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flyefisher
12-17-03, 09:47 PM
A couple of questions for seasoned racers:
1. At what % heart rate do you do most of your 'base' training?
2. What months encompass your 'base' training? When do you begin the tougher training?
RiPHRaPH
12-18-03, 06:26 AM
65% to 70% of max (for me ~135-140) for 5 to 7 weeks, starting about now. that puts me at feb 1st for aerobic (70% to 80%) for 3-4 weeks then power/strength with tougher intervals...that puts me @ mid-march,beginning april for midwest season.
hopefully this routine will allow me to recover from hard efforts quicker/better
bikerdave
12-18-03, 07:54 AM
yeah, pretty much the same as RiPHRaPH.All long endurance miles at weekend 4 hours or so and small ring during the week.Im trying to stay seated on all climbs just now to build up good leg strength.
Miles...miles during base and strength by hill works(mainly seated ) or through weights, but no high end work till End feb/start march IMO.
nhorscro
12-18-03, 06:21 PM
The first road/crit races in California are in February (http://www.socalcycling.com/Schedule/2004/racingscd04.asp) and so base training for me starts in mid-late October. Higher end stuff starts in January.
roadbuzz
12-20-03, 09:46 PM
Disclaimer: I'm not a seasoned racer. *But* I train hard, race occasionally, and do the weekly hammerfest with the club, which is faster and harder than a lot of races. Well, cat 5 races, at least. ;)
This is my second year of rigorously doing base. Effort target is exactly what RiphRaph said. I target 135, which means I'll spend most of my time between 135 and 140. That's actually about 80-85% of my AT, but it's a completely easy aerobic level *for me*. Some online coaches recommend mixing in occasional harder efforts. I don't until what I refer to as base 2. And I still do recovery between base rides, which are even easier. Since I can't log major miles (time and trainer tolerance constraints), I aim for consistancy... at least an hour, lately more like 1.5 hours, on the bike 6 days a week, at least one long ride on week-ends.
Season-wise, I started mid-October this year... early. I was going to try CX, but my performance had been dropping off for a month or more and I was just cooked, mentally and physically. First race around here is the end of March, so that's when I target being race-ready, and work back from that. I plan to continue strict base through December. In January I'll start ramping up intensity (base 2), though still primarily aerobic/tempo (developing slow-twitch/fat burning), and allow myself a little latitude for charging up hills, etc. (and, boy, will it be welcome). February I'll start mixing in some anaerobic efforts, and in March will start ramping up with some serious intensity, to be ready by the end of March.