OK, I have to correct myself.
This racing season is not 9 weeks in a row. It goes something like this:
8 weekends in a row of races (1 race each weekend)
2 weekends off
2 weekends of races (10 races in 12 weekends)
4 weekends off (break time to recharge and build a bit of fitness)
2 weekends of races
1 weekend off
2 weekends of races (4 races in 5 weekends)
It won't be an easy summer!
Friday, January 31, 2014
Saturday, January 18, 2014
The Main Ingredient
Last year at this time, my training outlook was very different.
My weight was on a long slide down, having lost about 25 pounds from where I started. My power numbers were constantly climbing. My major goal for the year was not until July, with a backup plan for August. Most of the other races that I was planning were just tune ups to help me reach the one major goal.I was trying some new ideas in planning my training and really know if they would work.
It's hard to believe that starting point led to the most successful racing year I've ever had. It was by far my best year on the bike. I had two very good years on skates, finishing on the podium several times in 2001 and 2002, but those were a long time ago. I switched to cycling in 2004 and my winning results pretty disappeared until last year. The one thing that 2013 had in common with those years was a massive increase in training volume. In 2001 and 2002, I trained 425 hours each year. In 2013, I trained 525 hours. Not only did I train a lot, I put a lot of intensity into that training and it was all aimed at a concrete goal.
For comparison, in 2011 (another year when I raced a lot but had no real results), I trained 430 hours but most "just rode around", doing lots of mileage but not getting much out of it. I had no structure and very little intensity in my training. My goals shifted almost every week, especially when I switched from crits back to TTs (again).
I spent several years doing the West River Time Trial in Philly. I loved doing that event, but I had no idea what I was doing with regards to training for it. My training volume for many of those years was in the 250 to 325 hour range but, again, I was riding a lot with little intensity or structure, even though I had a very clear goal (which was to get under 20 minutes in the TT)
I was pretty sure that it took all 3 ingredients, solid goals, a large volume of training, and focused intensity to make a season successful. I've been racing in some form or another since 1995 and only three years had all three ingredients.
For me, the intensity is the ones that's hardest to keep in the mix. It's so easy to back off on a day that's supposed to be hard and say "it's just for today." It's really easy to just do a long easy ride and say "it's building foundation!!"
But it's all an excuse. Without the intensity, I can be fit (very fit, even) but I won't be race-ready. No matter how much easy riding I do, I need that harder tempo, threshold, and VO2 work to get as good as I want to be.
I have to remind myself of that almost everyday.
My weight was on a long slide down, having lost about 25 pounds from where I started. My power numbers were constantly climbing. My major goal for the year was not until July, with a backup plan for August. Most of the other races that I was planning were just tune ups to help me reach the one major goal.I was trying some new ideas in planning my training and really know if they would work.
It's hard to believe that starting point led to the most successful racing year I've ever had. It was by far my best year on the bike. I had two very good years on skates, finishing on the podium several times in 2001 and 2002, but those were a long time ago. I switched to cycling in 2004 and my winning results pretty disappeared until last year. The one thing that 2013 had in common with those years was a massive increase in training volume. In 2001 and 2002, I trained 425 hours each year. In 2013, I trained 525 hours. Not only did I train a lot, I put a lot of intensity into that training and it was all aimed at a concrete goal.
For comparison, in 2011 (another year when I raced a lot but had no real results), I trained 430 hours but most "just rode around", doing lots of mileage but not getting much out of it. I had no structure and very little intensity in my training. My goals shifted almost every week, especially when I switched from crits back to TTs (again).
I spent several years doing the West River Time Trial in Philly. I loved doing that event, but I had no idea what I was doing with regards to training for it. My training volume for many of those years was in the 250 to 325 hour range but, again, I was riding a lot with little intensity or structure, even though I had a very clear goal (which was to get under 20 minutes in the TT)
I was pretty sure that it took all 3 ingredients, solid goals, a large volume of training, and focused intensity to make a season successful. I've been racing in some form or another since 1995 and only three years had all three ingredients.
For me, the intensity is the ones that's hardest to keep in the mix. It's so easy to back off on a day that's supposed to be hard and say "it's just for today." It's really easy to just do a long easy ride and say "it's building foundation!!"
But it's all an excuse. Without the intensity, I can be fit (very fit, even) but I won't be race-ready. No matter how much easy riding I do, I need that harder tempo, threshold, and VO2 work to get as good as I want to be.
I have to remind myself of that almost everyday.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
