Plan review: June 6-15 peak block, sport-science assessment

Athlete: Sidney McGill
Review date: 2026-06-05
Review window: 2026-06-06 through 2026-06-15
Target event: Ghost of the Gravel, 2026-06-27, Water Valley / Cochrane area, AB
Reviewer stance: independent sport-science and coaching critique, not plan validation

Evidence reviewed

Primary plan files

athlete/calendar/2026-06-06.md through athlete/calendar/2026-06-15.md
athlete/rolling-7-day.md
athlete/rolling-3-week.md
athlete/planning/2026-06-06-to-2026-06-15-plan-summary.md
athlete/planning/2026-06-06-to-2026-06-15-gym-strength-core-plan.md

Supporting context

athlete/PROFILE.md
athlete/settings.yml
athlete/context/season-goals.md
athlete/context/race-calendar.md
athlete/context/travel-schedule.md
athlete/context/power-zones.md
athlete/context/current-focus.md
athlete/context/2026-05-27-to-2026-06-05-trainingpeaks-workouts.md
Recent canonical daily logs, especially athlete/logs/daily/2026-05-27.md through athlete/logs/daily/2026-06-05.md

Evidence handling

Direct evidence means the plan file or daily log states it.
Inference means I derived it from the files, for example planned TSS from structured workout steps.
Speculation means the file set does not confirm it, for example exact FTP, body mass, HRV, sleep, menstrual-cycle status, thyroid labs, or whether unlogged meals existed.
The dated calendar files are treated as authoritative when they conflict with rolling or summary files.
Coach Gunnar owns Sidney's live TrainingPeaks calendar. Coach Luca's athlete/calendar/ files are an internal plan and are intentionally not published to live TrainingPeaks. I do not treat "not on TP" as a flaw.

External evidence base checked

The review applies current consensus and review-level evidence on progressive overload and acute workload spikes, training-intensity distribution, tapering, carbohydrate availability and gut training, REDs and low energy availability, concurrent strength-endurance training, and graded return to running. Key sources are linked at the end of this file.

1. Executive summary

Overall verdict: this is a purposeful, race-specific peak block with strong athlete readability and a good taper concept, but I would not run it exactly as written. The architecture is directionally right. The execution density is too aggressive for the athlete context unless readiness is clearly green every day.

The plan correctly identifies the central Ghost of the Gravel problem: ride 118 km, mostly gravel, with about 2070 m of climbing, while still able to apply sub-threshold pressure and respond late. The block therefore emphasizes long gravel duration, sustained 80-88 percent FTP pressure, race fuelling, and equipment rehearsal. That is the right target.

The main problem is not that any single session is irrational. The problem is the stacking: a recently confirmed 3:45 ride on June 4, then June 6 endurance plus tempo, June 8 endurance plus first loaded gym session, June 9 threshold, June 11 first 4-hour gravel-pressure ride, June 12 gym, and June 13 a 5-hour simulation. For an elite rider this is possible. For this specific rider, with recent SI/back flare, recent low-energy-availability signals, Hashimoto's recovery sensitivity, and several unconfirmed recent execution days, the margin is thin.

Highest-leverage findings:

The peak-block idea is sound, but the load is too dense. The structured bike work totals about 21.5 hours and about 1040 estimated TSS from June 6-14, plus two runs and two gym sessions. The hardest rolling 7-day window is about 17.2 hours and about 855 estimated TSS. That is a material jump from the recent approximately 13-hour TrainingPeaks week.
The long-ride ladder is aggressive because June 4 already became 3:45. The true progression is not just 3:30 -> 4:00 -> 5:00. It is 3:45 on June 4 -> up to 3:30 on June 6 -> 4:00 on June 11 -> 5:00 on June 13. The 4:00 and 5:00 rides are separated by only one easy day.
The intensity distribution is broadly appropriate for gravel: mostly low intensity, a meaningful middle-intensity layer, and very little high intensity. The missing piece is not more hard volume. It is a small amount of late-race surge specificity and course-terrain specificity.
Fuelling targets are appropriate in principle, but the progression is too abrupt relative to the June 4 observed intake. On June 4 she reported about 172 g carbohydrate over 3:45, roughly 46 g/h. The plan asks 80-90 g/h repeatedly and 90 g/h on June 13. That is correct race science, but it needs a cleaner gut-training ramp and product plan.
The gym and running reintroductions are sensible in intent but slightly too much in placement. Two strength sessions, not 2-3, is correct this week. But the June 8 lower-body session should be lighter than written, and the June 10 run should be optional because it sits between threshold and the first 4-hour gravel ride.

