Training "plan", centralized "bible", or where to begin with?
 

Hi,

I have been riding a lot as far as touring and commuting are concerned.
I just started racing and therefore training.
My problem is that I have no clearly planned plan for the training.

Indeed I try to ride whenever I have some time (3 hours rides twice a week plus a shorter one) where my goal is basically to ride as fast as I can during the time I have for that ride...
My other tool for training is my stationary trainer on which I cannot just ride aimlessly like on the road so I do 1-hour workouts where I do a total of 12 minutes warm-up, 13 minutes cooldown, 25 minutes at high cadence (110+ rpm) and 10 minutes of 30/30 intervals.

But overall, my training clearly lack planning and organisation.
Clearly there are many different things to do, but is there some "bible" for bike-training? some magical book or resource that would sum most of things to do and not to do? something to begin with for I am positive that, as benefic as my training can still be regardless of its messiness, it is clearly overly underoptimized compared to what I can do.

Thank you and sorry if that feels too vague, but as much as there is a lot of info here, most threads already discuss specifics whereas I still need to get a grasp on the big picture!

"My problem is that I have no clearly planned plan for the training."

Big mistake number 1...

"my goal is basically to ride as fast as I can during the time I have for that ride..."

Big mistake number 2...



I recommend getting Joe Friels "The Cycling Training Bible" to start off. He points out why the two things I quoted are the biggest mistake cyclists make.

http://www.amazon.com/The-Cyclists-T.../dp/1934030201

Thanks. Was exactly what I was looking for.

Another source, which IMO would be better for you, is The Time-Crunched Cyclist by Chris Carmichael. I have Friel's book, and it can be pretty opaque for someone just starting to train. Carmichael's book gives you pre-made training plans which will work as written, and can be used as an outline for your own once you've gotten some experience with training.

I bought a training plan and some videos from thesufferfest.com...I got the road novice training plan because I just wanted to ease into it. It's still tough so don't let the "novice" title fool you. The plan is very laid out and structured, with tips and hints, ride schedule, effort zones to attempt to keep. The good thing is that it incoporates indoor training with outdoor training, which fits my schedule very well. It does require you to figure out your FTP, which is easy to do if you had a power meter or heartrate monitor, so I had to get a heartrate monitor (not expensive). The plan gives good instructions on figuring FTP out and then you calculate your effort zones for the workouts, which is also easy. All in all, it's a pretty solid plan.

It's a ten week plan and if you stick to it you will get faster, feel better, be stronger and all that good stuff. Check it out - Cycling Training Plans - Indoor + Outdoor

Good advice above. Plus:

"The 33"-Road Bike Racing
http://www.bikeforums.net/33-road-bi...cipe-book.html
http://www.bikeforums.net/33-road-bi...s-tip-two.html

Are you a girl? we need more girl racers.

Thanks! giving this a look as well...
I like reading,... can do no harm reading several of those...

Will check that out. Thank you. First time I hear of FTP, but I do have a HR monitor w/ my GPS so shouldn't be a problem.

Will check the links.

I'm a guy,... sorry to disappoint,... I'm just a rock fan, thus the nick.