Free Coaching Advice..
 

Now that the season is over for those of us in SoCal. I'm now getting ready to layout my training plan for the winter. One of my limiters in crit racing is the ability to push the pace at the front of the pack. My usual routine in racing is sit in the pack until the final laps and move up to sprint for a top ten finish. Pretty much boring if you ask me. I'm able to go to the front for a minute or two before I start feeling like I'm ready to blow. After doing that I'm pretty much toast.

My question is what can I do over the winter time to work on my endurance so I'll be able to ride longer in the front of the pack, hell, I would even like to breakaway from the pack for a few without blowing up.

Edit: I'm even considering adopting a time trial training plan to help with sustainable power.

Thanks,

why do you want to pull the pack for more than a minute?

how's your jump? If you can pull pretty hard for a minute or two and have a good jump, maybe you're not that far from trying breaks.

start by losing some weight -- you know you can. Easy rides for that effort while you diet. Then start into some SST. Concentrate on FTP development. Do the kinds of workouts that build Zone 4 ability on this page (no power meter required).

You're in the same situation I was in last season, all sprint and no endurance. My how things have changed.

You hit the nail on the head. At 220lbs(wannebe bodybuilder) I'm one of the largest guys in the races around here. It isn't like I want to pull the pack the entire time but it would be nice to have the ability to get up there and push the pace at times. There was a situation at one of the races where we were trying to catch a breakaway and the guys looked back at me to pull.. I knew that if I touched the front then my race would've been over with. I do plan to lay off the upper body weights a bit over the winter.. Upper body mucles look good on camera but not really helpful durng the race.

Rats. I thought you were offering free coaching advice, not asking for it. :(

Wow, same situation as me except different physiological abilities. I put on a ton of weight hitting the weights this off-season, but my strength is time-trialling. So my only hope is to get to the front and ramp it up and then attack repeatedly. If it's any consolation, one of the guys I train with is a former National Team track sprinter and he does nothing but train his FTP. His sprint is simply genetic, always there. Rarely, if ever, works on it and it is still stupefying. I think your bread and butter should be some form of LT intervals. Sometimes I do 4x11min or the classic 2x20. I also do sub-super intervals -- important if you're attacking.

Good luck with it -- and BTW it's easy. Just be dedicated.

Well... during all the crits where you sat in and sprinted this year, why didn't you declare some of them to be "learning races" and just do all the stupid stuff for the sake of training?

Take it from an old guy: every race can't be a "goal event"... so pick 'em carefully and use the rest for training, learning, and practice.

Anyway, +1 to Waterrockets' advice.

Buy Assos bibs.
Buy chain lube.

Ride lots.
Eat well.
Sleep lots.
Come up for air if you're tired.
No rest weeks.
Only less weeks.

10 weeks before your first race - sharpen the blade. Keep riding and resting lots though.
Focus on your strengths. 5min hammers, sprints, whatever... just make sure you do enough.

This coming season, you'll have an icepick in the back pocket [whether that be a sprint or 5min hammer].

Stab em and have fun.