How to get TSB higher for race on Sep 24?

[Daniel Westergren]

I'm following a half-marathon training program, with 25% longer long runs, from Run Club McMillan for a 30K cross-country race on September 24. I've added all the workouts to Fit Plan, with some adjustments for two tune-up races on August 9 (seeding race for the A race) and August 28.

The attached is the training load forecast up to race day. As you can see, TSB is as low as -6 on race day, despite even having lowered the expected TRIMPs for the last week workouts of the tapering. And the seeding race has -3.7 TSB as well.

Training-Load-2016-07-29-edited.png (220.46 KiB) Viewed 6340 times

What can I do to raise the TSB, particularly for the September 24 race, without compromising the CTL too much?

By the way, I've had a 2-week break from running up to two days ago, due to calf strain, and did indoor cycling and roller ski instead. That's why TSB went from -22.5 after the long run where I felt the strain, up to -5 some days ago.

Sure, I could shorten the long runs, or run even slower, to lessen the TRIMP (particularly 22 Aug, 3 Sep and 10 Sep), but then I also wouldn't get the mileage I might need for the 30K race. Or should I taper even more aggressively?

[Daniel Westergren]

For a comparison, this is my Training Load chart since mid-April. I was injured in March, did little training in April and ran a 15K race on May 8. Only restarted the current training phase on May 25.

Training Load May-Oct.png (190.28 KiB) Viewed 6336 times

[tndmbkr]

The TSB theory claims you only can get fitter by doing nothing.
The TSB theory also does not differentiate between high intensity intervals and slow long mileage workouts.


A training scheme is about dose and density.
It is about the number of training days, and the intensity/duration of a training day.

While you rest, you must always maintain your aerobic capacity, lactate treshold, and aerobic treshold.
In a period of rest one will loose aerobic capacity first and foremost.

To overcome a decline in aerobic capacity, you may consider to reduce your training intensity to half the number of intervals. But you may not reduce the number of training days for aerobic capacity.
While focusing on aerobic capacity intervals I will also maintain treshold capacity at a admissable level.


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