2009 Training Plan

Since getting back from Wales I've been busy putting into action the things required to achieve what I discussed in those first couple of blogs. Its been a steep learning curve, learning the hard way after throwing myself into the first interval training ride of the year with the Mitre. The ride was such a system shock I had to spend a week off the bike. That was how not to begin a training plan... can't do it on motivation alone.

Initially I'd been using Peter Ward's 'King of Sports' as a guideline whilst also seeking advice from Mick at the Brighton Mitre. To assist in my own plans he invited me along to a meeting with one of the guys at the club who he has designed a training plan for. He'd created a very comprehensive plan, including interval sessions to improve weakness areas as well as improve strength, endurance and VO2 Max. VO2 Max... until that point I'd only had a vague idea of what it was, along with lactate threshold, slow and fast twitch muscle fibres, periodization... these were all words I would shortly being reading a lot more about.

It became apparent very quickly that to significantly improve at all this year I was going to need some guidance from someone who knew what they were doing. In the past I've got by with lots of miles and lots of climbing, though even after nearly 5000 miles of riding last year I still couldn't find that extra top end speed everyone seemed to have when racing.

Mick invited me to take a fitness test on his power meter trainer, the results of which would form the basis for my own training plan. I turned up at his house and grimaced as I watched his wife go through the same test first: 10 minute warmup, 8 minutes flat out, 10 minute rest, 8 minutes flat out. My turn came and whilst Mick and his mate looked on drinking beer I burst my lungs and heart out on the turbo. The purpose of the test is to take a fitness base line to measure against, but to also measure average, maximum and lactate threshold heart rates so training zones can be set. It wasn't long into the second test that I was redlining with my heart feeling like it was about to burst out my ribs and bounce out on the kitchen floor.

The results showed I was fit, but obviously had little experience of riding at consistently high intensity. My power and cadence were all over the place, dropping when the pain hit home and heart rate hit the roof, followed by a short recovery, then repeat. What should have been a smooth line gradually getting higher was a zig zag reflecting my physical discomfort above lactate threshold and position problems. The results of the first test are listed here. Plenty of work to do then...

Following the test Mick started putting together a periodized training plan to tackle the main issues - intensity and race fitness. In the mean time I had some reading to do. It was all well and good making big statements of intent back in January, but now I needed to flesh them out. First step was to purchase some books -

- Cyclists Training Bible by Joe Friel
- The Ultimate Ride by Chris Carmichael
- Cycle for Life by Nicole Cooke

The combination of these great books brought me up to speed on the many subjects involved in what a training plan actually entails. From body mechanics to nutrition and diet, training volume and intensity to overtraining and burnout, aerobic / anaerobic fitness and finally setting goals and the specific objectives to realise them. In addition to researching and setting goals, I decided that another area needed attention - bike position.

As mentioned in the previous entry my visit to Cyclefit was very successful (and highly recommended). In resolving issues with my shoes and cleats and pointing out areas for improvement with posture I've already found a marked improvement in pedalling and general comfort on the bike. Posture is a major area for improvement and to tackle this I've enrolled the help of Body Rehab in Brighton. Tonight was my first assessment and after a very thorough examination of my core muscles a number of exercises were prescribed.

Last week I began my training plan as compiled by Mick. The first 8 weeks concentrate on improving pedalling efficiency with fast pedalling workouts and improving of my lactate threshold using intervals in zones just below lactate threshold . Intensity of the workouts gradually builds over a 4 week block, the final week being a reduced training week where recovery is priority. At the end of the 4 weeks another fitness test is conducted to measure improvement. The next block is at a slightly higher intensity again, roughly an increase of 10-15% over the previous block of 4 weeks. These blocks then gradually shift from volume vs intesity to intensity vs volume as you approach peak fitness.

Much of the interval workouts require considerable concentration to maintain the correct heart rate zone, or keep a certain cadence. I've found this difficult to achieve riding out on the road with interruptions in traffic or punctures, so I've bit the bullet and bought a new turbo trainer. The Tacx IMagic VR is an awesome setup and I've connected up to my Trek in the spare room to a 24" screen. The long tedious hours on the turbo are now much more focused, having a wealth of data to concentrate on including power output, cadence, heart rate and speed. The analysis tools are great for measuring progress between sessions and spotting areas for improvement. In terms of motivation its invaluable.

The final step in this new world has been to set goals for the year and tangible objectives which can be achieved to realise them. My primary goal is to gain 3rd cat, though I'm also aiming for a gold result in a couple of sportives, to revisit the South Downs Way and complete it in under 10 hours, to complete my work commute in under 1 hour and finally to get over my fixed gear crash last year and compete in the track league.


With the lifestyle changes I've had to make completing these goals a reality, keeping motivated is key. For the first time I've found that a routine isn't a bad thing and is in fact essential! To help keep motivated I've set short term objectives which will contribute to the seasons goals and these are reviewed at the end of each training block. In addition to this I've been keeping a training diary to monitor heart rate, weight, aches and pains, workout results and race results. You can see it online here - http://pedalog.blogspot.com. This years goals and objectives are listed here - http://pedalog.blogspot.com/search/label/2009%20Goals.

This week is the end of my first recovery week followed by a second fitness test Saturday and my first race of the season at Chertsey this Sunday. Will get a race report up Sunday night.