Luca plan vs Coach Gunnar plan

The two plans aim at different things.

The Luca plan is better for Ghost-specific rehearsal: long gravel durability, fuelling practice, equipment rehearsal, back/SI risk control, and arriving ready for the taper. Coach Gunnar's plan is better for high-power stimulus: short explosive efforts, hard anaerobic work, and a larger training load.

For Sidney's Ghost prep, the Luca plan is the safer and more race-specific structure. The useful idea from Gunnar's plan has already been borrowed in a reduced form: June 9 is now a controlled short-power session.

Luca plan

Advantages

• Keeps June 13 as a full 5-hour Ghost simulation.
• Includes clear fuelling targets, sodium guidance, race breakfast rehearsal, and GI notes.
• Builds race-like durability without stacking too much fatigue before the simulation.
• Keeps gym conservative after the recent back/SI flare.
• Protects June 14 and June 15 for absorption before the taper.
• Includes a controlled short-power punch on June 9 without adopting Gunnar's full anaerobic load.

Issues

• Less total high-end power work than Gunnar's plan.
• Less total volume on June 7 and June 14.
• Depends on executing the June 13 simulation well, since that is the main rehearsal anchor.
• If Sidney is unusually fresh and robust, the plan may feel conservative compared with Gunnar's live load.

Coach Gunnar plan

Advantages

• Strong high-power stimulus with 2-minute efforts and 30-second efforts.
• Includes formal rest days on June 9 and June 15.
• Adds substantial aerobic volume with 3-hour and 4-hour endurance rides.
• Shows clear intent to sharpen Sidney's ability to respond to surges.
• Keeps plyos out of strength sessions, which helps reduce some risk.

Issues

• Too much anaerobic load for this close to a 118 km gravel race: June 6 bangers plus June 10 Big 30s.
• No single 5-hour race simulation.
• Fuelling rehearsal is under-specified for a race where carbohydrate and sodium execution matter.
• Two heavy strength sessions are too much given recent back/SI history and proximity to key bike days.
• June 13 tempo plus June 14 endurance creates fatigue, but is less specific than one long race rehearsal.
• The plan risks carrying too much fatigue into the taper.

Practical recommendation

Keep the Luca plan as the working plan. It better matches the Ghost race demands and Sidney's current risk profile.

Use Gunnar's plan as a signal that short power matters, not as the full template. The Luca plan already reflects that by changing June 9 to controlled short power while keeping June 10 easy, June 11 as a primer, June 13 as the simulation, and June 14 as recovery.