Bottom line: run this as a modified peak block. Keep June 13 as the decisive simulation, but reduce the cost of June 6, June 9, June 11, and June 12 enough that Sidney reaches the simulation ready rather than carrying hidden fatigue.

2. Block architecture and periodization

Direct evidence

Ghost of the Gravel is listed in athlete/context/race-calendar.md on 2026-06-27. athlete/context/current-focus.md frames it as a real June performance objective, not just a benchmark. athlete/rolling-3-week.md defines June 6-15 as "peak specificity", June 16-22 as taper week one, and June 23-27 as race week.

The block is placed 12-21 days before the race. The biggest session, June 13, sits 14 days before race day. That is a defensible time for the final major simulation: close enough to be specific, far enough away to taper if the load is absorbed.

The taper concept in rolling-3-week.md is broadly correct:

June 16-22 lowers bike volume to about 11-13 hours.
June 23-27 uses low volume with tune-up, travel, recon, openers, and race.
June 15 is a full rest day.

Assessment

The shape is right: peak specificity, recovery anchor, taper, race week. This is good periodization.

The weakness is the hand-off. The block does not end after June 13. It still has June 14 recovery endurance and June 15 full rest. That is fine. But the real physiological cost lands from June 9 through June 13:

June 9: threshold 2 x 20 min
June 11: first 4-hour gravel ride with 75 min at 82-88 percent FTP
June 13: 5-hour simulation with 90 min at 80-88 percent FTP plus final-hour pressure

That is three major race-relevant stimuli in five days, with a first loaded lower-body gym session one day before the threshold workout and a light gym session one day before the simulation. In a rider with a perfectly stable recent load and clean recovery markers, I would consider it a big but legitimate overreach. In Sidney's current context, I would call it a high-risk overreach unless modified.

The taper runway is adequate only if June 14-18 are truly absorbent. If the full block is executed as written, the June 16 threshold sharpener and June 19 final substantial gravel ride in rolling-3-week.md should become conditional, not automatic.

Concrete architecture change

Keep the block identity, but reduce density:

June 6: make it 3:00 mostly Z2, with the 3 x 10 min tempo removed or made optional at 76-82 percent only if June 4 is fully absorbed.
June 9: keep threshold, but cap at 2 x 16-18 min at 94-98 percent unless June 6 and June 8 are clearly green.
June 11: keep the 4-hour gravel objective, but reduce pressure to 2 x 25 min or 3 x 20 min at 82-86 percent if June 9 was completed.
June 12: make the gym optional and very short. The easy spin should be 45-60 min if there is any heaviness.
June 13: protect the simulation above all else.

3. Load and progression analysis

Planned volume from the dated calendar files

Calendar duration ranges from the authoritative dated files:

Date	Bike prescription	Calendar duration	Structured duration	Additional load
Jun 6	Endurance with 3 x 10 min tempo	3:00-3:30	3:05	None
Jun 7	Easy endurance	1:30	1:30	Run 0:20
Jun 8	Endurance	2:00	2:00	Gym 0:45-1:00
Jun 9	Threshold 2 x 20 min	2:15-2:30	2:15	None
Jun 10	Easy endurance	1:30	1:30	Run 0:20-0:25
Jun 11	Gravel sustained pressure	4:00	3:58	None
Jun 12	Easy spin	1:00-1:15	1:10	Gym 0:30-0:40
Jun 13	Ghost simulation	5:00	4:50	None
Jun 14	Recovery endurance	1:00-1:30	1:10	None
Jun 15	Rest	Off	Off	Optional mobility only

The calendar duration range for June 6-14 is about 21.25-22.75 bike hours. The structured workout steps total about 21.47 bike hours. The plan summary's "about 20-22 hours" is slightly understated if the upper end of the calendar durations is used, but accurate if the structured workouts are the intended ceiling.

Important discrepancy: June 13 is titled and described as 5:00, but the structured workout totals about 4:50. June 14 is titled 1:30, while the structured workout totals 1:10. June 6 is listed as 3:00-3:30, while the structured workout totals 3:05. These are not major coaching errors, but they are execution-noise errors. The athlete should not have to infer whether the title, duration line, or workout builder is the real prescription.

