trustnoone

The bike forums recipe book looks like a great resource and I am looking a jumping into it. Would anyone have some advice on how to structure a training plan (or send me theirs) for a build to the start of the race season in April? 2014 goal is to be competitive on the road and crush the cross season.

I've been riding for a number of years and dabbled in road racing and cross for the last two.

I've tried sinking my hooks into Joe Freil's Bibles but it'll be August before I get a handle on everything there.

I've done the experienced competitor program in Time Crunched Cyclist. I am not opposed do doing that again but I have a sneaky suspicion that Chis Carmichael's books are the C plan where paying clients get the B plan, and the A plan involves staying one step ahead of WADA.

What I did like about Time Crunched is being able to program a week/month/etc... into the Garmin training calendar and rolling out of bed, onto the bike and hitting start. I am not overly interested in training DVD's and watching sweaty triathletes and corporate lunchers getting badgered by a coach. If I'm on the trainer I would rather have my Garmin tell me I'm dogging it while I catch up with the 2014 Protour or my understanding of Dutch Cyclocross commentary.

Anyway, I am interested in trying something new with the new frying pan (power metre) and getting some legs for the spring.

gsteinb

why would trust you any of us?

wanders

Sounds like you could use a coach.

rbart4506

Because we are of sound body and mind

thechemist

That is pretty funny when you take your sig from racerex in context!


Op you have friel's book,use it! Get training with power by coggan and hunter Allan if you don't already have it.
friel has an excel spreadsheet you can use I think it's in appendix A

revchuck 

It depends on how much time you have, to an extent. I've done The Time-Crunched Cyclist plans several times. The plans are decent, and can form the basis of a personal plan. If six-eight hours/week is all you have, it's about the best you can do.

I'm now using a coach through Carmichael Training Systems (CTS), and I find it's better. The difference isn't a "B" plan vs. a "C" plan, but rather a one-size-fits-all plan vs. an individual, flexible plan. I'm just a year or two farther down the same road you're on, and I believe I'm better prepared to race than if I had continued trying to train on my own. If you can afford it, I'd say go with a coach. I'm on the least expensive program CTS offers, and it's USD 160/month. Other coaching companies offer similar levels of coaching at similar prices.

If you don't want to go with a coach, quit farting around and use Friel's book, Carmichael's book and the BF workout recipes as a basis to create your own plan. It's winter and you're in the Great White North, so you've got plenty of time between chopping wood, feeding the huskies and drinking tea, right? Create and post an outline that you think might work, indicate how much time you have per week and when your first high priority race is, and we'll throw internet darts at it.

trustnoone

Well, I doubt you are slower

trustnoone

I traded the dogs for a power metre, but I did just finish a nice pot of Earl Grey.

Enclosed is Freil's annex A. I am a little unclear on how to flush it out. I train better with specifics much like the Carmichael plans. Vague hours per week gives me far to much flexibility to come off track.

Weights, core, and running are there because that is time at work and I can capitalize on that. I have no plan on ruining a good ride by adding in a run afterwards unless I am commuting to work on my bike and I swim nearly as well as a pair of aluminum rims.

Feel free to throw the darts. I'm putting a kettle on.

Thanks,

M

Enthalpic

Ha.

It's been a while since I've tried to peak for velo SR but I might have an old plan somewhere. I don't try that anymore, I go for pigeon and later season races / prov champs.

Peaking for velo SR will involve a lot of indoor training; that TT is short so you have to be pretty sharp.

shovelhd

I would start off the year spending January and February in base. Lots of Z2/Z3 and not a lot of intensity. Two weeks on/one off or three weeks on/one off whatever works best for you. March and April should be focused on build. Z2 for recovery only, focus on intensity, sprints. If you truly want to "crush the cross season" then you should plan on ending your road season in early July, taking at least two weeks off, and resetting.

thechemist

I like shovels plan. I really don't know much about planning yet but my thoughts: with that volume you should do well no matter as a Cat5.


Spend your 12 hrs on a bike
Secondly, not meant to come across harsh but did you read friel's book? It doesn't look like you implemented anything other than slapping some hours in a spreadsheet

shovelhd

I decided to open your spreadsheet. Oy.

You want to train 12 hours/week, but only 25% of it is riding your bike. Bad idea.
You have months of 12 hour weeks that are exactly the same. Bad idea.
You have consecutive weeks of training with no rest weeks. Bad idea.
You continue to power lift for hours during base and build. Bad idea.

I gave you the general outline in my post above. I'd add the following.

Come January, drop the powerlifting. Spend an hour at the gym once per week doing core work but no big weights.
Break up the consecutive weeks with rest weeks as suggested above.
Plan on a test at the end of each rest week. Reset your FTP and move to the next block.
Rest weeks are similar to base/build weeks but with reduced volume and intensity and more rest. Since you like six and twelve, go with that.

trustnoone

Thanks for the input. I'll be under at least foot of snow until April which is why the bike % looks low. I had intended on building much of my Z2/Z3 base through a combination of CX skiing, running, and the indoor trainer/rollers.

Come April the bike hours will be a lot higher, though the first three April races in my area were snowed out and I could ski out my front door on the 29th.

shovelhd

Don't fear the trainer. Focus on the sport you want to be competitive in. A little cross training is fine for variety every now and then but you must focus on cycling first and foremost.

echappist

Or better yet, rollers. I can almost get my road wattages on my rollers, though 20 min in the drops on my rollers aint fun

trustnoone

I do have both rollers and trainer. the Power Metre is new so I haven't done a cross comparison yet.

trustnoone

It's in front of me now. Doing a major reworking, I will post it once I'm done.

trustnoone

Not so much a reworking but an implementation plan.

Looking at the time required for build and base, I have moved my first priority race to June.

Any recommendations for the three weeks in March. Worst case they are a complete scrub but likely not. There is reasonable possibility that I will be without a bike.

The training plan by week goes only to the end of base 1. Am I on the right track?

Thanks,

M

echappist

+1. The above needs to be repeated

For the OP, the Friel book is not for beginners, and the plans contained therein are designed for youngsters having plenty of time to train. You may get somewhere with your plan, you may not. Some people who are really talented don't need much of a structure and will proceed up the ranks, others need more hands on guidance. Most people end up doing too much the stuff they like and not enough of the stuff they need. Having inexperienced amateur racers plan out a season from books alone is most often a display of confirmation bias at work

in any case, what you are asking us to do is to be your coach and plan out your season. Unfortunately you arent paying any of us money, so take the specific workouts people suggest with a grain of salt. Shovel's suggestions above are actually very good, but those are rough guideline and not a detailed training plan.

Ask around and see who coaches other people in your area, and go from there. In any case, paying $160 for someone affiliated with Carmichael may not be the best thing to do.

Racer Ex 

Or ask around here.

shovelhd

I don't understand your exercises or your methodology of jumping all around with durations and mixing intensities. I don't think you do either. Do yourself a favor. Either buy Coggan's book and use one of his plans, buy a standard plan from CTS or trainerroad or some Strava jockey, or hire a coach. You need a lot of help.

echappist

Oh wise one, could you suggest someone

Ygduf

Twist my arm, sure, I'll do it.

$100 a month I'll write you up a good plan and critique your files. Fair warning, results take a year minimum so the $$ up front is necessary.

trustnoone

Good advice. I bought Coggan's book today so I will do. Thanks for the advice and the time.

M