"The 33"-Road Bike Racing - Training Plans

He folks, I tried a search, but didn't find what I was looking for so here goes:

I am looking for a training program to get me ready for race season (March 20th is my first race as of today). I am currently looking for a new job so hiring a coach is out of the question and buying a program is also out as I have no idea when I will have a steady income again. Does anybody know where I might be able to find a good training plan online for free? Thanks.

Look at the sticky threads ....

I didn't see any with links to complete training plans, perhaps you can post links to these posts that have them in them. Thanks.

Check trainingpeaks.com There may be a free plan on there.

Free is hard to come by....Plus you usually get what you pay for...Speaking from experience here...

Well and there's no reference to availability to ride, background riding, what type of race you're doing on the 20th (100 mile RR is going to be different than a 30 minute crit), etc.

He folks, I tried a search, but didn't find what I was looking for so here goes:

I am looking for a training program to get me ready for race season (March 20th is my first race as of today). I am currently looking for a new job so hiring a coach is out of the question and buying a program is also out as I have no idea when I will have a steady income again. Does anybody know where I might be able to find a good training plan online for free? Thanks.

Try this (http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php/698190-Base-Training-for-Newbie-Racer?highlight=program) see post 12

I didn't see any with links to complete training plans, perhaps you can post links to these posts that have them in them. Thanks.

wow, the sense of entitlement is quite strong here. If you want one tailored to your needs, you'll have to pay the dough. Get a few books and read the stickies. A training plan is not a collection of workouts: it's a constantly changing thing that should take into accounts of fitness gains, goals, etc.

http://www.amazon.com/Time-Crunched-Cyclist-Fast-Powerful-Hours/dp/1934030473

http://www.amazon.com/Cyclists-Training-Bible-Joe-Friel/dp/1934030201/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1294931412&sr=1-1

Not free, but way cheaper than coaching or the trainingpeaks plans.

If there was a good free one out there I would have a lot more money in the bank.

If there was a good free one out there I would have a lot more money in the bank.

Ahmen!!!

If your looking for budget (the keyword here) check out the "Cyclists Training Bible". Great information in there!

wow, the sense of entitlement is quite strong here. If you want one tailored to your needs, you'll have to pay the dough. Get a few books and read the stickies. A training plan is not a collection of workouts: it's a constantly changing thing that should take into accounts of fitness gains, goals, etc.

Actually there is no sense of entitlement, perhaps you should learn how to read and comprehend peoples posts before you choose to add anything.

the closest thing you are going to find will be in reading a lot of the training status threads and other training related threads so you can pick up on the habits of the fast guys here.

Actually there is no sense of entitlement, perhaps you should learn how to read and comprehend peoples posts before you choose to add anything.

Same sh*t different strain. Ask for help and then shoot down those giving you advice.

We're done here.

Ahmen!!!

If your looking for budget (the keyword here) check out the "Cyclists Training Bible". Great information in there!

+1. Get this from the library and build a plan based on the info in there. That will be as good a starting point as any.

Well and there's no reference to availability to ride, background riding, what type of race you're doing on the 20th (100 mile RR is going to be different than a 30 minute crit), etc.

What he said.

Huge variables.

Well and there's no reference to availability to ride, background riding, what type of race you're doing on the 20th (100 mile RR is going to be different than a 30 minute crit), etc.

Quoted for emphasis. Help us help you.

I recommend the Eddy Merckx training plan.

"Ride lots"

I recommend the Eddy Merckx training plan.

"Ride lots"

Insert assorted facepalm jpg's.

Johnybutts- Sorry, not the same strain, the only person I "shot down" was the one who choose to ignore what I actually posted and insult me.

kensuf- Sorry, I misunderstood why you wanted that info. Right now with early darkness, cold and a 16 month old and wife, I'd say an hour on weekdays and five on weekends. Once it stays lighter longer and I can get out on the roads more (a lot of ice and snow on our farm roads now) I can up those times. I just got back into racing last year after some time away, jumped back in as a Cat 5 and, on erratic training, did ok, some top tens, one or two times getting shot off the back and mainly top 30 pack finishes. Races are mostly crits.

Insert assorted facepalm jpg's.

I was waiting for this.

wait! wait!

ibtl

ok continue.

Johnybutts- Sorry, not the same strain, the only person I "shot down" was the one who choose to ignore what I actually posted and insult me.

kensuf- Sorry, I misunderstood why you wanted that info. Right now with early darkness, cold and a 16 month old and wife, I'd say an hour on weekdays and five on weekends. Once it stays lighter longer and I can get out on the roads more (a lot of ice and snow on our farm roads now) I can up those times. I just got back into racing last year after some time away, jumped back in as a Cat 5 and, on erratic training, did ok, some top tens, one or two times getting shot off the back and mainly top 30 pack finishes. Races are mostly crits.


just read the post I directed you too.

srsly guys, this is a new racer question, how many 100 mi road races would you expect the op to have on his schedule?