Estimated TSS and IF

Method: estimated from the structured workout steps using midpoint percent FTP for each step. This is not TrainingPeaks planned TSS and not actual TSS. It assumes the percent-of-FTP steps reflect current threshold. athlete/context/power-zones.md implies FTP is around 275 W from the top of corrected Z4, but FTP is not explicitly confirmed in the files.

Date	Structured bike time	Estimated TSS	Equivalent IF	Notes
Jun 6	3.08 h	149	0.69	Tempo events inside endurance
Jun 7	1.50 h	59	0.63	Easy endurance plus run
Jun 8	2.00 h	92	0.68	Endurance plus first loaded gym
Jun 9	2.25 h	130	0.76	40 min at 95-100 percent
Jun 10	1.50 h	59	0.63	Easy endurance plus run
Jun 11	3.97 h	210	0.73	75 min at 82-88 percent
Jun 12	1.17 h	43	0.61	Easy spin plus light gym
Jun 13	4.83 h	262	0.74	Simulation, substantial sub-threshold load
Jun 14	1.17 h	41	0.59	Recovery endurance
Total	21.47 h	1044	0.70	Bike only, excluding runs and gym

Low-to-high range using the lower and upper ends of the power targets is roughly 909-1190 TSS. If FTP is not current, the real cost can move meaningfully.

Rough mechanical work, if FTP is about 275 W and the athlete rides near midpoint targets, is approximately 14,700 kJ across June 6-14. That is a large energy-demand block even before daily living, running, and strength are added.

Acute jump

Direct evidence from athlete/context/2026-05-27-to-2026-06-05-trainingpeaks-workouts.md shows roughly 13 planned bike hours from May 27 through June 5, plus two planned strength sessions and two rest days. Actual completion evidence is incomplete in the daily logs, but confirmed or strongly indicated data include:

May 27: 3:10 actual endurance, hrTSS 127.6, hrIF 0.60.
June 2: some ride happened, based on ride-bar timing, but threshold completion is unconfirmed.
June 4: Sidney reported a 3:45 endurance ride, average HR 140 bpm, with logged on-bike intake.
June 5: rest day in TrainingPeaks and workspace context.

The June 6-14 structured bike load is about 21.5 hours across nine riding days, not a standard 7-day week. The largest rolling 7-day windows are:

June 6-12: about 15.5 h and about 742 estimated TSS
June 7-13: about 17.2 h and about 855 estimated TSS
June 8-14: about 16.9 h and about 836 estimated TSS

Compared with a recent approximately 13-hour week, the rolling 7-day volume jump is about 19-33 percent. If one compares the whole 9-day peak microcycle to the recent 7-day reference, the apparent jump is about 65 percent, but that is not a like-for-like comparison.

The practical coaching conclusion: this is a real overload. It is not reckless by elite standards, but it is high enough that the plan needs readiness gates and should not also reintroduce too many orthopaedic and nutrition stressors at the same time.

Long-ride ladder

Direct evidence:

June 4 daily log: 3:45 endurance ride, average HR 140 bpm.
June 6 calendar: 3:00-3:30 endurance with tempo instances.
June 11 calendar: 4:00 gravel sustained pressure.
June 13 calendar: 5:00 Ghost simulation.

The plan summary presents the ladder as 3.5 h -> 4 h -> 5 h. That is incomplete because June 4 already delivered 3:45. The real near-term ladder is:

June 4: 3:45 actual
June 6: up to 3:30 planned, with tempo
June 11: 4:00 planned
June 13: 5:00 planned

From June 4 to June 13, the longest ride rises from 3:45 to 5:00, about a 33 percent increase in nine days. From the June 11 first 4-hour ride to the June 13 simulation, the long ride rises by 25 percent after only one easy day.

This is the single most important risk in the plan. The 5-hour simulation is valuable, but it should be protected by reducing either the June 6 tempo or the June 11 pressure density.

4. Intensity distribution and session design

Block-level intensity distribution

Using midpoint percent FTP from the structured workouts:

Intensity bucket	Minutes	Hours	Share
Low, below 76 percent FTP	1035	17.25 h	80.4 percent
Moderate, 76-90 percent FTP	213	3.55 h	16.5 percent
High, above 90 percent FTP	40	0.67 h	3.1 percent

This is pyramidal with a gravel-specific middle-intensity layer. That is appropriate for Ghost. The race is not a cyclocross race and does not require a VO2-dominant peak block. The plan is right to put most of the work below threshold and to use 80-88 percent FTP extensively.

