Your opinions on this training regime please?

stratcat

I've had a bit of a look around the net and found very little in the way of free advice on training. I guess its because it should be tailored to the individual and their goals/disciplines, however I would have thought certain basic principles must apply.

My plan is to maintain and increase my strength and fitness over the bad weather/dark morning months. Most of my training/riding will be on the turbo (unless we get a nice autumn weather wise). I'm generally pushed for time and I've only got an hour in the mornings to spare, except weekends where I'll try to get out on the road for longer if we are not a foot deep in snow again. Any evening time would be a brucie bonus!

My Plan

Monday - Rest day
Tuesday - Aerobic ride (not quite sure what form this should/will take)
Wednesday - Race pace ie 2x20 intervals
Thursday - Rest day
Friday- Aerobic ride
Saturday - 2x20 or long ride out (50 mileish?)
Sunday - long easy recovery speed ride
sat and sun interchangeable with weather? maybe?

What do you reckon? Is there an error in my plan, something you would change, add or omit?
Any opinions welcome.

Thanks for looking.

DaveyL

Depends on lots of things, including your current fitness/volume of training, weight, and the goals you want to achieve. Any comment on those aspects?

Bronzie

Not being rude but it's not really much of a plan - it's just one week. If you do the same routine week after week all winter you'll soon reach a plateau.

You need to build your volume / intensity week on week to reach your target event with sufficient volume of training behind you of the right intensities to suit your event.

I've found this document very helpful in putting together a progressive training plan:
http://www.freewebs.com/velodynamics2/rcgtp1.pdf

Team Banana Spokesman

too much rest and recovery rides.

SBezza

Recovery rides should ideally be short and sweet, max 1 hour, no point doing a long slow recovery ride.

If you riding during the week is on the turbo, then I would put in tempo sessions rather than aerobic session (whatever pace these might be).

As Bronzie has mentioned though you need to mix it up a bit to keep challenging the body.

stratcat

Thanks for the answers so far guys.
I'm 41years old. I do a 27min hilly 10 mile TT (25 for a flat one:D ), 60 mile mountainous (I live in Cumbria) ride doing a riding average of 18 mph.

My aim is to crack 25 mins early next season and go for a really, really, fast time. I'll easily do it. I enjoy physically pushing myself - mad I know!
I currently just go out for an hour in a morning including the local steep hill (33%). I do 15 miles in the hour (it is a steep hill ) or if I have more time I'll do a longer route of 27 miles in 1Hr 40mins.

I know I haven't got the time to be too serious about this, but I do want to get better/faster.

Would I be better alternating 2x20 sessions then, with a rest day in between? Or find more alternative intervals to mix it up.

As I get fitter would not just going harder/faster make up for the lack of increased time?

Thanks again

stratcat

Bronzie wrote:

I've found this document very helpful in putting together a progressive training plan:
http://www.freewebs.com/velodynamics2/rcgtp1.pdf

Thanks Bronzie - I'll check that out when I get some time later.

Bronzie

stratcat wrote:

As I get fitter would not just going harder/faster make up for the lack of increased time?

Not necessarily - you will be going faster for the same physiological effort (ie riding at 90% of Max HR you may be 1mph faster, but the stress applied to your body is the same).

To progress you need to gradually build the amount stress placed on your body either by increasing volume and/or intensity. The more you train, the more you CAN train (ie you recover quicker from the same workout as you get fitter, so that you can train hard again sooner).

Obviously the ultimate limiter will be how much spare time you have to train and how much rest you can get.

Anonymous

Quality is as important as quantity.

I've had some great results (for me) this year on 6-8 hrs a week...

stratcat

NapoleonD wrote:

Quality is as important as quantity.

I've had some great results (for me) this year on 6-8 hrs a week...

What does your routine look like Nap - if you don't mind sharing?

celbianchi

stratcat wrote:

My aim is to crack 25 mins early next season and go for a really, really, fast time. I'll easily do it. I enjoy physically pushing myself - mad I know!

No point in having easy goals. Set yourself something more challenging, maybe <24 on the course you're talking about.

Anonymous

stratcat wrote:

NapoleonD wrote:

Quality is as important as quantity.

I've had some great results (for me) this year on 6-8 hrs a week...

What does your routine look like Nap - if you don't mind sharing?

MON - 1hr Flat out
TUE - 1hr Flat out
WED - 2hrs. First hr flat out
THUR - 1hr Flat out
FRI - 1hr Flat out
SAT - 1-2hrs Flat out
SUN - EPO injection and rest.

stratcat

NapoleonD wrote:

stratcat wrote:

NapoleonD wrote:

Quality is as important as quantity.

I've had some great results (for me) this year on 6-8 hrs a week...

What does your routine look like Nap - if you don't mind sharing?

MON - 1hr Flat out
TUE - 1hr Flat out
WED - 2hrs. First hr flat out
THUR - 1hr Flat out
FRI - 1hr Flat out
SAT - 1-2hrs Flat out
SUN - EPO injection and rest.

No wonder you are getting faster!

stratcat

celbianchi wrote:

No point in having easy goals. Set yourself something more challenging, maybe <24 on the course you're talking about.

Ultimately, that's the plan 8)