MDcatV, I appreciate the link, but that post just has some workouts to do on the trainer, I am looking for something that will give me a basic plan for the whole year.

Cyclists Training Bible.

MDcatV, I appreciate the link, but that post just has some workouts to do on the trainer, I am looking for something that will give me a basic plan for the whole year.

take that post and add


Cyclists Training Bible.

and build a plan.

Cyclists Training Bible is going to be the cheapest route to building a good training plan. A lot of people here (including myself) pay good money for training plans (training plans go for $50 - $950 a month). The odds of anyone sharing their plans is pretty low so your best route is giong to be building your own after doing research and buying the Cyclists Training Bible.

Ride lots

Racer Ex is gonna have a coronary.

MDcatV, I appreciate the link, but that post just has some workouts to do on the trainer, I am looking for something that will give me a basic plan for the whole year.

Monday - Recovery ride 1-1.5 hours easy not any efforts
Tuesday - Short Intervals - I will give it to you in kilometers - 500m sprint, 1km rest, repeat 6 times, 10 minutes rest and repeat
Wednesday - whatever distance you are racing on weekend if it is a roadrace, if not 3 hours moderate tempo
Thursday - Long Interval - 4 minutes on, 2 minutes off and repeat 6 times, rest 10 minutes repeat first set
Friday - Off or easy spin in small ring for an hour
Saturday/Sunday - racetime baby. If not racing try and find a group ride on Saturday morning

I also weight train during the week 3-4 days depending on calendar.

Monday - Recovery ride 1-1.5 hours easy not any efforts
Tuesday - Short Intervals - I will give it to you in kilometers - 500m sprint, 1km rest, repeat 6 times, 10 minutes rest and repeat
Wednesday - whatever distance you are racing on weekend if it is a roadrace, if not 3 hours moderate tempo
Thursday - Long Interval - 4 minutes on, 2 minutes off and repeat 6 times, rest 10 minutes repeat first set
Friday - Off or easy spin in small ring for an hour
Saturday/Sunday - racetime baby. If not racing try and find a group ride on Saturday morning

I also weight train during the week 3-4 days depending on calendar.

You must not have read the thread. That's just a collection of workouts. He's looking for a year-long plan.

You must not have read the thread. That's just a collection of workouts. He's looking for a year-long plan.

No, I'm ********.

That is the plan repeat week after week until you are a beast.

You must not have read the thread. That's just a collection of workouts. He's looking for a year-long plan.

Hey, here is an idea, how about instead of acting like a little kid who got his feelings hurt, you man up, apologize for your previous post and never post in this thread again, unless you have something of value to add.

People like you are why I have been reading this forum for years but never posted until now.

Sorry, about that folks who are actually trying to help me out. I appreciate what you are doing. It's just too there are always people who try to ruin every thread.

Racer Ex is gonna have a coronary.

What do I know? I just go to flea markets and Ebay to add to my jersey collection.

The OP still hasn't provided enough basic info for me to even recommend the Training Bible.

People like you are why I have been reading this forum for years but never posted until now.

You've been reading this forum for years, but apparently have picked up absolutely no knowledge of anything that's been discussed here. You asked for:

I am looking for a training program to get me ready for race season

A bunch of people responded with requests for more information and full-written up workouts. You dismissed them and responded with:

that post just has some workouts to do on the trainer, I am looking for something that will give me a basic plan for the whole year

Then another person posted another full set of workouts for you (this takes some time and thought you know, these people are actually trying to help you). I respond:

That's just a collection of workouts. He's looking for a year-long plan.
And somehow you justify me as the bad guy. I responded with the exact same content that you did (albeit in a completely sarcastic way) - and I'm the bad guy.

SO. How could you have gone about this a bit better? You could have started with some of the most basic research imaginable. Read the books which cover this stuff, or google for some training plans, visit the forums/sites which discuss these things and read about them. It's an investment, just like your training is an investment for future fitness. But you didn't do that. Instead you came here and expected everyone else to do this work for you.

You still have provided almost no constructive feedback for anything anyone has posted. The only things we know are 1) your first race's date - no idea if it's important to you or of it's a training race 2) You have about 15 hrs a week to train 3) at some point in the past you tried racing.

From here, you could be a former cat1, or the next fat kid down the street who will be dropped at the first turn of the weekday crit. Count your posts, you've spent more effort criticizing me than providing any of the information we would need to help you. This is on top of you doing absolutely no foundation research to understand what we're even discussing with you.

kensuf- Sorry, I misunderstood why you wanted that info.

