Help with New Year training Plan

[montanawills]

Hi there, so I've been building my base and concentrating on technique for the last few weeks and will continue to do so during the off season until Jan/Feb time when I want to shift my training on to speed work, strength, hill climbing etc. I need a plan! I'm generally free 3 days a week and can put in 3 hours on those days. During the other four I work 12hr shifts so can only manage 1hr on two of those days.

Been reading about t-max intervals and considering something of the sort 2 x per week, hill repeats once or twice a week, long distance day once or twice a week. Something like that. Needs proper structure and proper focus on progressing until April or so.

Help!

 

[screenman]

Have you asked this question on a more race related forum, what are your aims etc?

 

[lukesdad]

I think you need to be a bit more specific, what have you done, how old are you, hows your fitness. As Sreenman has said what are your aims. You cant just work on stuff willy nilly. What aids do you use, are you using the gym or rollers a turbo maybe. Give us a bit more of a clue, and you may get better answers.

 

[montanawills]

Don't worry I'm not a 'willy nilly' kinda guy...that's why I posted on here....I need help organising it all.

I was basically wondering if there's a good place to find info on organising your training programme. Most things I find online are either pay to play or don't have anything useful and I thought I'd try here.

More info...I'm 29, been training with a triathlon club for a few years and with a road cycling club for a year. Raced my first road cycling season this year. Fitness is spot on although there's always room for improvement. My aims are to improve race performance next year and improve my time trialling. I get out on the road as much as poss and doing about 12 hours a week at the mo. Using turbo pretty regularly, gym sporadically. Swimming and running obviously too. I'm 5'10" and 145lbs so don't need to lose weight really. I want to increase my power and speed...that's it I guess.

Thanks.

 

[montanawills]

Have you asked this question on a more race related forum, what are your aims etc?

Hey screenman, thanks for your reply...can you aim me toward a good race related forum?

 

[lukesdad]

how do you split your year up ? and when is the racing season. I used to do base miles up untill mid feb. with 1st race around end of April May. Then id split the remaining time into 2 5/6 week plans increasing intensity but dropping off miles. I would ride everyday in base miles winter usually clocking between 400 and 500 miles a week. this would drop to about 300 in mid feb and lower again in the last 2 weeks as I tapered for my first race. I d allways have rest day after feb and one recovery ride. The first 5/6 week part i would concentrate on hill work, the second on speed. I found it didnt work to mix the 2. Although I would make an exception on my long ride of the week.

Everybody is different however and an online training programe may not be that greater help. Are you keeping a proper training log, and how do you test your fitness/performance.

By the way Id be doing at least double the amount of hours at this time of year you are doing.

How have you got on this year racing ?

 

[montanawills]

500 miles a week? Double the hours? If I was doing 500 miles at say 20mph that'd be 25hrs a week. If I include my swimming and running I'd be doing over 35hrs or 5hrs training a day. Not a chance I'd have the time mate. Were you pro or something? I have a job. If 500 miles a week is the norm I'm in trouble.

 

[lukesdad]

500 miles a week? Double the hours? If I was doing 500 miles at say 20mph that'd be 25hrs a week. If I include my swimming and running I'd be doing over 35hrs or 5hrs training a day. Not a chance I'd have the time mate. Were you pro or something? I have a job. If 500 miles a week is the norm I'm in trouble.

You did ask ! I wasn t doing the running or swimming remember. The norm this time of year would be 3hrs a day commuting ( how long do you spend getting to work ) long ride sat club ride sun. Its not hard to fit it in if you try. I agree the swimming and running would be prohibitive.

But that is why I asked about your racing and aims. I think Ive gathered you dont want to be an elite rider?

 

[amaferanga]

Were you an Elite back in your day lukesdad?

I'm guessing the OP is a 4th or 3rd Cat. Takes more than just miles to get to Elite level - you need the genes for that. FWIW you'll not find many guys racing 2nd Cat or lower that do much more than a couple of hundred miles a week.

I don't subscribe to only doing steady miles through the winter. I do a combination of steady riding and threshold intervals. When the racing starts you probably won't have time to do much threshold work so I think winter is the perfect time to work on threshold power.

I'm no coach nor am I an expert in training to race (only done 2 seasons racing - had a very decent year this year though), but I'd suggest maybe do one session of 2x20 /week for now and increase that to 2 or 3 sessions by xmas. These are easier to do on a turbo (and a power meter helps). Then start introducing some shorter VO2max intervals early in the new year and some high intensity stuff around a month before you start racing. Try to get a long ride in every week (4 hours plus) and do the rest of your riding at tempo level - somewhere between the intensity you'd do your long ride at and the intensity of the threshold intervals.

 

[lukesdad]

In my day ? you cheeky young bugger

 

[lukesdad]

Were you an Elite back in your day lukesdad?

I'm guessing the OP is a 4th or 3rd Cat. Takes more than just miles to get to Elite level - you need the genes for that. FWIW you'll not find many guys racing 2nd Cat or lower that do much more than a couple of hundred miles a week.

I don't subscribe to only doing steady miles through the winter. I do a combination of steady riding and threshold intervals. When the racing starts you probably won't have time to do much threshold work so I think winter is the perfect time to work on threshold power.

I'm no coach nor am I an expert in training to race (only done 2 seasons racing - had a very decent year this year though), but I'd suggest maybe do one session of 2x20 /week for now and increase that to 2 or 3 sessions by xmas. These are easier to do on a turbo (and a power meter helps). Then start introducing some shorter VO2max intervals early in the new year and some high intensity stuff around a month before you start racing. Try to get a long ride in every week (4 hours plus) and do the rest of your riding at tempo level - somewhere between the intensity you'd do your long ride at and the intensity of the threshold intervals.

Trouble with that is you have to factor in the swimming and running. We dont know what intensity its being done at, Wheres the recovery time also. At the moment he s training to be a tri athlete not a bike racer.

 

[lukesdad]

500 miles a week? Double the hours? If I was doing 500 miles at say 20mph that'd be 25hrs a week. If I include my swimming and running I'd be doing over 35hrs or 5hrs training a day. Not a chance I'd have the time mate. Were you pro or something? I have a job. If 500 miles a week is the norm I'm in trouble.

If you are doing 12 hrs on the bike and 10 hrs swimming and running you are nearly at 25 hrs anyway.