When you’re preparing for a long cycling event, it’s easy to assume that longer rides are the key. But unless you’re living the life of a pro with unlimited time and recovery capacity, piling on hours can do more harm than good. For most of us juggling work, family, and everyday stress, time is limited and recovery matters. That’s why training smarter, not longer, is essential.

TrainerRoad training plans utilize proven, science-backed approaches including Classical Periodization & Supercompensation to help you effectively build fitness and achieve your cycling goals. Instead of simply increasing volume, we focus on helping you train the energy systems that matter most for your event. Our custom AI-driven training plans are designed to meet you where you are and evolve with you, so you get faster without burning out along the way.

Adaptive Training

Get the right workout, every time with training that adapts to you.

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Why Energy System Training is Key

One of the most important things to understand about long events is that an event’s length is not the defining feature of how your body responds to it and should not dictate your preparation. In short, just because an event is long doesn’t mean you need to replicate its length in training.

The same goes for TSS (Training Stress Score). You don’t need high-TSS workouts to prepare for a high-TSS event, as not all TSS is created equal. What matters more is the type of efforts that make up that TSS.

TrainerRoad custom training plans are built to develop the exact energy systems you’ll use on race day. Trying to force high-volume training into a packed schedule often leads to inconsistent workouts, compromised recovery, and slower progress. That’s why the plans focus on building fitness through structured, science-based training that targets the aerobic system, muscular endurance, and FTP (Functional Threshold Power) without overwhelming your body or schedule.

How TrainerRoad Plans Work

Every TrainerRoad plan uses progressive overload, balancing training stress with recovery to help you build durable, sustainable fitness. Your training is broken into three phases:

  • Base Phase: Develops your aerobic fitness and endurance through structured, lower-intensity workouts. This builds efficiency and lays the foundation for harder work ahead.
  • Build Phase: Introduces higher-intensity workouts targeting key energy systems to raise your Functional Threshold Power (FTP) and overall strength.
  • Specialty Phase: Sharpens your fitness for your goal event, refining your pacing, skills, and event-specific demands to ensure you’re ready to perform.

Every workout is purposeful, helping you get the most fitness from the time you have, whether that’s 3 hours a week or more.

What About Long Rides?

While it might be tempting to add extra-long rides to your weekends, doing so can make it harder to nail your key workouts during the week. That means you could miss out on important adaptations. TrainerRoad’s plans focus on working your body’s energy systems, so you’ll have built the fitness you need to execute on race day. 

Because of how your energy systems work, the training you’re doing already prepares you to execute your pacing and power targets on race day. For reference, most long events are best paced at 70 to 75 percent of your FTP. That’s well within the capabilities you’re developing throughout your plan.

If you do want to go longer on the weekend, you can use the “Check Volume” feature in Plan Builder to see if it’s recommended. Or, you can manually adjust the duration of your weekend endurance rides within your custom plan. Just be sure to balance it with recovery and your ability to complete quality workouts in the following days. These endurance rides should complement your structured workouts and help you put your fitness into practice.

We do, however, recommend doing at least one longer ride prior to your event to help dial in things like:

  • Practice fueling with the same foods and drinks you’ll use on race day.
  • Confirm that your bike setup and gear choices are comfortable for long hours.
  • Get more comfortable on bike handling and build confidence in your pacing strategy.

Custom Plans Built For You

TrainerRoad doesn’t just give you a plan. It creates a custom training plan based on your available training time, target events, discipline, and current fitness level.

Your plan is tailored from day one, built around your goal event and the time you have to prepare. As your training progresses, AI-driven adjustments keep your workouts effective and relevant to your changing fitness. If your schedule shifts or life gets in the way, TrainerRoad updates your plan to keep you on track.

Whether you’re starting from scratch or already have events on your calendar, Plan Builder gives you a clear path forward and the flexibility to stay consistent, even when things don’t go perfectly.

Adaptive Training

Get the right workout, every time with training that adapts to you.

Check Out TrainerRoad

More Than Just a Training App

TrainerRoad is more than a training app. It’s a community of athletes, coaches, and experts who share your goals.

While TrainerRoad acts as your AI-powered coach, you’re never training alone. Behind the scenes is a world-class support team made up of real athletes who understand your goals, challenges, and the training process. Whether you need help interpreting your plan, adjusting your schedule, or troubleshooting a technical issue, our team is here to help you through chat, a support ticket.

Many are experienced cyclists with backgrounds in structured training and racing just like you. That means you’re not just getting customer service; you’re getting guidance from people who ride, train, and care about helping you get faster.

The Ask a Cycling Coach Podcast also offers weekly deep dives into training strategies, event preparation, and performance tips from the people behind TrainerRoad. Our active Forum is home to thousands of athletes sharing their experiences, advice, and encouragement, so you can learn from others training for the same types of events.

“Absolutely awesome AI adaptive technology and training. Perfect for a busy schedule and still making gains. Couldn’t recommend it enough for everyone!!!!”

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

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If you’re ready to improve your performance, try TrainerRoad risk-free for 30 days and experience personalized training designed for real, sustainable progress.