This chart shows my steady increase in TSS load per week. My last week hit a new high of 780TSS. This coming week will slack off a bit, then I’ll pick it up again, aiming to level out at around 700-800TSS per week until I have the time to give it a bit of a kick. That’ll probably start around the middle/end of December.

The result of the steady increase in load is this. A nice progression in CTL…

The blue line is CTL. Yellow line is TSB (training-stress balance). TSB is at a new low, so I’ll take today off, and either a short ride or another day off tomorrow.

My training rides have focussed on L3/L4 work, and while my threshold power is still down from where it was last year, I’m finding I can ride at high L3 for long periods. On yesterday’s 140km Double Century training ride, I managed a 20min L4 interval three and a half hours into our ride. Comparing my numbers to my bests, for the range around 30min duration, I’m only about 10w down. The gap widens on shorter durations, probably because of the lack of racing, and the gap is wider, but not too bad, for longer durations. For now I’ll continue to focus on L3/L4 work and in December I’ll start with L5 work in preparation for summer racing.

I’m very happy with how smoothly things have gone so far. Hopefully illness and work interruptions stay clear so that the trend can continue.

Read the original blog post here Fitness improving Content copyright Nick Coyne Photography, Cape Town wedding photographer.