Confused by recovery time and how hard it is to stay in "productive" or "maintaining" status and recovery time recommendations

And here lies the most difficulat part of optimizing your training. Your observations are correct.

Utlimately, training works if adaptations are taking place wihout creating injuries. You know adaptations are taking place when 3 key metrics are trending up: VO2 Max, the speed/power at VT2/Threshold and the speed/power at VT1 (around 72% of HR Max).

These key adaptations are being formed as you recover, not as you train. Training is unusual stress, and recovery allows for adaptations.

The watch metrics are doing a great job at exposing the trade offs as you can see. 

As your training intensity increases, the watch will decrease the cost (training effect) of the same intensity ride, at the same VO2 Max and Resting HR (ie same EPOC), so the training load increase for the same ride in the same condition will be lower. Although the recovery time can be lower in the same comparison, it is subject to other parameters like stress level and quality of sleep.

There will be a point where your body will not be able to endure the level of training required to continue driving VO2 Max up. Your training status will become mataining at best, but your VT2 and VT1 performance can continue to increase.

I am taking the watch guidance at face value. I am also cross-checking the training readiness with Body Battery. In the past I experienced over training with no benefit and since then verified that following the watch recommendations works well.

thanks for the deep thoughts!  How does one know if you are kicked down to "maintaining" from "productive" from over training?  It is clear that I get downgraded to "recovery" due to reduced training....that's easy to see due to light load.  The other thing I notice right now is that my Load ratings are always showing a low aerobic shortage, middle of optimal range for High aerobic and way over range on Anaerobic while acute load is very low end of optimal.   Allllll of that said, V02 max out of every fit file over the past number of months:

cwoodffr said:

How does one know if you are kicked down to "maintaining" from "productive" from over training?

Garmin doesn't publish the rules that combine VO2 Max trend over a certain number of weeks, the HRV status and the acute load. So we are left with guessing some of the them.

Here are observations from my experience and the top of my head. Don't take them as rules because there are more possible combinations of the 3 parameters.

First, about the VO2 Max trends:

- VO2 Max trends seem to be  calculated over a period of 4 to 6 weeks. If the VO2 Max at the beginning of the trailing period is higher than the last one, VO2 Max is increasing, etc.

- if VO2 Max stays within 1 point of variation, it is maintaining

Second, about the training status:

- if VO2 Max is increasing or maintaining, HRV balanced and acute load in the upper part of the green zone, you are productive,

- if VO2 Max is decreasing, HRV balanced and acute load anywhere in the green zone, you are unproductive

- if VO2 Max is decreasiing and HRV unbalanced, your training is strained

- if VO2 Max is maintaining, HRV balanced and you are in the green zone, you are maintaining

- if VO2 Max is increasing or mainaining, HRV balanced and your are under the green zone, you are peaking

- if VO2 Max is decreasing, HRV balanced and you are under the green zone, you are detraining