Training Stress Adds Up Over Time
Every ride creates training stress. Tools like TSS simply help us quantify that stress so we can manage it better. One big ride doesn’t change your fitness much on its own, but many well-placed rides over weeks and months absolutely do.
The goal isn’t to train hard every day; it’s to apply the right amount of stress consistently.
Fitness Comes From Steady Work
CTL is often described as fitness, but a better way to think of it is how much training your body is used to handling. When training is consistent, CTL rises slowly and naturally. This is what allows you to ride longer, repeat efforts more easily, and stay strong late in a ride or race.
Trying to rush this process usually leads to fatigue, missed sessions, or time off the bike; all of which break consistency.
Fatigue Is Normal; Mismanaged Fatigue Is the Problem Short-term fatigue, reflected by ATL, is a normal part of training. Feeling tired during a build phase doesn’t mean you’re doing something wrong; it often means the training is working.
What matters is that fatigue is balanced with recovery. When recovery is respected, fatigue clears and fitness becomes visible. When it’s ignored, performance stalls.
Freshness Reveals Fitness
TSB helps us understand how fresh or fatigued you are. You don’t need to track it obsessively to feel its effects; you already know them. Legs feel heavy, motivation drops, and numbers feel harder than they should.
A few easier days don’t reduce fitness. They allow it to show.
Consistency Beats Hero Days
The strongest cyclists aren’t the ones who smash every session. They’re the ones who train regularly, fuel properly, and respect the easy days as much as the hard ones.
Missing sessions because of burnout or illness costs far more fitness than backing off slightly when needed.
Confidence Comes From Repetition
Confidence on the bike doesn’t come from one great ride. It comes from repeating good weeks, trusting the structure, and knowing you’ve done the work consistently.
Final Thought
As a coach, my focus isn’t on making every ride epic; it’s on keeping you healthy, progressing, and motivated over the long term. Show up regularly, fuel your work, and trust the process.
In cycling, consistency always wins.
Matteo Cigala
Founder & Head Coach
