Training Plan for Ultra Cycling with AI Coach Help

General
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Moved out of Compass Podcast thread.

I cycle ultra endurance length events, with my A event each year always being 1000km or more. I have been riding them every year since 2012, with my first 1000km+ event in 2013. I turn 60 this year, so very much what you would consider a masters athlete. My last 7 day volume is 16 hours 12 minutes, my weekly average for last 4 weeks is 15 hours 28 mins. When I return to base training in the autumn, I go back to about 8 hours per week and progressively rebuild.

Thought I would share an update on how my training for ultra cycling has gone. I have been following the cycling all rounder plan since mid 2022. But I have always been tweaking it, adding in additional long rides to the plan, using workout alternates. With the new web app and AI conversational coach being launched. I had a chat about adopting the plan for ultra cycling. This is what I came up with, with the AI coach assisting with my deliberations.

I started with the AI coach by giving it the details of my A event; distance, elevation gain, type of climbing, duration etc. thix gave it context of what I was training for. It has remembered this context in all more detailed conversations since. AI chat are known to be like echo chambers, I was careful to phrase the questions so it could not just reflect back my own thoughts.

Though recently I did ask it whether to add some Z3 to a planned aerobic development session and it said no. I like that the coach said no. We all need pushback whether a human or AI coach.

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Initially I setup this schedule, based on my discussions with the AI coach. The AI coach has a bias to suggest long rides at the weekend. It makes sense but Wed , Thu better suits me, and I just asked it to move the back to backs to those days in an outline build week.

Mon - Recovery ride
Tue - Tempo muscular endurance 4-6 x 8 min on a hill 1.5 hours with Z2 warm up and cool down.
Wed - Long hilly ride 4.5 - 6.5 hours in Z2
Thu - Long ride 2.5 - 4 hours in Z2
Fri - Recovery ride
Sat - VO2 Max 4-6 x 4 min on a hill
Sun - Medium Z2 - 2 hours

But I found I was not recovered enough for the Sat VO2 max session.

I changed the weekly schedule to

Mon - Recovery ride
Tue - VO2 Max 4-6 x 4 min on a hill, approx 1.5 hours including warm up and cooldown.
Wed - Long hilly ride 4.5 - 6.5 hours in Z2
Thu - Long ride 2.5 - 4 hours in Z2
Fri - Recovery ride
Sat - Tempo muscular endurance 4-6 x 8 min on a hill 1.75 hours with Z2 warm up and cool down.
Sun - Medium Z2 - 2 hours

I have saved each of the sessions into my library as a template to add to the calendar, and tweak. After I have updated the calendar; I check the performance potential page to ensure my form is forecast to be in the productive zones. Then tweak again if it looks like I am going too deep or not deep enough. I did notice that if I edit the library session, it asks if I wish to update future sessions, based on that library item. This is how I now edit to reduce the number of edits.

As my event has got closer I have switched the tempo to a 2 hour Z2 ride.

This makes my weekly form look like this. I flirt with form between 0 and -8 for the VO2 max session, then push form down to -25 to -30 with the long rides. Then recover form for next week through two recovery rides and two medium aerobic development rides.

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It has worked well, feeling fresh to execute the VO2 max session well, then developing fatigue resistance with the back to back long rides, topped off with the tempo muscular endurance work.

My current fitness and form look like this, just over two weeks out from my A event.

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I have not chased the fitness number, just applied the progressive overload and recover principle. My ramp rate has varied between 3-6% in general. You will note forecast ramp rate for next 7 days is now 0%. I am entering my taper period.

The taper looks like this. My form pops up above zero briefly next week for my next VO2 max session. Then same pattern of long rides etc but reduced duration. Not pushing anywhere as deep. Then week before event freshness briefly pops above zero, again for a VO2 max session. Then much more reduced duration. Form rising to +18 for start of event.

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Certainly feels as though it has built my fitness over the weeks I have been doing it.

The proof of course will be the event. Though ultras are about so much more than just fitness.

Hope this is of interest, showing what I have been doing with assistance, discussing options with the AI coach.

As the @Prof says. These are all tools in the toolbox for you to pick and choose, to be used in ways it best suits the individual. Or perhaps these uses were not envisioned when they were developed!