Another place to start some reading: http://www.joefrielsblog.com/2011/01/build-period-overview.html

Including the links in that text.

You've been reading this forum for years, but apparently have picked up absolutely no knowledge of anything that's been discussed here. You asked for:

I addressed what I was looking for and that I did not find it here, but apparently you still have not learned how to read and comprehend what you read.


A bunch of people responded with requests for more information and full-written up workouts. You dismissed them and responded with:
1) One person requested info and (as I said but, once again, you do not know how to read and comprehend) I told him I had misunderstood his post and then posted the requested info.

2) I didn't ask for "workouts" I asked for a training plan. Another example of you not reading and/or comprehending.



Then another person posted another full set of workouts for you (this takes some time and thought you know, these people are actually trying to help you). I respond:

No, someone posted a link to a post with some trainer workout, not a plan as I requested. Of course you wouldn't understand since you refuse to read and comprehend.


And somehow you justify me as the bad guy. I responded with the exact same content that you did (albeit in a completely sarcastic way) - and I'm the bad guy.

Who is the guy who jumped in and insulted me? Who is the one who did this based on things I never said or implied? You ARE the bad guy.


SO. How could you have gone about this a bit better? You could have started with some of the most basic research imaginable. Read the books which cover this stuff, or google for some training plans, visit the forums/sites which discuss these things and read about them. It's an investment, just like your training is an investment for future fitness. But you didn't do that. Instead you came here and expected everyone else to do this work for you.

Once again you don't read or comprehend, I did research, even on this forum and found nothing. Money is an issue, so I have nothing to invest monetarily. One again you make false claims and insult me. I never had any sense of entitlement, as you have said and imply here. Apparently instead of reading and comprehending what is actually written, you just make things up to justify you being a jerk on a message board.


You still have provided almost no constructive feedback for anything anyone has posted. The only things we know are 1) your first race's date - no idea if it's important to you or of it's a training race 2) You have about 15 hrs a week to train 3) at some point in the past you tried racing.
From here, you could be a former cat1, or the next fat kid down the street who will be dropped at the first turn of the weekday crit. Count your posts, you've spent more effort criticizing me than providing any of the information we would need to help you. This is on top of you doing absolutely no foundation research to understand what we're even discussing with you.

It's interesting how you never asked about this info and instead simply insulted me and now, after I gave the info requested (and the person requested has not gone off on me about the info I provided, like you are) you decide to do something to try to justify your being in this thread. Just to add, your interpretation of what I posted about my info proves, again, that you can't read or comprehend what is written.

One final note, it's interesting that you are the only person who posted in this thread with insults towards me and the only one who did not try to help out. Perhaps you should take a break from posting and take a long hard look in the mirror.

I would appreciate it if you would stop posting in this thread, but I know you won't because I know you are one of those people who will never admit when he was wrong and must have the final word. Make it a good one since I will not be responding.

Hockey,

Putting together a plan for anyone is complicated, and it takes into account goals, strengths, limiters, previous performance, previous response to training, how much stress you have in your life right now (job, family, etc), age . . . the list goes on. I am working with my team right now to put together a winter training plan that is supposed to work for all of us. We thought this would be easy since winter is mostly base anyway. However, what we are finding is that we are all so different with respect to those above factors, that coming to an agreement on what will work best is an exercise in futility, and we need to acknowledge that we will probably need to continue on slightly different training plans, despite needing to train in the same indoor space on a limited number of computrainer "grids". . . a strategical nightmare . . . oh, I digress, I'm sorry. . .

Long story short, to make a really good plan for you, we need to know A LOT - probably a lot more than you can reasonably give us here in writing. Therefore, you get answers like "read the training bible". But that isn't a blow-off answer. It is the key to the best training plan you are going to get without a coach, because nobody knows you better than you.

I'm sorry that coming by a training plan wasn't as easy as you had hoped, but I don't think that there is a single bike racer out there who isn't saying the same thing about their own plan.

Hockey,

Putting together a plan for anyone is complicated, and it takes into account goals, strengths, limiters, previous performance, previous response to training, how much stress you have in your life right now (job, family, etc), age . . . the list goes on. I am working with my team right now to put together a winter training plan that is supposed to work for all of us. We thought this would be easy since winter is mostly base anyway. However, what we are finding is that we are all so different with respect to those above factors, that coming to an agreement on what will work best is an exercise in futility, and we need to acknowledge that we will probably need to continue on slightly different training plans, despite needing to train in the same indoor space on a limited number of computrainer "grids". . . a strategical nightmare . . . oh, I digress, I'm sorry. . .

