Transitioning to race training pre-season

mclarent

I'm currently training for Flanders (no, not Ned), mixture of long rides and intervals. The sportive is 1st weekend in April, after which I'm going to switch to a race (Cat 4) focused workout plan, for starting the season in May. My current idea for this transition phase is 5 days on the bike, 1 long ride (prob mix of recovery and tempo), and 4 days interval training.

For the intervals, I was considering 2 HOPs, 1 sprint session and 1 longer interval session (2x 20 or 3x12 probably).

Does that look ok?

softlad

if you start your race season in May, everyone else will probably have about two month's worth of racing in their legs already. Why start with a disadvantage..?

mclarent

I think they'll already have an advantage over me

I'm talking about the summer series at Hog Hill which doesn't start til May, but I have a couple of things pencilled in before that (next weekend is a possibility!)

phil s

How can a long ride be recovery and tempo? It just ends up as neither.

mclarent

yeah, meant recovery sometimes tempo others depending on how bad I'm feeling!!

Toks

mclarent wrote:

I'm currently training for Flanders (no, not Ned), mixture of long rides and intervals. The sportive is 1st weekend in April, after which I'm going to switch to a race (Cat 4) focused workout plan, for starting the season in May. My current idea for this transition phase is 5 days on the bike, 1 long ride (prob mix of recovery and tempo), and 4 days interval training.

For the intervals, I was considering 2 HOPs, 1 sprint session and 1 longer interval session (2x 20 or 3x12 probably).

Does that look ok?

Hi yeah it looks Ok. Remember the hour of power session is effectively a Road Race by yourself if you do it properly so I don't know whether you really need to do it twice a week. Why not to a 2 hour ride at sweet spot intensity (its kind of a halfway house between 3-4 hour endurance pace and 2 x 20). Typically you'll start off feeling fine but from about 40 minutes onwards it'll take some concentration to maintain the effort. You should be able to say a few words but a sustained conversation will be difficult. Re when you start racing. Don't sweat it mate! Start when you're ready to start. There wiill always be people that will be stronger than you no matter what time of year you start racing.

oldwelshman

softlad wrote:

if you start your race season in May, everyone else will probably have about two month's worth of racing in their legs already. Why start with a disadvantage..?

Why at a disadvantage? Staring earlier in the season in the middle of winter does not make you go faster. If your fast enough your ready whether its may or July.
If you race in Jan Feb it is difficult to keep form until September!!

mclarent

Thanks for the feedback guy.

Re: starting the season earlier, I'm a newbie, so think getting a couple of "practice" races in earlier in the season should help, if only with the "racing brain" bit. Only thing is, as I am targetting Flanders as my first "proper" event, I'm still getting the miles into my legs at the mo - I can see myself climbing off on any race I ride, as soon as the tempo goes up!!