The problem is density, not distribution. In five days, Sidney gets threshold, sustained sub-threshold, and a 5-hour simulation. The moderate-intensity minutes are well chosen but tightly packed.

June 6: Endurance 3:00-3:30 with 3 x 10 min tempo

Direct evidence: athlete/calendar/2026-06-06.md prescribes steady Z2 with 3 x 10 min tempo at 76-85 percent FTP, 80 g/h fuelling, road or smooth gravel.

What works:

Good aerobic session.
Tempo events are low risk in isolation.
Fuelling rehearsal starts early in the block.
The structured workout is simple and executable.

Concern:

This comes two days after the confirmed 3:45 endurance ride on June 4 and one day after rest. The plan calls it the "last long ride before stepping up to 4:00", but June 4 already effectively did that job.
Tempo here is not essential because the block already contains threshold on June 9, gravel pressure on June 11, and final-hour pressure on June 13.

Concrete alternative:

3:00 Z2 only, 65-73 percent FTP.
Optional: 3 x 8 min at 76-82 percent only if legs are clearly normal after the first 90 min.
Keep 70-80 g/h carbohydrate, not necessarily 80 g/h if this is kept aerobic.

Expected benefit: lower early-block cost while preserving aerobic volume and fuelling practice.

June 9: Threshold 2 x 20 min at 95-100 percent FTP

Direct evidence: athlete/calendar/2026-06-09.md prescribes 2 x 20 min at 95-100 percent FTP, 10 min recovery, inside 2:15-2:30. It already includes a downgrade option to 2 x 16 min if legs are flat.

What works:

2 x 20 min is a classic threshold-extension workout and relevant to sustained climbing pressure.
Ten minutes recovery is appropriate.
The downgrade option is good athlete-readability and good coaching.

Concern:

It follows June 8, which includes 2:00 endurance plus the first loaded gym session back.
95-100 percent is expensive in a high-volume peak microcycle. If FTP is stale or inflated, this becomes an unplanned over-threshold session.
The race target is 4.5 hours of sustained gravel pressure, not a 40-minute threshold test. Threshold support matters, but not at the cost of the June 11 and June 13 sessions.

Concrete alternative:

Default: 2 x 16-18 min at 94-98 percent FTP, 10 min easy between.
Upgrade to 2 x 20 only if June 6, June 8 gym, sleep, appetite, and back/SI status are all clearly green.
Cap by RPE: strong controlled pressure, not time-trial strain. If cadence or posture deteriorates, end the interval.

Expected benefit: keeps threshold stimulus while reducing the chance of carrying deep fatigue into the 4-hour and 5-hour rides.

June 11: Gravel sustained pressure 4:00 with 3 x 25 min at 82-88 percent FTP

Direct evidence: athlete/calendar/2026-06-11.md prescribes 4:00 gravel or mixed terrain, 3 x 25 min at 82-88 percent FTP in the second half, mostly seated at 80-90 rpm, 80-90 g/h.

What works:

This is one of the best sessions in the block for Ghost specificity.
It targets the correct physiological band: high aerobic / sub-threshold durability.
It places pressure in the second half, which is the right idea for fatigue resistance.
It includes race tires and pressures.

Concern:

It is only 48 hours after threshold work and 48 hours before the simulation.
Three 25-minute blocks at 82-88 percent in a 4-hour ride creates substantial muscular and glycogen cost.
If this is the first 4-hour ride of the block, the session already has a duration novelty. It does not also need the full pressure dose.

Concrete alternative:

Option A, if June 9 was completed well:

4:00 total.
2 x 25 min at 82-86 percent in the second half.
Keep cadence 85-95 rpm unless terrain dictates otherwise.

Option B, if June 9 was shortened or skipped and Sidney is green:

4:00 total.
3 x 20 min at 82-88 percent.

Expected benefit: preserves the most race-specific training without compromising June 13.

June 13: Ghost simulation 5:00

Direct evidence: athlete/calendar/2026-06-13.md prescribes a 5:00 race simulation on gravel, race breakfast, race bottles, race tires, 90 g/h carbohydrate, 700-1000 mg/h sodium, no solid bars, and final-hour pressure. Structured workout totals about 4:50 rather than 5:00.

What works:

Correct placement: 14 days before race day.
Correct priorities: pacing, fuelling, equipment, staying composed deep into the ride.
Correct surface: gravel.
Correct plan to log products, timing, and GI response.
The final-hour work is conceptually right.

