot so give yourself to improve and find fitness! Just work on being better tomorrow than you were today and slowly things will get better.
Yes you can get better during the cx season, however sometimes this can be tough based on a race schedule. If you are racing every weekend, sometimes twice, most of the week training is spent recovering. So you are on more of a race and recovery plan. Of course getting some racing in the legs can help for sure. You are getting in intensity and can improve with each race you do as you get that experience in again. In cross skills are also very important so the more you do the better you will get.
If there are no races on the weekend you can do some of the cx intervals with sweet spot work like early in the cyclocross bundle plan. Just getting and keeping that CTL up.
After cross season you should take at least 2 weeks of the bike. Take a proper off season break.
To get ready for BWR you need to do a ton of sweet spot riding! Our best plan for that is the 18 week sweet spot plan. Not sure how many weeks you have from your last race, including a 2 week break. As we also have a 6 week Fondo plan which you could do before. We also have a 10 week resistance training program, which is a strength training plan. Though with that you may not have time to get a not sweet spot work before BWR. You would want to be able to finish that resistance training phase at least 12 weeks before BWR.
It looks like I can start training for the BWR January 1st and the BWR is May 3 so its barely 16 weeks, would the 18 weeks sweet spot or the sweet training with weight resistance be good? I would like to get my FTP up by 30 watts, is it possible?
CPT