20 days until Charm City. I'm not racing the first race on Saturday, I'll catch the second one. So I've got 20 days to get ready.
Get ready my ass.
I've just finished my first base training period for the year, 6 weeks of increased intensity and longer rides. The time has come to pile on volume.
Compared to last year at this time - when I was training pretty hard - I'm weaker across the board, down about 10% typically. That doesn't shock me; I haven't done interval work at all, so of course my critical power is way lower.
What feels good is that without 'training training,' I'm in pretty decent shape. My maximum power output for certain durations - 4, 5, and 7 minute critical power - is within 10% of career best numbers. That 7 minute power doesn't sound important but 7 minutes is pretty much the length of one lap in a cross race, and the first 7 minutes is usually critical to having a good race. So that's nice.
What doesn't feel good is the max power I can put out at 1-3, and the 10 minute durations are really, really bad. My 20 minute number, my threshold power, isn't so hot either.
A raised threshold will come with doing intensity work; VO2 and tempo intervals push the threshold higher fast.
But getting 1-3 minute power ramped up is really a lot harder.
So tomorrow the intervals start. Yay.
Hello, Hains Point, my old friend...
The program is going to be two days of intervals, one day of cross practice, for the first 6 weeks of the season, assuming the back holds up along with the patience and willpower. Intervals on Monday (harder, VO2) and Thursday (jumps, or tempo), longer easy ride Tuesday, cross practice Weds. Friday rest. The fatigue curve will tell me when it's a rest day. Saturdays, we race.
See you out there.
2 comments:
That's a pretty ambitious training schedule you got there, viejo. My old ass would be crippled by the second Tuesday.
Yeah, well, what I don't mention is that Sundays I sit around the house in traction, in an ice bath.
For now during a build I have to sort of bury myself. The problem with traditional cross training is your base disappears. I have another word for a base of 55 per WKO: FAAAAAT. I just don't get enough exercise with the 90 minutes 3/x week training routine,especially since so much of the time is recovery from intervals. I do well - better anyhow - with higher volume. We'll see how it goes.
Post a Comment