Concern:

The structured workout is 4:50, not 5:00. That needs cleanup.
The final-hour pressure is only 18 min total at 88-92 percent FTP. For a 4.5-hour gravel race, the final hour should test the ability to ride at race pressure while fatigued, with small surges or terrain changes.
If the full June 9 and June 11 sessions are completed as written, a 5-hour simulation may test fatigue more than it builds readiness.

Concrete alternative:

Duration: 4:35-4:50 is enough if the goal is race-duration rehearsal. A full 5:00 is optional, not mandatory.
Main body: keep 3 x 30 min at 80-86 percent, not 80-88 percent, if June 11 was substantial.
Final hour: use one simple race-specific set, for example 4 x 5 min at 90-94 percent with one 20 sec acceleration to 110-115 percent in the final minute of each rep, 5 min easy between. This adds surge specificity without turning the day into VO2 work.
Fuelling: 90 g/h only if June 11 at 80-90 g/h was tolerated without GI distress. Otherwise use 80-85 g/h and finish healthy.

Expected benefit: better final-hour race readiness with less unnecessary total cost.

What is missing

The block is not missing volume. It is not missing threshold. It is missing a very small amount of event-rhythm specificity:

Short seated and standing accelerations over rolling gravel.
Pacing over repeated short climbs.
Controlled pressure immediately after a loose descent or turn.
A final-hour ability to answer a move without spiking repeatedly.

This does not require a new hard session. It can be inserted into June 13 or the taper as a low-volume detail.

5. Ghost-of-the-Gravel race specificity

External course evidence confirms the Full Ghost as 118 km with about 110 km of gravel and about 2070 m of climbing. The course starts in Water Valley, hits gravel after about 4 km, includes packed clay gravel and looser sections, climbs toward Harold Creek Road around kilometre 34, reaches the highest point around kilometre 60, then continues over rolling foothills terrain. The 2025 elite women's race was won in just under 4 hours, with front-group podium separation measured in seconds to minutes. Sidney's working target is about 4:35.

What the plan prepares well

Duration: June 13 is long enough to rehearse a 4.5-hour race.
Sub-threshold climbing pressure: June 11 and June 13 are relevant.
Fuelling: the plan treats fuelling as a performance variable, not an afterthought.
Equipment: June 11 and June 13 call for race tires and pressures.
Terrain: gravel is explicitly prescribed on June 11 and June 13.

What needs tightening

Pacing specificity:

The course is not a flat steady-state event. It has climbs, descent risk, loose surface, and group dynamics.
The plan should include late ride "settle after a surge" work, not just steady blocks.

Equipment specificity:

Race tires and pressures are mentioned, but the plan should also specify a short equipment checklist: tire size and pressure, plug kit, CO2 or pump, chain lube, gearing check for sustained climbing, bottle and feed plan, and whether the chosen bottles stay secure on rough gravel.
Two bottles may not be enough depending on temperature and feed access. The plan should define refill timing around the actual course support.

Surface specificity:

Ontario gravel may not match Alberta foothills gravel. The simulation still helps, but the race-week recon should validate pressure and handling.

Final-hour readiness:

The plan says "race-pressure in the final hour", which is correct. The structured prescription only gives 18 minutes at 88-92 percent. That is a start, not a full final-hour rehearsal.
Add simple fatigue-state surges as above, or use a controlled final 45 minutes of rolling pressure at 80-88 percent with 4-6 brief accelerations.

6. Fuelling and nutrition science

Direct evidence

The plan prescribes:

June 6: 80 g/h.
June 9: 80 g/h.
June 11: 80-90 g/h.
June 13: race breakfast 3-4 h before, 90 g/h on the bike, drink mix plus gel, no solid bars, sodium 700-1000 mg/h, log products/timing/GI response.

Recent daily logs show:

June 4: during a 3:45 endurance ride, Sidney logged maple syrup drink, electrolyte water with no carbohydrate, 875 mL Gatorade, three homemade bars, and one fruit-based bar. Estimated carbohydrate was about 172 g, roughly 46 g/h.
June 5: by 14:32 local time, visible intake was about 743 kcal and 118 g carbohydrate on a rest day. The day was not complete at the time of review, but the early pattern still reinforces that total daily intake needs attention.
May 31 through June 3 contained several moderate or under-supported visible days, with repeated uncertainty around full daily intake and session execution.

Assessment

The 80-90 g/h target is scientifically appropriate for a 4-5 hour gravel race if it uses multiple transportable carbohydrates and has been practised. For a trained elite rider, 90 g/h is a reasonable race target.