1 Like
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Thanks for sharing this, Phil. I like how you switched around the schedule to make the VO2 work, and how you used the AI coach to help you craft the plan. It looks like a really good schedule to build up the kind of volume you need to do your ultra.

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Yes, it quite useful for working through a weekly schedule and doing “what if” scenarios. Here is where I asked it to modify my sample build week, in the situation my weekly hours were maxxed out. I did not implement this template this time round; useful ideas for where I have more build meso cycles to work with or tighter constraints on hours before an A event.

Monday – Rest/Active Recovery

  • Unchanged: Dedicated rest or very light easy spin, 0:00–0:30
  • Purpose: Enable full freshness for load.

Tuesday – VO2 Max/Threshold Combo (Intervals, 1h34m)

  • Original: 4 × 4 min at Z3B/Z4
  • Maxxed: 5 × 5 min at Z4 (260–305W), LAST interval include “over-unders” (30 sec Z5-6 surges on top of Z4)
  • Recoveries shortened by 1 min each.
  • Add end-ride high-cadence sprints (3 × 20 sec @ >400W).

Wednesday – Long Endurance Ride (5h)

  • Original: Steady Z2 (154–208W)
  • Maxxed:
    • Include “Fatigue Blocks:” Final 60 min add 4 × 8 min at Z3B (227–260W) with 4 min Z2 between sets.
    • Ride last 30 min at low cadence (60 rpm) for muscular endurance.
    • Practice event-day fueling strictly.

Thursday – Endurance/Tempo with Strength (3h)

  • Original: Z2 base + Z3 tempo/strength
  • Maxxed:
    • Insert 2 × 20 min “sweet spot” (245–255W, ~95–98% FTP) mid-ride
    • Add repeats of 10 min low cadence (60–65 rpm) at 90% FTP
    • Finish with high-cadence spinout

Friday – Active Recovery/Optional Neuro Work

  • Very easy spin or skills: 0:30–1:00
  • Short sprints (3 × 10 sec max, long recoveries) or balance/core drill

Saturday – Event-Specific Long Ride (2h)

  • Original: Long steady Z2
  • Maxxed:
    • Start with 90 minutes Z2
    • Insert 3 × 12 min at Z3B/Z4 (240–265W) in second half, each with low cadence or on a hill
    • Finish with 15 min “fast finish” at upper Z3B or low Z4 (260W+), simulating race surge
    • Use exact race nutrition/hydration protocol

Sunday – Active Recovery or “Micro-Dose Maintenance” (1h)

  • Easy ride or walk as before
  • Option: If not fatigued, add 5 × 30 sec spinups (120+ rpm) with long recovery for neuromuscular “freshness”

Key Overload Strategies Used:

  • Additional/larger intervals or intensity blocks within main aerobic rides
  • Use of “fast finish,” over-unders, and more time at Z3+/Z4 in long rides, not just intervals
  • Specificity: Terrain, cadence focus, and strict event nutrition simulated
  • Progressively less recovery between efforts (shortened rests on interval work)
  • No increase in overall session durations or weekly hours.

Let me know if you want this in spreadsheet format, want alternative overload options, or want to see how to periodize this style across a cycle!

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The other thing I asked about is what a base week might look like, once my events this season are out of the way. All looks sensible to me, though some overall strength conditioning work likely needs adding.

Recommended Weekly Volume:

  • Target 9–11 hours per week—this is about 75–90% of your max weekly training ceiling, balancing gains and sustainable fatigue management.
  • This reflects your recent averages while keeping you fresh for progress.

Intensity Mix:

  • 80–85% in Zones 1–2 (recovery and classic aerobic/endurance, up to 200W)
  • 10–15% in Tempo/Sweet Spot (Z3, 210–250W for you)
  • Occasional 5% (max) in Threshold/VO2 (Z4+, above 260W), only if really fresh

Monday:

  • 1 hr Recovery/Easy Spin
  • Z1–Z2 (110–200W)
  • Focus: Technique & active recovery

Tuesday:

  • 1.5 hr Endurance + Tempo
  • Mostly Z2, 15–20 min Z3A/B (210–250W)
  • Focus: Aerobic base + touch of sweet spot

Wednesday:

  • 3 hr Long Ride
  • Predominantly Z2, with 3×8–10 min Z3B (230–250W), 5 min Z2 between
  • Focus: Endurance, fatigue resistance

