Lots of good stuff going on in the Threshold Cycling world and it make me a very happy Train.
Firstly: Chapeau! to everyone getting out there this weekend and braving the cold, salty roads and ignoring the lure of warm beds and warm bedmates. 
So, it’s been too long since I’ve posted about training so here goes a long, unorganized and boring post:
I’m in the midst of my second BASE3 period. yes, 2 BASE3 periods, FUN! (in case anyone cares, I split BASE3 into 2 periods just because it’s how my vacation schedule worked out. I’ll be on the beach in Mexico the 13th of Feb, so I’m trying to really hammer myself producing a tough build up to that planned, and well needed R+R week).
So, the goals for BASE 3 are:
1. Really get that endurance base solidified and deepen my body’s capacity to handle both volume AND intensity… getting ready for build periods to come where long, hard workouts are the norm.
a. no missed workouts
b. 1 3000kj ride/week.
c. lots (like, all of the time!) of time spent in that hard tempo zone (power rarely below 275w. ever.) to keep building that aerobic engine.
2. Taste what LTP feels like, to get ready for the tough LT work that comes with BUILD1
a. 1-2 workouts per week where LT efforts are included, but not prioritized over volume.
3. Keep my low cadence hill workout once weekly and keep increasing the length of intervals to develop more muscular strength, coordination and technique. These also are getting me ready for the longer (4-6′ intervals) VO2 max work that comes 8 weeks out from Tour o’ Battenkilly.
So, I’ve been hitting on these points very nicely, minus the 3000kj ride (too cold/snowy for that!)
So to simulate a long endurance ride, I’ve been using a super-secret training method (well, it’s no secret… heck, it may be damn stupid… who knows!) to boost the type of race-winning endurance that I’m lusting for.
Here it is:
Do 40-80 hard minutes at high tempo/ SST type intensities, take a quick 3′ recovery (and a shot of caffeinated gel) after you’re properly fatigued and then do….: An all out 10-15′ LT interval!!!
not as bad as it sounds, and WAY better than 3 hours on the trainer. I’ve done about 4 of these type workouts in January.
So, how’s it all working for me?
so far so good as evidenced by a really strong ride on Saturday, highlighted by a 4′ interval (up the Dover golfcourse climb, for those who were there) that averaged a solid 390w. A nice effort on a normal day, but this was done 2:30 into a tough training ride with the boys. Super Secret endurance training is going well, I’d say, considering the last 3.5 hour ride I did was 3 weeks prior.
( awesome ride, by the way, Men!! thanks!)
That said, this week will be a tough one and I’m going to be really strict about keeping efforts below LTP (and LTHR) until the weekend to try and manage what promises to be a lot of training stress.
The past two weeks I spent a lot of time above or right at LTP and it seems to have really bumped my LTP up about 10w or so. Instead of being over-excited and doing more LT efforts, I’m taking a step back, remembering that BKR is still 3 months away and getting back to the less fun but most effective meat and potatoes workouts that are SweetSpotTraining.
I feel it’s too early to really keep pulling the LT up, as those 100-105% type efforts can be really stressful on the legs/central nervous system and the mind. So, this week I’ve planned a series of “non BT” workouts to keep the body adapting to my new power zones ( when LTP goes up, so do the other training Zones) but not over cooking it. I’ll be forced indoors this week which is feeling ok after 2 days outside this weekend. I’m ready for the rollers, baby!
So here’s how my training week looks:
(6 workouts, 2 off days)
M: unexpected BT workout: 1×36′ @ 335w (97%)… felt like SST, power was Sub-threshold. Unexpected and rewarding WO. Later in the day I snuck in another hour workout where I just put a few pennies in the bank with 30-40′ of tempo pace on the rollers focusing on cadence drills while nailing that 275-300w range (80-87%). the 2-a-days suck and I shouldnt have many more to come, but they are a nice way to sneak in some more training stress without sacrificing rest days. Sometimes the schedule doesnt allow for 1 long ride, so 2 shorter ones work… I just expect very little from the day’s second workout. They are tough but manageable as long as my standards are low.
Tu: recovery commute and some weight lifting (core work, mostly) and stretching.
W: Some solid SST work. Probably an “hour of power” where I ramp from 290-340w over the course of an hour, standing every 2 minutes. A great way to get in some solid effort without suffering through another 1×60′ steady state interval.
T: Hills!! 8 repeats of summit ave (the whole thing for the first time… around 2:45 I figure on the slow bike). 4 seated, 4 standing, all low cadence. weather pending.
F: OFF!! commuting, maybe.
Sat: solid 3 hours of focused tempo riding outdoors. not quite as aggressive on the hills as last week. Just pounding out the miles at 275-300w. solid, solid, solid.
Sunday: 15km indoor TT at fast splits. this should hurt! (honestly I almost convinced myself to take an easy day saturday so I’d have fresher legs for Sunday, but I reminded myself that a FEB.1 indoor TT is NOT and A race!! I’m too damn competitive! That said, I WILL be eating some good carbies all day saturday…. mmmmmmmm, grains.
M- OFFFFFFF!!! unload some stress, and get ready for my 5th week of BASE3!
keep killin’ it, boys!!
eLTrain. choo!
2 Responses to “Updates, upgrades, riding up grades and uppers:”
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el Tren, if you are doing another BASE week next week then are you moving Battenkill into your Peak weeks (instead of Race weeks), compressing a Build period…how are you making up these weeks? My Friel schedule has me in Build 1 next week, and I’m already having to compress my 2nd peak’s Build periods to get them in by Fitchburg. What are others peaking for? Thanks, Matt
actually, build2 is a 2 week period for me, instead of 3. I may extend it a day or 2 but essentially, I’m just doing a shorter BUILD2.
Also, I’m only doing one PEAK week starting monday the 6th of March.
The next week is RACE1 and BKR is that weekend. I predict the best legs of the peak for BKR AND the 2 races that next weekend. after that 2 race weekend (monson/quabbin) I’ll re asses my training plans, but probably do a bit of a recovery week and then let the race schedule dictate my training.
-L