The problem is progression. The last clearly described long ride was closer to 45-50 g/h. Jumping from that to 90 g/h, especially with drink mix plus gels and no solids, can work, but it is a GI-risk jump unless product composition and concentration are controlled.

Product and gut-training recommendations

Before the block runs:

June 6: use 70-80 g/h, not a forced 80 g/h if intensity stays endurance.
June 9: use 75-80 g/h.
June 11: use 80-90 g/h only if June 6 and June 9 were tolerated.
June 13: target 90 g/h only if June 11 had no GI distress. Otherwise cap at 80-85 g/h and protect the session.

Use multiple transportable carbohydrate:

Aim for a glucose/fructose blend near 2:1 to 1:0.8 depending on product tolerance.
Do not rely on a random combination of maple syrup, regular sports drink, and gels unless the carbohydrate totals, fructose content, osmolality, and fluid volume are known.
Keep the bottle concentration race-realistic. Very concentrated bottles require enough plain water to avoid GI distress.

Hydration and sodium:

700-1000 mg sodium/h is a plausible race range, especially in heat or for a salty sweater, but should be individualized.
For moderate conditions, a starting range of 600-800 mg/h may be safer, with adjustment upward if sweat rate, salt loss, and heat justify it.
Fluids should be planned from sweat rate and course access, not from bottle count alone. The plan should specify expected fluid per hour and refill points.

Daily energy availability:

This is the highest-impact nutrition issue. A 21.5-hour bike block plus gym and running cannot be absorbed from repeated partial-intake days.
Because Sidney has Hashimoto's and a recent orthopaedic flare, low energy availability is not just a performance risk. It is a recovery, endocrine, immune, and tissue-tolerance risk.
Protein should be explicit. If using the recent working assumption of about 62 kg body mass from prior nutrition plans, a practical target is about 100-125 g/day during this block, divided across 3-5 feedings. If actual body mass differs, recalculate.
The plan should state a post-key-session recovery target: carbohydrate plus 25-35 g protein within the first hour, then a normal meal within 2-3 hours.
All product and meal suggestions must stay strictly gluten-free and dairy-free.

Biggest nutrition risk

The biggest nutrition risk is not the 90 g/h race target. It is attempting the block with insufficient total daily energy and inconsistent carbohydrate availability. The plan needs meal scaffolding around the key sessions, not just on-bike grams.

7. Strength, core, and running reintroduction

Strength plan assessment

Direct evidence: the gym plan prescribes:

June 8: full-body strength plus introductory core, 45-60 min, submaximal RPE 6-7. Trap-bar deadlift or hinge 3 x 5 at 65-75 percent 1RM, goblet or box squat 3 x 6, split squat 2 x 6/side, calf raise, row, light core.
June 12: upper body and core only, 30-40 min, RPE 6, no lower-body loading.

What works:

Two sessions, not three, is the right choice in this peak week.
Friday is correctly upper/core only.
The stop triggers are appropriate: radiating leg pain, numbness, tingling, weakness, sharp SI/back pain.
No max loading and no spinal loading to failure are correct constraints.

Concern:

June 8 is the first loaded gym session back, and it sits one day before threshold. A 65-75 percent 1RM trap-bar deadlift for 3 x 5 is not aggressive in normal circumstances, but it is aggressive enough for a reintroduction week when the next five days include threshold, 4 hours, and 5 hours.
The combination of hinge, squat, split squat, and calf raise may produce delayed soreness even at RPE 6-7.
The plan says "no soreness-seeking", but the prescription still has enough lower-body volume to create soreness if the athlete has been away from loaded work.

Concrete alternative for June 8:

Trap-bar deadlift or hinge: 2 x 5 at RPE 5-6 or about 60-65 percent 1RM.
Goblet or box squat: 2 x 6 at RPE 5-6.
Split squat: 1-2 x 6/side, bodyweight or very light load.
Calf raise and row as written.
Keep core, but stop the session at 40-45 min.

Concrete alternative for June 12:

Keep it optional. If any fatigue, back tension, poor sleep, or appetite suppression appears, skip it.
If performed, cap at 25-30 min and keep all movements easy enough to feel like activation, not training.

Running reintroduction assessment

Direct evidence:

June 7: 20 min very easy treadmill run, flat.
June 10: 20-25 min very easy treadmill, road only if ankle felt good after Sunday.

