This training program is for serious riders who already have a solid mileage. I recommend that you use a heart rate monitor or, even better, a power meter in your training.
During short intervals, a heart rate monitor is worth nothing because the reactions from the cardiac system are delayed by a few minutes.
This article is beneficial for beginners: Introduction to training with power meters. However, a heart rate monitor is still valuable, it is motivating to train with, and it is an excellent education to see how your body performs and reacts during training. So don´t throw your heart rate monitor away!
In this program, Tuesday and Thursday are the days for interval training. Mondays and Saturdays are recovery days. I suggest you do a short 5 min interval the day before the race day. After three weeks of intensive training, I recommend you take a recovery week with less training, fewer intervals but at the same high intensity as usual. It is also essential to be serious when you are not training. I am talking about optimizing your recovery.
When you are ready to spend 16 hours per week on training, you should consider why you are doing it. Try to write down some of the goals you want to achieve. Also, remember to write down your performance in a diary. It can be advantageous for you later. I will come back later with an article about writing a training diary.
Here is the training program:
| Â | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday | Sunday |
| app.16hr | 1,5hr recovery | 4hr — 3x(3+3)min V02 max | 3hr — 4x200m sprint | 3,5hr — 2x10min AT | Rest | 1hr easy ride. | Race, 3hr. |
| app.16hr | 1,5hr recovery | 4hr — 3x5x(40+20)sec. V02 max | 3hr — 4x200m sprint | 3,5hr — 4x(3+3)min V02 max | Rest | 1hr easy ride. | Race, 3hr. |
| app.16hr | 1,5hr recovery | 4hr — 2x10min AT | 3hr — 4x200m sprint | 3,5hr — 3x5x(40+20)sec. V02 max | Rest | 1hr easy ride. | Race, 3hr. |
| app.10hr | Rest | 2hr — 2x(3+3)min VO2 max | 2hr — 4x150m | 2hr — 2x4x(40×20)sec VO2 max | Rest | 1hr easy ride. | Race, 3hr. |
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Great website! Loads of useful information.
Just one question:
My commute takes me 2 hours (its a flat ride) slightly more if I keep hr < 60% (like on a Monday rest day) .
The other option is to do 40 mins spin at work on the spinner bikes.
Which is the better option for a monday rest day (40 mins spinner bikes or 2 hours commute?)
NB: I have been racing for a while now with good results and progression up to elite mtd, nowadays I am road racing and working my way up the categories there. I have just bought a powertap instead of the HRM, I am wondering if you would like to use me for some power tests or anything in 2009?
Can someone please tell me what means "2×4x(40×20)min VO2 max" and "2×10min AT". thanks
same question as jacks, please tell me what is "2x4(40x20)min and whats the difference between vo2max and threshold
I'm talking about seconds, not minutes. Please look at the training program again. :-)
Jesper
does this program repeat itself after the 4 weeks are up? does it get more complex?
thanks, excellent site
sup peps just had quick look at website....... its pretty helpful when it comes to training for cycling events. =)
Please comment on the training track and the speed for me! Planning and implementing training
thank you.maziar farzad