To peak in four weeks...
02-20-05 | 11:12 PM
#1
Thread Starter
Meow!
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 6,019
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From: Riverside, California
Bikes: Trek 2100 Road Bike, Full DA10, Cervelo P2K TT bike, Full DA10, Giant Boulder Steel Commuter
To peak in four weeks...
Alright here we go...
I am doing my first criterium in 2 weeks of the season but I have two "A" priority races in 4 weeks (Redlands cat 5 and Ontario Part 2). I want to be in the most peak shape I can be by that time. I am willing to up my riding to 6 days per week and do more intervals, etc. What kind of changes should I make to be as good as I can get for these two important events?
My current schedule...
Monday -- 2 - 2.5 hour arobic endurance ride, approximatly 30 - 45 miles
Tuesday -- Club ride, fast almost race pace with hills, 20 - 25 miles nite ride
Wednesday -- Off or trainer work usually E2 for 1 hour of so, busy day, no daylight to ride
Thursday -- Club ride, fast but more hill work, 20 - 25 miles
Friday - 2 - 2.5 hour training ride, more muscle endurance work, approximatly 30 miles
Saturday - trainer time, intervals, zone 3 muscle endurance work or OFF
Sunday - Club ride, fast 30+ MPH pacelines, 30 - 50 miles typical.
I also mix in some anarobic and arobic intervals in the mix, no more than 2x per week (usually 3 sets of 6 runs, 1 min, 5 min breaks.
So what should I change to be ready....? Thanks
I am doing my first criterium in 2 weeks of the season but I have two "A" priority races in 4 weeks (Redlands cat 5 and Ontario Part 2). I want to be in the most peak shape I can be by that time. I am willing to up my riding to 6 days per week and do more intervals, etc. What kind of changes should I make to be as good as I can get for these two important events?
My current schedule...
Monday -- 2 - 2.5 hour arobic endurance ride, approximatly 30 - 45 miles
Tuesday -- Club ride, fast almost race pace with hills, 20 - 25 miles nite ride
Wednesday -- Off or trainer work usually E2 for 1 hour of so, busy day, no daylight to ride
Thursday -- Club ride, fast but more hill work, 20 - 25 miles
Friday - 2 - 2.5 hour training ride, more muscle endurance work, approximatly 30 miles
Saturday - trainer time, intervals, zone 3 muscle endurance work or OFF
Sunday - Club ride, fast 30+ MPH pacelines, 30 - 50 miles typical.
I also mix in some anarobic and arobic intervals in the mix, no more than 2x per week (usually 3 sets of 6 runs, 1 min, 5 min breaks.
So what should I change to be ready....? Thanks
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Just your average club rider... :)
Just your average club rider... :)
02-25-05 | 09:08 PM
#2
Junior Member
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 15
Likes: 0
Someone with more experience will probably come along and say that I'm entirely wrong, but here's my take on it.
If I'm not mistaking what you're saying, you have an 'A' race and then another 'A' race 4 weeks later, and want to be in peak shape for both.
The problem that I see is that, in my uneducated and inexperienced little world, it's nearly impossible to peak twice in a 4 week period of time. You're not giving yourself enough time to come off that peak and recover before you're trying to train yourself back up to the peak again.
Really what you're asking for is to pretty much maintain peak form for 4 weeks straight. It's possible to do it, but you'd be walking a very fine line of not training enough and losing your peak versus training too hard and slipping into overtraining.
My first thought is, "Get a professional coach, fast." Your best chance to maintain that kind of form for that long is with professional help.
My second thought is to aim to peak for the second race. The 4 weeks before you hit peak, you're doing more training to refine the power, endurance and speed that you built during the rest of your training season. You're still making gains, but you're making small ones at that point. You'd probably be at 90-95% of peak during the first race and 100% on the second.
In any case, I don't think that riding hard 6 days a week is going to get you there. Maintaining a peak for that long would involve maybe 2 hard anaerobic interval days per week to maintain your form, some low intensity endurance work to keep yourself moving and limber on your off days, and lots of rest and great nutrition during the time period to keep you from going into overtraining. This is just a stab in the dark though -- a program to maintain yourself at peak for a month would have to be tailored to you. A coach or a trainer would help.
If I'm not mistaking what you're saying, you have an 'A' race and then another 'A' race 4 weeks later, and want to be in peak shape for both.
The problem that I see is that, in my uneducated and inexperienced little world, it's nearly impossible to peak twice in a 4 week period of time. You're not giving yourself enough time to come off that peak and recover before you're trying to train yourself back up to the peak again.
Really what you're asking for is to pretty much maintain peak form for 4 weeks straight. It's possible to do it, but you'd be walking a very fine line of not training enough and losing your peak versus training too hard and slipping into overtraining.
My first thought is, "Get a professional coach, fast." Your best chance to maintain that kind of form for that long is with professional help.
My second thought is to aim to peak for the second race. The 4 weeks before you hit peak, you're doing more training to refine the power, endurance and speed that you built during the rest of your training season. You're still making gains, but you're making small ones at that point. You'd probably be at 90-95% of peak during the first race and 100% on the second.
In any case, I don't think that riding hard 6 days a week is going to get you there. Maintaining a peak for that long would involve maybe 2 hard anaerobic interval days per week to maintain your form, some low intensity endurance work to keep yourself moving and limber on your off days, and lots of rest and great nutrition during the time period to keep you from going into overtraining. This is just a stab in the dark though -- a program to maintain yourself at peak for a month would have to be tailored to you. A coach or a trainer would help.