What works:

Short duration.
Treadmill-first.
Symptom-led.
Placed away from key bike days.

Concern:

Sidney is a cyclist returning to running. Impact load is novel even when aerobic cost is low.
June 10 sits between threshold and the first 4-hour gravel ride. The run is not important enough to risk calf, ankle, hip, or SI irritability in that window.
"Road is fine if the ankle felt good" may be too permissive after only one 20-minute treadmill exposure.

Concrete alternative:

June 7: 15-20 min treadmill as 4-5 x 3 min jog / 1 min walk, flat.
June 10: optional only. If done, treadmill only, 15-20 min easy, no road yet.
Progress running by symptom response 24 hours later, not by how it feels during the run.

Expected benefit: preserves the reintroduction signal without adding avoidable tissue risk before the decisive bike work.

8. Recovery, health, and risk management

Direct evidence

Athlete context:

athlete/PROFILE.md documents Hashimoto's thyroiditis and difficulty with recovery / over-training.
Recent daily logs document a late-May SI/back flare with earlier radiating leg pain, later improving to local symptoms only, then reported as cleared for full cycling in the new rolling files.
Daily logs from May 27-June 5 contain repeated "Readiness: Unconfirmed" classifications, missing or incomplete session outcomes, and nutrition days that were sometimes moderate or visibly light.

Plan recovery structure:

June 5 rest before the block.
June 7 easy endurance plus run.
June 10 easy endurance plus run.
June 12 easy spin plus gym.
June 14 recovery endurance.
June 15 rest.

Assessment

The plan has easy days, but not many true low-stress days. June 7, June 10, and June 12 each include a second modality. June 8 is a support endurance ride plus gym, but physiologically it is not a recovery day. June 14 is recovery endurance after the biggest ride. The first true rest after the peak sequence is June 15.

That means the plan depends heavily on:

Easy days being genuinely easy.
Fuelling being strong.
Sleep being stable.
No recurrence of back/SI symptoms.
No GI failure from carbohydrate escalation.

The single biggest risk is accumulated under-recovery from stacked load plus incomplete energy availability, leading to either a back/SI relapse or a systemic fatigue signal. The 5-hour simulation itself is not the main risk. The main risk is arriving at the 5-hour simulation with too much unresolved load already in the system.

Stop and downgrade triggers

The existing plan already includes good stop triggers. I would make them operational:

Any radiating leg symptom, numbness, tingling, or weakness: stop the session and do not run or lift until reassessed.
Back/SI pain that rises over a ride rather than settling: remove intensity and shorten the ride.
Sleep disruption for 2 nights, unusual cold intolerance, mood drop, appetite suppression, or persistent heaviness: downgrade the next key session.
GI distress at 80-90 g/h: do not force 90 g/h on June 13. Fix the product plan first.
Morning resting strain, if available, substantially above normal: use the lower-dose option.

Recovery adequacy verdict

Adequate if modified. Marginal if executed exactly as written. The plan's recovery logic is good, but the actual weekly density leaves too little margin for the athlete context.

9. Athlete-readability and execution

The daily workouts are much clearer than an overbuilt coaching document. The structure is good:

Short title.
Plain workout.
Structured workout.
Fuelling line.
Notes with one or two constraints.

That matches the athlete feedback that previous plans were too complicated.

The main readability issues are not verbosity. They are consistency and decision clarity:

Duration mismatch: June 13 title says 5:00, structured workout totals 4:50. June 14 title says 1:30, structured workout totals 1:10. June 6 duration range says 3:00-3:30, structured workout totals 3:05.
Some downgrade rules exist, but only June 9 is especially clear. June 11 and June 13 should each have a single simple downgrade line.
The plan summary says "20-22 hours on-bike across nine riding days", while the dated file ranges can reach 22.75 hours. That is close, but it should be tightened.

Recommended execution format:

Keep the daily files simple.
Add only one line to each key day:
- "If not clearly green after 60-90 min, use the B version."
Put the detailed logic in the context file, not in the athlete daily workout.

