Maintaining your threshold power during winter

Gav888

Hi,

Ive got my first build period starting in a month when I start focusing on doing threshold intervals twice a week, such as 2 x 20min, but when I come round to the base period again in September / October time my focus moves back to building an aerobic base.

During the base period I dont want to loose what I have worked so hard for, so how do I go about maintaining my threshold power so come this time next year I can build on where I left of this year rather than having to build it all again?

Would I still need to keep doing threshold intervals during base, maybe once a week or every other week instead of twice a week as per build period, or do them for less time??

Any advise please?

Jeff Jones

Gav888 wrote:

Would I still need to keep doing threshold intervals during base, maybe once a week or every other week instead of twice a week as per build period, or do them for less time??

Once a week should be enough to prevent the slide.

Gav888

Thanks Jeff,

Would that be 2 x 20 intervals you are referring to, or would shorter durations still be acceptable to prevent the slide?

Also, doing threshold intervals once a week during base, and twice a week during build you are effectively working on threshold all year round, wouldn't that lead to overtraining?

doyler78

Gav888 wrote:

Thanks Jeff,

Would that be 2 x 20 intervals you are referring to, or would shorter durations still be acceptable to prevent the slide?

Also, doing threshold intervals once a week during base, and twice a week during build you are effectively working on threshold all year round, wouldn't that lead to overtraining?

Overtraining occurs when there isn't adequate recovery so whether your threshold intervals are all year or not isn't the relevant point it is what you do around them that is.

SCR Pedro

For what it's worth, I've kept a strict schedule over the winter. I do my intervals on Wednesday, because I have Tuesday off to recover from the Gym work on Monday, and Thursday off to recover from the intervals. I haven't felt the slightest symptoms of over training yet.

Cheers
PEdro

Gav888

Cheers for the advise guys. I do have rest days during the week so I will plan these in before a rest day

Jeff Jones

I've become convinced (based on a bit of reading and putting it into practice this past winter) that the most important thing about your training, especially at this time of year, is that you gradually build on what you've done before *and* keep in a mixture of types of training.

If you do this, it doesn't take that long to reach your end of last season fitness. Then you can build on it.

So if you've done no intervals for a month, then you wouldn't necessarily start off with your mid-season interval program. Maybe a single 20 minute effort or 2 x 10 in the first week, then 2 x 12.5, 2 x 15, 2 x 17.5, and 2 x 20 in week five. And maybe work in a few shorter efforts on another day.

As doyler88 said, overtraining is when you can't handle the load you've set yourself. This is a relative thing.

ironmike

agree with the above, the traditional 'do f*ck all in winter except 5 million miles at 15 miles an hour' is just not practical or the best use of training time.
keep mixing it up, bit of threshold, couple of vo2max intervals and the odd sprint now and again, all based around some decent tempo rides and you can't go wrong.
Then obviously just up the intensity closer to your events

shockedsoshocked

ironmike wrote:

agree with the above, the traditional 'do f*ck all in winter except 5 million miles at 15 miles an hour' is just not practical or the best use of training time.
keep mixing it up, bit of threshold, couple of vo2max intervals and the odd sprint now and again, all based around some decent tempo rides and you can't go wrong.
Then obviously just up the intensity closer to your events

You don't even need to ride tempo if you're doing intervals/VO2 max efforts. You can still go at a relatively low intensity on road rides and still have positive adaptations take place.

Alex_Simmons/RST

Jeff Jones wrote:

I've become convinced (based on a bit of reading and putting it into practice this past winter) that the most important thing about your training, especially at this time of year, is that you gradually build on what you've done before *and* keep in a mixture of types of training.

If you do this, it doesn't take that long to reach your end of last season fitness. Then you can build on it.

So if you've done no intervals for a month, then you wouldn't necessarily start off with your mid-season interval program. Maybe a single 20 minute effort or 2 x 10 in the first week, then 2 x 12.5, 2 x 15, 2 x 17.5, and 2 x 20 in week five. And maybe work in a few shorter efforts on another day.

As doyler88 said, overtraining is when you can't handle the load you've set yourself. This is a relative thing.

Well said.