Excited because it looks like I’ll be able to add a bit more volume this off-season. Daughter is older and daily schedule is changing.
Step 1:
re-check my “2mmol/L” intensity (HR + power). I’ve recently learned 2mmol/L is about 0.2-.03 mmol/L above my LT1. Haven’t looked in about 5 months. Feel stronger, so expect HR+power at those 1.7-2mmol/L to have bumped up a bit. I like having that Tempo be above LT1, but not so high it’s SST, etc. Too high.
Once established, I have two zones. Lower end (endurance) and upper end (Tempo/AeT+, high Z2)
Mon - Off
Tues - 2 hrs w/ 60-90mins Tempo/AeT+ interval
Wed - 2 hrs w/ 60-90mins Tempo/AeT+ interval
Thurs - 2 hrs endurance
Fri - Off
Sat - 4 hrs endurance
Sun - 2.5 hrs endurance
Will add load by sprinkling in Tempo/AeT+ on Sat or Sun if possible. It is never as precise and perfect as I’ve depicted here (“no plan survives contact with the enemy”), but it is very flexible and I’m still seeing growth riding this way.
Going into the off season aswell. The last race of the race season is cancelled today… So 2 weeks of no training starts today, after that I will reintroduce strength and running and then start the base phase.
My week will look like this:
Mo: Off day
Tu: Strength + 3 hrs
We: 3 hrs
Th: 1-2 hrs easy
Fr: Strength + 3 hrs
Sa: 2x1 hr commute with tempo
Su: 4hrs MTB
I will also add some low torque efforts probably on the strength days. I will start with almost everything at Z2 and some tempo when I’m time crunched.
When do you guys start to add intensity? Threshold or VO2 Max?
Does this mean races that you care about or like the local spring crit series? Living in MI the first races are in April and then no races of consequence before mid-May. Would you still start intensity 2 months before that or kinda treat those local crits as an intro to intensity?
All races are important to me. I only do 4-12h events, one or two per month mid April-early October. I have two 10-12h events in mid July and early August. They suck up a lot of energy and require a different (short term) build
Ahh gotcha. So that would probably warrant a different training strategy than if you are going to do 1-2 45min crits each weekend. They don’t cause as much fatigue as an 8 hour race so you can fit them a little more organically into a training program.
I always did some vo2max work in winter in the last few years. Because of this “old people have to work on their vo2max” and “do it every 7-10 days” to maintain. I must say, I never really noticed any real improvement. Yes, my 5 and 20 min test went up a few points but these changes were not relevant for my racing. I still sucked in the fast start phases which are so typical for many mass start events.
Furthermore, all these dedicated vo2max blocks did not help either. They just hurt without much benefit. Often probably counter productive.
This time with Aet/tempo and threshold blocks overall load was probably higher. But not as taxing. I always felt pretty good. I’d say this is this consistency trumps everything thing. 4-6x10min at threshold hurts a lot, as well. But it is a different pain.
However, still have to tackle those fast starts. Not sure how. If I had gotten into a faster group on Sunday my overall ranking would have been better.
yes, it basically an intense base, then an intense, dedicated threshold block, and then more or less maintenance throughout race season. With some short build blocks based on the next race.
That looks EXACTLY like my last month… I’ve worked from 2x30m tempo up to 1x90 and 3x35m last week, and been topping and tailing with longer z2 endurance rides trying to keep time under z2 as <10% of total ride time. I have already felt a significant improvement despite being 50 and with >10 years serious riding behind me. New pbs at 60 and 90 mins already.
Plan is to continue that for another month or so and then swap in SST (88-90%) for the first tempo session and progress with more TiZ and longer intervals.
Winter is here again and i am kinda lost. Don’t really now what to do. I have few options what to do or try, but i have to make the decision after this week. Currently doing second “big week” (about 20 hours or more) with some z3/sweetspot efforts, mostly z2. Clearly fitter than year ago even tho i have been just riding without plan for 1,5 month.
options for next 3 months:
Do same thing than last year, but add volume of z2
Try to increase z3/sweetspot sessions or TiZ.
ISM model?
More polarized with z4/z5 sessions and add volume of z2.
Block periodization (with vo2max)
Polarized model with z5 (no z4) and add volume of z2.
Now mon-fri is basically the same route so it might get old after these 6 weeks.
on my well worn routes.