10. Prioritized recommendations

Change before this block runs

Rank	Specific change	Rationale / evidence	Expected benefit
1	Protect June 13 by reducing earlier density: remove or soften June 6 tempo, shorten June 9 unless clearly green, reduce June 11 to 2 x 25 or 3 x 20 if June 9 is completed	Progressive overload is needed, but this block stacks threshold, sub-threshold, long duration, gym, and running after recent recovery uncertainty	Higher chance Sidney reaches the simulation fresh enough to learn from it
2	Correct the duration mismatches in the dated files, especially June 13 structured duration	Athlete execution should not require interpreting title versus structure	Cleaner head-unit execution and less athlete confusion
3	Make June 8 gym a true reintroduction: 2 sets, RPE 5-6, no 75 percent hinge unless very fresh	Concurrent strength work can support cyclists, but first loaded session back before threshold is a soreness and interference risk	Maintains strength signal without compromising threshold and gravel days
4	Make June 10 run optional and treadmill-only	Return-to-running load should be graded by tissue response, and this run sits between two key bike days	Reduces ankle, calf, hip, and SI risk
5	Add a simple gut-training progression: 70-80 g/h -> 80 g/h -> 80-90 g/h -> 90 g/h only if tolerated	June 4 visible intake was about 46 g/h, well below the June 13 target	Better chance of race fuelling success without GI failure
6	Add a course-specific equipment checklist for June 13	Ghost has long gravel, climbing, descent risk, and remote sections	Better race rehearsal, fewer avoidable mechanical and fuelling surprises
7	Add final-hour surge specificity inside June 13 without adding a new hard day	Front-end gravel racing is not perfectly steady; the final hour requires response capacity	Better match to decisive race demands

Consider for taper and next block

Rank	Specific change	Rationale / evidence	Expected benefit
1	If June 13 is completed as a full simulation, reduce June 16-22 to closer to 9-11 h rather than 11-13 h	Taper literature supports reducing volume while preserving intensity activities; this athlete may need a stronger recovery response	Better freshness by race week
2	Make June 19 final substantial gravel ride conditional: 3:15-3:45 default, 4:00 only if recovered	A second 4-hour ride 8 days from race is useful only if it does not delay freshness	Maintains specificity without draining the taper
3	Race week should prioritize carbohydrate availability from D-3 onward and remove avoidable GI risk	Fuelling is a major performance limiter for this race and GF/DF constraints require verified products	Better start-line readiness and lower GI risk
4	After Ghost, build the July core progression gradually rather than jumping volume	Recent SI/back history argues for durable trunk capacity, not sudden core fatigue	Better long-term resilience for CX season

11. What would change the assessment

Data that would sharpen or potentially reverse this review:

Confirmed current FTP and TrainingPeaks power-zone table.
Actual body mass and recent stable body-mass trend.
Actual completed training from May 29-June 5, including power, duration, TSS, RPE, and comments.
June 4 ride file: power, normalized power, elevation, cadence, decoupling, and how she felt after.
Sleep, HRV or resting HR, subjective fatigue, appetite, and mood from June 4-6.
Back/SI status on the morning of June 6 and after June 8 gym.
GI response to 80 g/h before asking for 90 g/h.
Menstrual-cycle context, if Sidney tracks it and is comfortable sharing it, because low energy availability and endocrine stress are relevant in this block.
Recent thyroid labs, ferritin/iron status, and any medication changes, if available through appropriate medical channels.
Actual Ghost route file, expected weather, and confirmed feed-zone access.

What would make me more comfortable running the plan as written:

June 4 ride file shows low-moderate internal load and good decoupling.
June 5 full-day intake finishes robustly, not light.
Morning June 6 readiness is clearly green.
No back/SI symptoms for at least several days, including after normal daily movement.
Sidney has already tolerated 80-90 g/h without GI distress.
June 8 gym produces no soreness or guarding.

What would make me downgrade immediately:

Any radiating leg symptom.
Back/SI pain that rises with riding or lifting.
Two consecutive poor sleep nights.
Appetite suppression during the block.
GI failure above 80 g/h.
Unusual heaviness, mood drop, cold intolerance, or other systemic Hashimoto's warning signs.

Final verdict

This is a high-quality plan in intent and a slightly over-ambitious plan in execution. It understands the event and the athlete better than a generic gravel build would. It is specific, structured, and readable. The taper concept is sound.

I would approve the block only with modifications:

Keep June 13 as the key session.
Reduce June 6, June 9, June 11, and June 12 enough to protect June 13.
Make the first gym session lighter.
Make the second run optional.
Progress carbohydrate intake rather than jumping straight from roughly 46 g/h evidence to 90 g/h execution.
Fix duration mismatches in the dated workouts.

With those changes, the block can deliver the right Ghost-specific stimulus while still protecting Sidney's larger cyclocross season.

Sources

Last updated on 2026-06-08