VI’ll put my hands up: I’m pretty new to this structured turbo training lark. I’m loving it and I’m a big fan of the TR team, the product and the podcasts. The benefits are very tangible.
Listening to a recent podcast @Jonathan mentioned ‘Basin’ as a good workout to do the day before he raced. I’m wondering if this is a good idea for me. I don’t race, rather I take part in Audax events of 200km+. (Randoneuring in the USA)
Would this benefit me or shred any semblance of strength for the next day in the saddle? What is the thinking behind this methodology?
Like you I don’t race and always understood that these short intense workouts the day before were to “open the legs” (I assume that means get them primed in some way for the high intensity efforts required in racing) . I don’t think 200k Audax’s require those sort of efforts. When I do a longish event like an Audax I just make sure I’m well rested before it and if anything just do a shortish low endurance/ recovery ride the day before. Unless that is, my mates are going for a ride then it all goes out the window and I go and enjoy myself with them!
For an audax ride, you don’t have to go hard straight out of the gate (as against say, a MTB or CX race where you are fighting for position as soon as the gun goes off). This reduces the importance of “openers”.
As you will end the day with a huge TSS just from the duration, I’d suggest the best thing you can do pre-ride is to deload through a day or two of recovery rides at most.
Some people in that thread are talking about doing sweet spot for a lot longer than I think makes sense for me before 200km. I might try riding basin-5. I usually just ride Taku though.
Not really sure what type of ride/race you’re doing, but anything Basin seems like a total waste of time based on what my interpretation of an audax is. Long slow distance with tempo or sweet spot efforts. You should be doing workouts that are specific and/or simulate the type of efforts you’ll be putting out. Are you really going to be doing 4min ramped efforts? If so (which I don’t think you will) go for it, but as other have said, the name of the game here is probably long sweet spot intervals in the 20-30 min nature.
Jonathan does Basin as an opening workout to hard mountain bike XC and Criterium races. Totally different. What makes you think Basin is a good workout for you?
