I'd say this should be the governing factor. Or when that pesky thing known as 'life' gets in the way and blows a hole in the training plan - hey presto! You have an easier week.

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Oh I know why a deload or adequate recovery is required, I am just not sure why it's every 4th week. Who ever came up with the 3weeks "on"/1week "off" (or easy) should be shot. If someone had a reason *why* it's every forth week - something like "because mitochondrial enzymes have a half life of a week then this allows blah blah blah." But I haven't seen that yet.

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Well the 3/1 was the basis of ramped linear progression. My belief is that, since it came from the Soviets, it had a lot to do with cycling steroids and anabolics. In strength sports, people that tend to be strictly 3/1 really push it to a breaking point and there's no choice but to recover or have CNS burnout. I think in endurance sports people see it as a chance to basically crash train and recover. It probably works well with enhanced endurance athletes as well (or did, most seem to use block periodization now) based on the same principals. Also, Friels was really into this system as well so then everyone took it as gospel.

I would agree that Friel probably popularized the 3week on/1 week off, but even he says that it varies depending on the athlete. http://www.joefrielsblog.com/2012/06/re ... esign.html

IDK about anyone else, but *I* need a rest week. So, I plan every 4th week easy. Not off, just easy.

AFA the OP: Doing intervals, etc now will get you ready for the early season racing, but I'm gonna bet you'll be burnt out by June. BTDT So it all depends on what your goals are for the season, when you're planning on peaking, etc. Sounds almost like you've got an April or May peak planned. Me? Late June is my first, then I'm going to reassess and start working back up for Cross season.

M

^ If you are doing that much work you need a deload week after every 3 weeks of training my opinion is you're doing it wrong.

The notion that one gets "burnt out" by doing any sort of intervals just because they are intervals is ludicrous. But then when you are smashing yourself by week 3 in a 4 week plan that wouldn't be surprising. Intervals can and should be done year round. How many, at what intensity and the adaptation phase after will vary but there is no time when their use is not warranted (rehab, injury aside etc).

If stimulus and adaptation are balanced correctly then intervals from the get go and no need for "deload week" every 1 in 4.

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"Physiology is all just propaganda and lies... all waiting to be disproven by the next study."
"I'm not a real doctor; But I am a real worm; I am an actual worm." - TMBG

I find that going easy (or "deloading") for a week now and then is important for me. It makes me able to push above my limits for periods of time.

Be aware that the easy week isn't taking the whole week off, but reducing some of the intensity (and perhaps volume if necessary) to get slightly on the plus side. It also keeps me on the safe side of overtraining.

yeah I think people know what the "easy" week looks like. Over training isnt something thats gonna jump on you without warning, its a slow process that has particular precursor signs. Not sure anyone need an easy week to prevent over training, if the overall plan is well structured.

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Regarding rest: Im yet to find anybody with a scientific way of determining when to rest and for how long. Most training plans are based on experience and there are an endless number of factors like:
-Is it your 1st year of training, or 7th year
-Whats your training stress
-How well do you body respond and recover, it even chances year to year. You dont recover as well at 40 as you did when you where 20.

In the end you have to find the balance between intensity, training and rest to keep training as hard as you need for as long as you need.

In regards to intervals, sure you can do them year round. But I found out last year that intervals are a very delicate matter. If I do FTP intervals like 2x20min at 95% of FTP, they feel easy, but if I do them at over 100% of FTP, they are extremely demanding, and I have to make sure my head is 100% in the game or I will fail the intervals. The same with Vo2Max. If I do 3x3min intervals at 115% of FTP, they feel easy for an interval, but at 120% of FTP, they are tough and 4x3min at 120% of FTP they are extremely demanding. What Im trying to say is the limit between an easy and a hard interval is very thin. The limit between intervals you can do 52 weeks in a row and intervals you can only do for so long before burning out. This should also be taking into account when doing a training schedule and when evalutating if a training session.