Event plan finished - what now

I just completed a forecast plan I used for a local cycle race. I enjoyed the flexibility of Xert in recognizing the work done during outside efforts and adjusting for that.
I tend to do a few outside rides a week (enjoyment with friends is part of the reason we ride, right!), which can be anything from chilled to race efforts :smiley: so I really appreciate that Xert can adjust the plan based on what happened in real life.
Event also went well - didn’t get the target time, but that’s more due to race execution than fitness, so happy with the training so far.

Question: my next “Primary” event is only end September. It’s a ~4hour, 100km MTB / Gravel race with a few proper climbs (~10-12 min efforts).
I plan on doing a few local gravel races in between, but those will be short-notice entries if the weather looks good.

How would you set up your training in Xert now? stack a number of challenges? Continuous improvement up to e.g. 60 days before the event and then start a Forecast plan again?
For the next month or so I’ll probably still ride outside during the week, but we are going into winter here, so will start doing more weekday rides indoors, so was thinking maybe stick to a more flexible “continuous improvement” stage until mid/end May, then do a forecast AI plan up to 20 Sept.

New to Xert, so would appreciate some suggestions from the old hands.

Thanks
Jacques

1 Like

My suggestion would be to experiment with Continuous ATP for now.
Get to know how Xert works with a blank calendar and day-to-day decisions primarily guided by calculated form with the freedom to ride however you wish.
Set a ramp rate that you’re comfortable with whether that’s Maintenance (0) to float around the same hours/TL you’re doing now, or set to Taper if you like to gradually reduce hours, or move to Off-Season if you’re not concerned with monitoring the Training Pacer needle at this time of year.

In Continuous mode you select a Focus Duration but can change that periodically to add more variety to HIT recommendations or select a different Focus Duration on-the-fly using Filter to pick something you haven’t done before. XATA adapts to whatever you decide to do.

When ready to start your progression for the Sept event your choices are to move on to an XFAI plan with a mapped-out course or if you prefer the blank-calendar approach consider the 120 Day Program which will start a traditional phased progression running in background. That means all Base endurance for 45 days, moving on to Build phase with escalating HIT for 30 days, followed by Peak phase with more HIT work zeroing in your selected Focus Duration with a warning to Taper the week before the target date.

1 Like