Xert Training Load, Volume, Form, and Fatigue
I just finished my ride. We’ll talk about Xert Training Load and whether I am on track for my November 14th goal in a bit. But first, The Xert Adaptive Training Advisor wanted 163 XSS, an Xert FOCUS of 15:44 and it told me I was “Fresh”. Last night, after a poor night’s rest, I made sure that I went to bed at a reasonable hour, was hydrated, and slept soundly. My Garmin Performance Condition affirmed my Xert Form, with a “+8”. So, I decided to get in a few hours on the road bike. Here’s the course.
The most significant aspect of this course is the rolling terrain. The roads roughly follow the Truckee River, all the way to the California border. There are LOTS of hills and climbs, and the route is as challenging as you want to make it.
Remember what the Xert Adaptive Training Advisor suggested…
163 XSS and a 15:44 FOCUS. Well, here’s the cyclist’s dilemma.
It is REALLY HARD to achieve your Workout Goal of XSS AND FOCUS. In fact, in 3 hours of cycling. I only achieved 171 XSS. In order to do that, I needed to basically do enough intensity to hit a FOCUS of 5:55. That’s 3X harder than the recommendation.
And that’s why this stuff is called ADVICE.
Neither you nor I are Robots. No two rides are the same. No two preparations are the same. Fatigue is still ethereal. We think we know what’s going on, but sometimes we don’t get the results we expect.
Yesterday was not a great day on the bike. Today, with rest, I had a great ride, with multiple PR’s on some segments, and I achieved my XSS goals, which you can see HERE. It DEFINITELY moved the needle towards 12 O’Clock. Have a look…
Xert Training Load – The Bigger Picture
Working out and getting rides in for volume is always fun and challenging. It helps, however, when you get to look at the bigger picture. How am I doing, two weeks in?
I started off with a, Xert Training Load of 42.7 XSS, so in two weeks, I have increased my volume and intensity substantially. This is good, but it also shows just how important those EASY days are. Look at the blue and yellow Xert Form Line from September 27 through October 2nd. It stayed flat, and the value was just under Zero. Translation? I was not recovering, but I was not fatiguing myself, either. Today’s ride FOCUS blew that trend out of the water.
Remember the mantra: “Temper Action With Wisdom”. I’m loving the Action. But I am chafing at the Wisdom.
There’s one more ride that my wife and I are going to do tomorrow, and we’re both committed to a low, slow, fat-burning ride. The XSS will probably be around 140, and the Xert Training Load will show another bump, while the Xert Form Line will probably get more negative. I’ll take Monday off and fly my drone a bit, and we will see what Tuesday brings.
Thanks for reading!
