Continuing Series on Spring Training
Adding Structure to your Spring Training
Last week we discussed the very basics of getting started again. First find your personal tolerance limit. (Last week’s discussion will apear on today’s post on the Audax Riders blog. Link.)
We are going to call that tolerance limit “Time X”
We’ll start with a program that will build your fitness and endurance, but it will do so in a moderate, gradual, and enjoyable fashion.
Get your calendar out. Pick five days of the week that you can commit to doing ride workouts. You will have two days that you will not ride. They are rest days, and they are critical to the whole program. You’re rest days should not be back to back.
Here’s a sample of the first week:
Monday: Rest Hard (Mondays are alredy hard enough!)
Tuesday: Leg loosener: Ride at an easy pace for a time equal to ¾ of Time X
Wednesday: Interval Day: Warm up for ten minutes. Then alternate two minutes of hard fast riding with three minutes of recovery until you have done this for a time equal to ½ of Time X. Then “warm down” for ten minutes.
Thursday: Leg conditioning: Keep your speed down and force yourself to stay in lower gears, turning the cranks a bit faster than is comfortable. Do this for a time equal to ¾ of Time X
Friday: Rest Hard
Saturday: Fun day: Ride at an easy and fun pace for ¾ of Time X
Sunday: Tempo Ride: Bring yourself up to a brisk pace and hold it for ½ of Time X
Weeks Total Time = 3.75 times Time X
Note 1: If Time X = 1.5 hours then you have done 5:37:30 this week.
Note 2: If your personal “Time X” is equal to, or greater than 2 hours then adjust your schedule to the same proportions as above, but limit yourself to no more than 10 hours per week.
Follow this program until the end of March. Then take two or three days off at the beginning of April, and then repeat the “Fitness Test” described in last week’s article. You should find that you have a bit more power and endurance.
Next week: Fine Tuning for Specific Results
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