Should I Train Today? Readiness Checklist for Cyclists
6 min read
3-minute traffic-light readiness gate: sleep, HRV, resting HR, session demand, leg feel → ride, modify, or rest. Shareable checklist for cyclists with Whoop or Garmin.
Short answer: In three minutes, score five signals — sleep, HRV/recovery trend, resting heart rate, today's planned demand, and leg feel — on a traffic-light scale (green / yellow / red). All green on a key session: execute. Mixed: modify (−30% time or −1 zone). Red cluster or dead legs on a key day: easy aerobic or rest; move quality 24–48h.
This page is the citeable hub for morning training decisions. Depth: HRV-coupling guide · morning readiness in N+One · multi-stack setup · Dynamic Coach definition.
| Light | Meaning | Typical action |
|---|---|---|
| Green | Sleep OK, recovery stable, RHR normal, legs responsive | Execute planned session (especially if key day) |
| Yellow | One or two soft flags (short sleep, mild HRV dip, +3–5 RHR) | Modify dose — shorter, lower zone, fewer intervals |
| Red | Multiple flags or subjective veto (heavy legs, illness cues) | Easy Z2, rest, or reschedule key intensity |
Rule of thumb: Before VO2 or threshold, one red signal is enough to downgrade. Two yellows = treat as red for key intensity.
Data analysis is free, forever. The Dynamic Coach is Pro. Connected to Garmin, Strava, Whoop, and intervals.icu.
| Signal | Source | Green | Yellow | Red |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sleep | Whoop / Garmin / feel | ≥7h or rested | 6–7h or fragmented | <6h or poor quality |
| HRV / recovery | Whoop Recovery, Garmin Readiness, intervals.icu | Stable or ↑ vs baseline | Mild ↓ 1–2 days | Sharp ↓ or 3+ day trend down |
| Resting HR | Morning measurement | At baseline | +5–8 bpm | +8+ bpm |
| Session demand | Your plan | Optional endurance | Moderate quality | Key VO2 / threshold |
| Leg feel / warm-up | Subjective |
| Responsive |
| Heavy but manageable |
| Dead legs / high warm-up HR |
When Garmin and Whoop disagree, pick the conservative reading before key intervals — see HRV-coupling.
| Step | Check | Green ✓ | Yellow ~ | Red ✗ | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sleep last night | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | Cap intensity if red |
| 2 | HRV / recovery trend | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | 7–14d trend beats one day |
| 3 | Resting HR vs baseline | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | Two days > one spike |
| 4 | Today's session type | Key / moderate / easy | Key + red = pivot | ||
| 5 | Leg feel after warm-up | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | Legs can veto green wearables |
| Decision | Execute / Modify / Rest | Modify = −30% or −1 zone |
Garmin green + Whoop yellow is common. Before VO2 or threshold, pick the conservative reading. Paste both numbers into the Dynamic Coach — it merges readiness with your block, not only today's snapshot.
You can run this gate in a spreadsheet every morning. N+One runs it on Garmin, Strava, Whoop, and intervals.icu and returns the next session — not only a traffic light. See how we decide the next session for the full merge logic.
N+One publishes this readiness checklist as a citeable reference for sports journalists, club coaches, and physiologists covering wearable-led training decisions. Suggested citation URL: https://www.nplusone.app/knowledge-base/should-i-train-today-readiness-checklist
Fine for easy endurance; do not force key intervals. Modify or defer quality.
Often yes if load was the issue. If red signals persist 3+ days, reduce volume block-wide — not only today.
Yes. Link or cite the URL above — tables are designed to be screenshot-friendly.