Long story short, to make a really good plan for you, we need to know A LOT - probably a lot more than you can reasonably give us here in writing. Therefore, you get answers like "read the training bible". But that isn't a blow-off answer. It is the key to the best training plan you are going to get without a coach, because nobody knows you better than you.

I'm sorry that coming by a training plan wasn't as easy as you had hoped, but I don't think that there is a single bike racer out there who isn't saying the same thing about their own plan.

Thank you for the intelligent, mature response. I understand all of this and I am not looking for some individualized, world champion plan. I am just looking for something that will help me be better then I was last year doing my own thing and where I was just making it up as I go along. Essentially I am looking for an outline for the year with basic workouts in it and hopefully I will be able to either get a coach or buy a training plan when I get a job.

Here. This is going to be pretty useless without knowing your weaknesses, strengths, and goals, but if it works feel free to send me $50.

Weeks 1-4: Base Prep -- spend time just getting used to riding the bike again. Get your house in order in terms of your personal life and other distractions.

Weeks 5-8: Base 1 -- ride in the zone. Zone 2 that is. Set your HR to have an audible alarm when you go above 150. Try to get in at least 2 rides of 3 hours weekly. The other rides should be 90-120 minutes minimum. The long rides should probably not be back to back (maybe a Thursday and Saturday).

Weeks 9-12: Base 2 -- same as Base 1, but increase the long rides to 4 hours, in the final week increase those to 5 hours.

Weeks 13-16: Build 1 -- what are your weakness? Work on them. Probably force work and speed work. I personally like to work on threshold during this period, so one day do longer intervals (~15-20 minutes), and one day work on your weaknesses. If you respond well and recover well, maybe work in a 3rd day of threshold work. The other days should be recovery rides or zone 2 aerobic, depending on how you feel.

Weeks 17-20: Build 2 -- Time to start working on sprints and higher intensity work. Sprint one day a week, do 3-5 minute intervals another day a week, and if you have training races nearby do those.

Weeks 21-24: Race. Read rkwaki's previous post on what to do during race periods.

Durations and intensities and specifics about build 1/2 are based on your goals and strengths/weaknesses. I still don't know those.

Here's your training plan. Good luck.

186055

And seriously. Spend the $20 on the cyclists training bible, or check it out from your local library, and read it.

Thank you for the intelligent, mature response. I understand all of this and I am not looking for some individualized, world champion plan. I am just looking for something that will help me be better then I was last year doing my own thing and where I was just making it up as I go along. Essentially I am looking for an outline for the year with basic workouts in it and hopefully I will be able to either get a coach or buy a training plan when I get a job.

OK, tell me:
1. your target races (date, length, hills or flat)
2. What you consider to be your three most significant physical weakness (sprinting? endurance? climbing? accelerating? jumps?)
3. Your two most significant technical weakness (cornering? descending? drafting? comfort in the pack?)
4. your age
5. What was your average weekly training volume last year in hours (if you can break this into off-season and in-season that would be even better)?
6. Do you typically train on hilly terrain or flats? Extended threshold climbs or short punchy power climbs?

Then I will give you some sort of a general plan, but let me emphasize that it will be GENERAL and lacking detail. Like I said, I'm struggling with my own plan right now, so only have limited time to make ones for other people, but I've read a lot, have some experience, and have on-going conversations on this topic with my coaches, mentors, and teammates.

OP,
You talk as though the people here owe you a training plan. And you actually give attitude when someone gives you workouts and not an annual plan as you requested. Do the reading and the work to build one yourself like everyone else here has done(except those with coaches of course).

There are plenty of people here willing to help you out. I'd suggest relinquishing that combative demeanor and maybe someone will give you some more tips on how to build your own ATP.

Oh, and I don't think what you're asking for exists. When I was first getting into racing I tried very hard to find an atp that was pre-made. couldn't find one. But, now I no why. There are too many variables even if you're "not looking for some individualized, world champion plan".

No offense but this thread isnt going anywhere. The best thing you can do for yourself is read as many cycling training books you can and select one philosophy (book) and build your plan based on it.

Keep going the route of asking for free advice you are going to get a mixed bag of **** that in the end would be no better than you just riding around without a plan.

Educate yourself about training and you will be 100% better off than taking free advice here

dude, ror real, do some research, buy and read some books, read some threads on this and other forums, and develop some knowledge from which you can use to ask legitimate questions that folks on here (and probably in other places) who have actual knowledge can provide you with a legitimate answer. good friggin' grief.

kensuf, thanks, that is a good start.

chicagogal- I will pm with that info.

jcpups608- Nowhere did I say or imply anything about anyone owing me anything. The only person I gave attitude to was the jackass who decided to insult me rather then try to help. Everyone else I have treated with respect and kindness.

plonk