Road 2005

Here are some guidelines for training for January, and training races in February.

Depending on your category: A, B/C, your races will either be 30-60 minute criteriums or 30-75 mile (1.5 3.5 hours) road/circuit races....

Your week should be divided into three principal training routines:
Fat-4-Fuel (HR zones 1,2,low3) (RPE: < 6),
Muscle Glycogen (HR zones upper3,4,5)(RPE: 7-8.5),
Lactate Tolerance/CP/ATP (RPE: 9, 9.5, 10).

The effort for each builds from lower intensity to higher as the season progresses and peak form being acheived, you should be training each of these systems at least once per week depending on time of year.

This time of year: winter/pre-season, the emphasis should be on F-4-F, in order to build up your base miles, and Economy of Effort for longer races, training efforts. Think about longer rides than the total time of your longer races...If your races are 2 hours long then a training ride of 2-3 hours is necessary, longer rides will not be needed except for losing weight, or future category upgrade with yet longer races...

With that in mind, follow this simple schedule:

Monday: Active recovery, low muscle tension, massage on the bike, promote healing and rejuvenation from the weekend's training. 30-60 minutes, include a stretch and CORE (abs, low back, inner thigh, lower leg, upper back) for 15-30 minutes.

Tuesday: Training in the Fat-4-Fuel zone (conversational, HR zones 1,2, low3, no perceived fatigue, higher RPMS-100+), varried terrain, not so hilly that you have to get out of the saddle, use all you gears and bar positions, work on paceline techniques to ride as close as possible to other riders, never more than a bike length of the back or a handlebar width to the side...breathing emphasis, depth on the intake, force on the exhale...90-120+ minutes

Wednesday (or Thursday): Same as Tuesday except a bit shorter, so that you don't fatigue, 30 minutes less at the same intensity/speed...less hily terrain if needed.

Thursday or Friday: Skills day, or any day that you feel less than 100% to train at least at the same intensity as Tuesday, go for skills, cornering, descents, group pacelines for form, sprints and accelerations for form, stability, out of saddle Economy of Effort...short day, 30-60 minutes, getting ready for weekend group/team rides. Can also be similar to Monday.

Saturday: race sim. after 60-90 minutes of warmup/F-4-F intensity...Use a 20-30 minute section of road, flat to rolling terrain to attack and counter and ride a hard paceline (Muscle Glycogen) with a known "start-finish" line...town/city/county/top of a hill line (ATP/CP)...

Sunday: longer day like Tuesday, with emphasis on Economy of Effort, some jumps/accelrations on flat or downhill terrain for max legspeed (140+)...

As always, please email me directly if you have any questions and I will get back to you within 24 hours. Communication is key, I will be using the Coaching Corner of the WWU Cycing website weekly to relay general info as well.

thanks,
David