A sore throat and heavy legs: rescheduling quality without losing the week
Another day from the demo profile. One message to the coach produced a rebuilt week with before-and-after numbers, rather than generic advice to listen to your body.
The starting point
Tuesday, with a quality session scheduled. The athlete tells Skol: my throat is sore and my legs feel heavy. Two common amateur responses are to push through and risk losing a week to illness, or stop entirely and lose a key mesocycle workout. The coach chooses a third option.
The coach’s adjustment
- Tuesday: the quality session is replaced by an easy aerobic run or rest.
- Saturday: the postponed quality session moves here. By then, the athlete should either have recovered or it will be clear that the whole week needs rebuilding.
- Weekly load: ACWR moves from 1.22 to 1.14. Productive progression remains within the target range, but the peak is reduced.
Why this approach makes sense
The onset of a cold is a poor time for threshold work. Hard exercise can temporarily suppress immune function for 24–72 hours, often called the open window, turning mild symptoms into an illness that costs a full week. Light aerobic work is generally considered safer when symptoms are above the neck.
Moving the session to Saturday preserves the structure of the week: the quality workout is delayed until there is more clarity, not deleted. The adjustment references Endurance Training Periodisation, chapter 11. Read more about the adjustment process on the How the coach works page.
What to apply to your own training
- Above-the-neck symptoms such as a sore throat or runny nose may allow light exercise; below-the-neck symptoms such as a chest cough, fever or body aches call for rest.
- Reschedule quality rather than automatically deleting it. A week is compromised when key work disappears, not simply when it moves.
- After any adjustment, review total load: the ACWR calculator shows whether the week remains within its intended range.
FAQ
What if my throat is still sore on Saturday?
Skol rebuilds the entire week: the quality session is not postponed a second time but replaced with a recovery block. One adjustment addresses the day; a repeated signal triggers a full weekly review.
Does the coach change the plan automatically?
No. Skol shows the adjustment with before-and-after numbers and waits for confirmation. The plan does not change without your click, and any adjustment can be reversed. That is a deliberate product principle.
What does ACWR 1.22 mean, and why is 1.14 better here?
ACWR compares the current week’s load with your habitual load over roughly a month. A value of 1.22 represents relatively rapid progression, which may be acceptable when fresh but is riskier during illness. At 1.14, progression is more moderate: the week remains productive without adding unnecessary immune stress. Use the ACWR calculator to assess your own values.
See how it works with your own data
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