Hi. I’m following a Forecast AI plan at the moment for an ultra distance event in the spring. The plan at the moment is generally LXSS focus now with more HIXSS and PXSS added in later. Given we are heading into the autumn/winter in the Northern Hemisphere withh more indoor cycling likely, I’d kind of like to flip this to get more intenstity now with more LXSS later (this would normally be called Reverse Periodisation, but for ultra distance riding its probably just Periodisation?). Is this possible? If not it would be a good option to incorporate to the planner.
Hi @Aindriu… great question! You’re right that traditional endurance planning builds aerobic (Low XSS) fitness first, then layers in more intensity later - mainly because low-intensity adaptations take longer to develop and fade more slowly. That said, there’s absolutely room for a reverse approach, especially if indoor sessions during winter lend themselves better to shorter high-intensity sessions.
Rather than trying to force Forecast AI to do everything in one plan, here’s what I’d suggest:
Set a shorter-term goal for now - for example, improving 5-minute power to help build your High/Peak systems. That’ll naturally steer your plan toward higher-intensity training over the coming weeks.
Then, when the calendar flips (say early January), you can switch over to a longer-duration, ultra-endurance goal. That’ll let Forecast AI re-focus on building LXSS and event-specific fitness through spring.
Also worth noting: the Periodization slider gives you some control over how much “base” (reduced High/Peak XSS) is front-loaded in your plan. The default is 2.5%, which reduces how much intensity you see early on. You can dial it back to 0% if you want a more linear build with intensity mixed in right away.
This kind of flexibility is actually one of the strengths of XFAI - your plan can evolve with your goals and the seasons.
