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Doing less might make him slower or it might make him faster, like you say it depends on how he's responding to training currently - we're both wrong or are we both right? :)
I did a 600k three weeks out because I didn't have the bike until then and I needed to in order to get the confidence that I wouldn't do damage to something over the TCR. I wouldn't have chosen to but sorting out the bike is more important than physical fitness on these multi day events (at least when you're midpack fodder like me).
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I did say is good prep for someone who needs experience.
I think for someone with a full time job, who doesn't have a massive training load, keeping as much fitness as possible is the most important thing, but just make damn sure you're rested and fresh at the start. So not backing off until the week before. I won't touch my bike really for the 5 days before.
We're both right. As you say, everyone is different. Like I said, I could never and would never train like you do. It'd kill me. And you'd hate how I train. But I like it, so it works. Everyones body is different.
Okay okay.
What I should have said is; no need to back off from the level of training you're doing so far out. Just keep on with what you normally do till 1-2 weeks out, then look at assessing your training for the last 2 weeks based on your fitness and tiredness. Training needs to be planned dynamically, in the moment, so you can make changes depnding on what you need. You might find that life has got in the way a bit, so you're not as trained as you want, thus keep training till closer. Also you might find you've been training too much, and when you look at yourself hard in the mirror you'll admit your tired, in which case back off.
So just keep doing what you're doing until a few weeks out.
And hippy, you say doing more won't make him faster, maybe, but doing less might make him slower. I'm just saying keep up the normal training load until a few weeks out at most. But DO NOT be doing mega long rides in the 3 weeks before it. No need, it'll just make you tired. The 800k in 3 a month out is good prep though, for someone who needs the experiance.