It seems like all my friends on Facebook are announcing their
racing plans for the year – postcards are being sent for gravel grinders like
Almanzo, trips are being coordinated out to Colorado for the Triple Bypass, and
triathletes (who must all be Type-A) have finalized their summer racing
calendars.
I have to admit, I’m feeling a bit behind as I sit here trying
to formulate my plans for my winter training block. And, of course, my rest period ends on the
coldest damn day in a couple of years…we’re not even going to make it above
zero today…
To begin with, I know what I am not doing this year.
I am not doing the whole Friel build-up plan of Base 1, 2 and 3. Don’t get me wrong, I appreciate what Friel has done for me the past couple of years in building my base, but at this point I don’t think I need to be suffering through 12-14 hour weeks in March and April when access to outdoor training is only a possibility, rather than a probability. (2-hour rides on the trainer? I’d have to have a lobotomy.) I’ve also come to the conclusion that I don’t need the longer base miles in that early part of the year if I plan on racing 90-120 minute mountain bike races all summer.
I am not doing the whole Friel build-up plan of Base 1, 2 and 3. Don’t get me wrong, I appreciate what Friel has done for me the past couple of years in building my base, but at this point I don’t think I need to be suffering through 12-14 hour weeks in March and April when access to outdoor training is only a possibility, rather than a probability. (2-hour rides on the trainer? I’d have to have a lobotomy.) I’ve also come to the conclusion that I don’t need the longer base miles in that early part of the year if I plan on racing 90-120 minute mountain bike races all summer.
See, I’m starting to wrap my head around this whole cycling
training thing, and I’ve also got more confidence to adjust my training to my
own needs. Rather than push myself to complete
long hours over the winter, I’m putting together a plan for an 10 week build-up
of weekly interval workouts on the trainer.
These will be zone 3 and 4 efforts, and culminate in 3 x 10 minutes in
zone 4.
Week
|
Interval
|
Zone
|
1
|
3 x 4 minutes
|
3
|
2
|
3 x 5 minutes
|
3
|
3
|
3 x 6 minutes
|
3
|
4
|
3 x 7 minutes
|
3
|
5
|
2 x 6 minutes
1 x 6 minutes
|
3
4
|
6
|
1 x 7 minutes
2 x 7 minutes
|
3
4
|
7
|
3 x 7 minutes
|
4
|
8
|
3 x 8 minutes
|
4
|
9
|
3 x 9 minutes
|
4
|
10
|
3 x 10 minutes
|
4
|
That’s the plan, anyway.
At this point I’m just going to ease out of my rest period and into my
active period by doing this for the rest of January:
- Run 2 days a week.
- Strength 2 days a week.
- Yoga 3 days a week.
- As much endurance
(trainer, ski conditions are crap now) as I can stand.
Have you stolen my training plan? ;)
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