I appreciate that there is a seperate TT thread, but I was wondering if anyone had use TR for the UK TT season. The season runs from March through to October. I wont be doing nationals but looking for to be as competitive as possible over a long period ideally doing 10-14 races (10’s and 25’s, possible a 50). (Essentially be at 95% for a long period instead of peaking for one event.)
Outline thoughts were to run base as normal (MV), then masters build (flip-flopping between sustained power and general build, MV) throughout the season. On weeks that I raced, swapping the Saturday intervals out and using the race as the second hard sessions of the week. That would also leave time from Tuesday- Sat/Sun to allowing for a short taper.
I guess, my questions are
is this along the right lines?
Does anyone have first hand experience of using TR for this puprpose?
I’ve used it for a similar purpose for several years, first race mid March, last race early October although I’ve always taken the approach of having one or two A events (usually a local big race mid season and a end of season race to satisfy plan builder) .
Initially that’d give me a double set of sustained build/TT specialty phases, usually found the first set was very successful but then I found I’d tail off through the second (mix of reasons, races, more outdoor riding, waning motivation by the end of the summer).
Subsequent times I had the same A race approach, but changed the build phase type for variety (sustained in the first phase) and then general in the second, with TT as specialty in the first and then what ever took my fancy specialty second time around. This kept is a bit fresher for me. It worked pretty well for me.
Your approach sounds pretty solid though, one of the key difficulties I found was I’d do many 10s but they’d be less hard than training sessions (well very hard but for short durations) so I’d lose a bit of more sustained efforts at times. With a two session a week approach, you probably minimise that impact!
Ive used a TR plan for UK TTs the last three seasons. My approach has been to follow a LV 40k TT masters plan and ride with mates at the weekend preseason and during the season race instead. I also had club TTs mid week (Thurs) last season (the seasons before they were another day which didn’t fit with work) and dropped the threshold wo if I raced on a Thursday.
Only for one season for me, I did find it tricky/impossible to weave the TTs with the training so I’d suggest looking at your season and picking the course(s) that best suits you as an A race. (Eg East Peckham pancake 10TT for me). And as suggested by others, swap out threshold sessions for the C races.
I used TR in the past when I was racing TTs. Your plan sounds okay, I found that racing in March (Spoco courses) all the way through to October was quite a stretch when trying to follow a plan all the way through.
Things that helped me were, in base extending TiZ and interval length for tempo and sweetspot really focused on pushing out TTE and instead of doing the 40k specialty, which I found burnt me out as I was racing twice a week, I went back through a later portion of base and then did a build again, although the plans have now changed, but something like General Base 3 and then another build.
I’d also highly recommend a mid-season break, completely off the bike of a week to ten days, do a bit of cross training (I went fell walking) gives you a physical but also a mental break from grinding out workouts and races , you’ll feel the benefit of this as you get to those races in September and October. Good luck, it’s a long old slog the UK TT season.
I just thought, with Red Light Green Light now, the training experience will be very different for people racing a lot. So I’m not sure how much past experience will be relevant to @TheRow1986
Agree with mid season break, I tend to find that I get to July and just need to put the head unit in my back pocket, and go for a ride, or not ride at all for a week, and then come back in refreshed and ready to train.
Interesting, riding with mates is important!! Did you continue to use LV ‘in season?” Did you layer races on top of the two intervals days, giving you three hard sessions, or did you drop one session in race weeks, to end up with one interval sesssion and a race?
Yip I’ve continued with the LV plan (2 workouts) through the season but last season, when club TT’s were on a Thursday, I often replaced the Threshold session with the Club TT. The season before it had been a Tuesday and work got in the way so there was no substitution, I just did the programmed VO2max session on Tuesday night. It generally worked out (no pun intended) as Mo - Rest, Tu - VO2max, Wed - Endurance - Thu Threshold/ Club TT, Fri - Rest, Sat - Open TT/Group Ride, Sun - Open TT/ Group Ride.
This season I’m cycle commuting more so Ive set the Wednesday to a rest day.
I tried too with variable success. I am (or at least was an) irregular shift worker so if I could get the recovery and sleep it would work (at least it would in my mid 30s, not so confident it would in my 40s!). I think with hindsight twice a week (or a hard session/race approach) would have been more sensible for me though.
The mid season break is also a very sensible suggestion with a long season, didn’t lose much fitness (if any) but feels so much better mentally!