Thursday:

  • 2 hr Endurance + Strength-Endurance
  • Z2 steady plus 3×5 min Z3 (strength-endurance work, low cadence/high torque)
  • Focus: Aerobic base, muscular tension

Friday:

  • Off or 45 min Easy Spin
  • Z1
  • Focus: Recovery or rest

Saturday:

  • 1 hr Recovery Spin or Cross-Training
  • Z1
  • Focus: Very light spin, stretching, flexibility

Sunday:

  • Off
  • Full rest
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Then in my library; I have cleaned it up to hold these core sessions. I found, that if I had multiple copies of sessions with different durations, or for instance more intervals then it became quite unwieldly. I will add core session templates for base when I return to that phase of my training again.

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I can then populate the build weeks from my core sessions. If I update a core library session; it will prompt me to update future planned sessions based on the library session template. In this way I can apply progressive overload and recovery to the sessions in the calendar as the plan progresses.

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The ideal for me of course would be able to set my own default weekly base and build weekly library templates. Thus I could just drop a whole week library template on the calendar. Personalised to my current fitness, availability, preferences and event needs, with AI conversational coach help. Then let the AI engine apply progressive overload and recovery to them without much intervention.

2 Likes
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Successful in my lumpy 1300km event in under 4.5 days. Rough half the field did not finish. It has done wonders to my form.

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I asked the AI coach about heart rate suppression during ultra events.

Physiological Reason: Why Heart Rate Is Suppressed After Day 1

  • Acute and cumulative fatigue: Completing massive daily volumes (e.g., multiple 12–22 hour rides without full recovery) leads to very high physiological stress. Your Training Load (TL) and Acute Training Load (ATL) values spiked drastically each day, and your Training Stress Balance (TSB) dropped to extremely negative values (e.g., TSB from +27 to –173), signaling deep, unresolved fatigue.

  • Autonomic nervous system strain:After the first day, your body begins to shift into “energy conservation”—parasympathetic (rest/digest) tone dominates, suppressing heart rate even as you keep exerting yourself.

  • Glycogen depletion/energy deficit:Extended efforts deplete carbs/fats, making HR drift downward at a given intensity, even if RPE (perceived effort) remains high.

  • Sleep deficit: Multiple days with long rides (some over 20 hours!) likely meant little sleep, compounding

  • Notice the trend: Heart rate falls day by day (112 → 94 → high 80s), even though you’re still moving big hours and distance. This shows physiological heart rate suppression in action.

  • Training Load/ATL each day: Enormous daily loads (some >700), ATL peaked at 303; your system was under major stress.

What It Means

  • This pattern is classic “ultra suppression”: The body’s defense against overreaching is lowering heart rate at submaximal efforts. It’s a physiological “shut-down” mode meant to protect vital organs and conserve energy under massive stress.
  • Future implications: When you see HR suppression, it’s a strong indicator for prioritizing deep recovery, more calories, and, if possible, better sleep. Your ability to generate high outputs will bounce back after true rest, not further pushing.
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Autonomic Nervous System (ANS) Imbalance

  • On day one, your sympathetic (“fight or flight”) system is dominant, supporting high alertness, HR, and readiness for exertion.
  • Sustained effort and mounting fatigue quickly shift the balance, driving parasympathetic (vagal) dominance as a protective mechanism. This reduces your resting and exercise HR, a classic “parasympathetic rebound” seen in overreaching/overrecovery.

2. Central Fatigue and Protective Downregulation

  • Chronic, excessive exercise load activates protective mechanisms in the central nervous system (“central governor”). Signals from brain and spinal cord begin to intentionally limit cardiovascular and muscular drive, lowering HR for a given workload, to prevent total system failure.

3. Myocardial and Receptor Adaptation

  • Prolonged ultra efforts lead to heart muscle fatigue: catecholamine (adrenaline/noradrenaline) receptors become desensitized, so even high effort/hormone levels don’t raise HR as much.
  • With each day’s load, your heart adapts for mechanical efficiency: more blood per beat, but fewer beats per minute to conserve energy.

4. Glycogen Depletion and Shifted Substrate Use

  • Glycogen drops rapidly after the first day, especially with insufficient refueling. Lower carb availability causes metabolic downregulation—heart rate drops to preserve limited energy and switch toward more fat oxidation (which is less supportive of high HR).

