Road Bike Racing - Back-to-Back high-intensity training rides?

Hi all. I am following the Joe Friel plan (Cyclists Training Bible), and am in Build 2 phase (first race in six weeks). Friel seems to recommend that each high-intensity day be followed by a recovery day spent off the bike or riding in Zone 1 or 2. But, I seem to recall (but can't find) a reference to doing two hard days in a row sometimes, then recovering.

What do you think? Each hard ride followed by recovery, or ocassionally two hard days in a row? If the latter, what sort of workouts would you recommend?

You can do "blocks" of hard days, but then you'll need a few days of recovery as well....

what kind of base do you have?

what kind of base do you have?


Umm, a bit inadequate for this year, as our winter and spring weather sucked and I hate riding indoors. About 1200 miles for the year. But I like to think that my longer-term base is stronger -- e.g., about 6000miles in 2006, etc.

Umm, a bit inadequate for this year, as our winter and spring weather sucked and I hate riding indoors. About 1200 miles for the year. But I like to think that my longer-term base is stronger -- e.g., about 6000miles in 2006, etc.

next question: how do you define 'high intensity day'?

You can do it back to back, just remember to plan equal days of rest to go with the high intensity days. So, if you do three days of high intensity work, you should plan to take it easy for 2-3 days. The hard/easy/hard/easy regimen accomplishes that, just not in block form.

Whether you block train or do intensity followed by a recovery day depends a lot on your schedule, your level of fitness, and how you respond to training.

next question: how do you define 'high intensity day'?


Yesterday was 1 hr 30 mins on the bike, eight X 3 min intervals at Zone 5b with 3 min recovery in between, rest was at Zone 2.

Yeah, I know it's not enough, but that's what the schedule allows.

IIRC, "Build 2" per Friel includes lots of back to back intensity days, workouts dependent upon your race specific limiters. I'm not following friel any longer but the program my coach has me doing is similar. A week often includes one day of short intervals with short recovery (like 1'on, 1'off in zone 5b/c -friel parlance); followed next day by a LT type day of 2x20' or similar; followed or preceded by a Z2 day; w/group rides and/or races on weekends (again back to back intensity). That would give you 4 BT workouts/week and should be effective in "building" fitness.

It depends on the volume for me. I'm fine doing sprints until I can sprint no more, then a training race the next day. The sprint ride is only about 35 minutes curb to curb, so it doesn't take much out of me, but it's a great workout. That third day I have to back it off to 395W or so ;) That lets me recover for hill repeats the following day, and wrapping it all up with 1-minute intervals the next day.

So I usually go in pairs for high intensity days. I have four rides that are really hard that I need to do each week -- so some are going to have to be adjacent.

My coach has me doing hard days back to back. First year on the program, rarely had hard days back to back, Second year started doing some back to back. This year, frequently have back to back hard days.

Couple of thoughts, 1) doing very intense days back to back is something you need to build to,
2) the second day is where you really get significant improvement if you can push yourself to do it well.
3) if you're doing multiple day events, you need to be training in blocks to prepare.

You can do it back to back, just remember to plan equal days of rest to go with the high intensity days. So, if you do three days of high intensity work, you should plan to take it easy for 2-3 days. The hard/easy/hard/easy regimen accomplishes that, just not in block form.
Whether you block train or do intensity followed by a recovery day depends a lot on your schedule, your level of fitness, and how you respond to training.

+1. (And your age).

Bob