Plan help - 80km 1.200m climb race

Training
1

Hi All

I am new to TR and wanted help to select the best plan for my goal. To give you a bit of background i have been a gym rat for 15 years + untiL May 2024, where I switched to hybrid using gravel/ road as the endurance discipline. Below is my stats and the race I want to Compete in is 80km and 1.200m climb. Due to my sporting background and size I struggle most on climbs and well my overall ftp is low which really gets me in the climbs too I feel.

  • age: 44
  • Ftp 200
  • Height 181 cm
  • Weight 85kg working to 80kg in the next 12 weeks
  • 2.30 w/kilo
  • Longest ride - so far is 90km with 700m climb, done in 4hr 8min (not including 20 min rest / refuel)
  • Current training, Lifting 4x a week and cycling 4x per week. Session on the same day and go 6-8 hours apart. Trainer road plan currently is set on 3.5hrs on the bike in 3 days and I normally do a long ride 2-3 hours once per week. I have 2 full rest days per week at minimum, sometimes 3 if body is in bits

Based on this which approach should I take in training for the race. I’m stuck between custom plan and the standard options as on custom Plan I noticed it’s not specifically geared to my race.

So in the end what plan is best to do well on race day, i know i need much higher ftp and improved climbing, and i see trainer road doesn’t ramp or decline in volume and only plays with intensity too. Is this something I can adjust as I was thinking on dialing the weights back and ramping up the cycling in 12 week blocks.

Thanks for any help

I’m advance

Shahed

2

I think TR is a good fit in that it will auto adjust based on your improving cycling fitness. If you can increase your volume, that will definitely have a strong effect on your fitness.

I think the more critical part for race day will be good pacing plan based on your fitness on race day so you can get the best overall performance.

3

Hey @Shahed :slight_smile: Welcome!!!

Instead of using a stick plan, I would let TrainerRoad build you a custom training plan, which it looks like you already did!

Custom plans are based on your race date, weekly training time, training history, and the type of event (gravel, hilly, 80km). The plan is then tailored to build the correct energy system needed for your goal event.

The workouts will target FTP gains and better climbing, with the right mix of intensity and recovery (3 weeks on and 1 week recovery). You can also update your FTP with AI FTP Detection to keep your training fitness on track.

Since you’re lifting and riding, start with your current 3.5 hours/week on the bike, like you’ve set it, is great. After each training block (Phase) you can use the Check Volume feature to increase your cycling volume. TrainerRoad adjusts the plan to match, so you get a smooth ramp in load without burning out.

Let me know if you have more questions!