5. Hormonal and Inflammatory Stress

  • Repeated extreme workload elevates cortisol (stress hormone) and inflammatory cytokines, suppressing both immunity and cardiac drive.
  • Decreased thyroid hormone and testosterone with rising stress signals further reduce overall metabolism and lower HR response.

6. Electrolyte Disruption

  • Multi-day endurance events lead to small (sometimes unnoticed) shifts in sodium, potassium, and calcium balance—affecting the heart’s electrical conduction system and dampening HR response.

7. Sleep Intensity and Cumulative Stress

  • Sleep deprivation or fragmentation multiplies central fatigue and reduces responsiveness to effort—both perceived and cardiovascular.

In your July 6–10 log: All these factors combined! Your downward trend in average HR was classic for this scenario—massive daily load, ever-deeper energy deficit, mounting systemic and CNS fatigue, and the body protecting itself by limiting cardiovascular output.

Summary:
Suppressed heart rate after day one in a multi-day ultra event is a coordinated defensive response: your brain, heart, hormonal system, and metabolism “put on the brakes” to preserve life and vital organs as you accumulate fatigue, glycogen deficit, and stress. This is not ‘fitness’ but a warning to prioritize deep recovery, nutrition, and sleep for restoration.

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Asked about strategies

Phil, here are targeted strategies to help you manage and minimize heart rate suppression across future multi-day ultra cycling events:

1. Adapt Training for Multi-Day Stress

  • Back-to-back ultra simulations:Regularly schedule 2–4 day training blocks that mimic event fatigue—repeat long days, practice sleep deprivation, and use race pacing/fueling.
  • Progressive overload with recovery:Build chronic load but plan deload weeks and mini-recoveries; this raises your tolerance for high acute:chronic stress before suppression occurs.

2. Nutrition, Carbohydrate & Hydration Focus

  • Front-load and spread carbs :Take in 60–90 g carbs/hour from varied sources (liquids/gels/real food), starting in the very first hour and throughout each day—even when not hungry.
  • Monitor hydration :Use sodium-rich solutions and aim for consistent urine color; weigh before/after stages to guide fluid/electrolyte needs.
  • Replenish calories promptly post-stage, especially after the toughest/driest days.

3. Sleep and Recovery Prioritization

  • Protect sleep: Use scheduled 90–120min sleep blocks or micro-naps; sleep quantity and quality directly impact HR variability and defense against suppression.
  • Embrace rest stops: Don’t power through severe daytime sleepiness—short, timed breaks pay off in later-day output.

4. Pacing and Monitoring—Don’t Chase the HR

  • Use power and RPE: As HR suppresses, shift your focus to steady power zones and perceived exertion for pacing.
  • Monitor warning signs: Track trends in HR, RPE, and power together—unexpected HR drops with rising RPE and falling power/alertness signal the need to slow down or recover.

5. In-Race “Damage Control”

  • Micro-calorie and micro-fluid intakes:Even small, frequent sips and snacks help maintain digestive system throughput versus big, infrequent feeds.
  • Relentless problem-solving:Immediately address hot spots, minor injuries, or GI issues to minimise extra systemic stress.

6. Advance Comfort and Kit Prep

  • Ride in all expected weather, gear, and lighting situations during prep.
  • Dial in bike fit for long-term comfort; pain or discomfort compounds physiological fatigue.

Summary:
Implement frequent, race-like back-to-back blocks, aggressive yet steady fueling/hydration, prioritized sleep, and use power/RPE (not HR) for problem-day pacing. Monitoring your own signals for suppression (especially when effort feels hard despite a low HR) is your best defense for knowing when to pause, refuel, or sleep.

2 Likes
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First of all, congratulations on finishing your event in 4. 5 days! That’s a lot of time on the bike! Second, thanks for the continued discussion on the value of the AI coach. The information on ultra suppression is fascinating.

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It is, and the use of more micro naps interesting. It is unsupported and thus perfect nutrition and hydration is not always possible. Also not a daily stage event, clock never stops. Certainly some things to try in the future to see what difference they make. The mindset side I like to think I have dialled, but certainly always other areas to work on.

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Recovery spin today.

Today I replaced chain and rear gear outer and cable. Ultras and the build up certainly clock up component wear and you have to keep on top of keeping everything running smoothly.