3 weeks devoted to training!

nolf

I've got a solid 3 weeks off, with no work or commitments, and want to train!

Next year I'm doing the Ras de Cymru and the L'etape de la defonce, so need a good winter.

I was planning on:
Monday AM, 3 hours hilly endurance non stop, PM Stretching.
Tuesday AM, 2.5 hours inc long hill reps. PM core workout + 1 hour easy ride.
Wednesday AM Stretching, PM Chaingang/Track workout 2 hrs
Thursday AM off. PM Core workout + 1 hour easy ride.
Friday AM Fast bumpyish 100km, 3hrs target time. PM Stretching
Saturday long hilly endurance ride w/cafe stop- 120-180km, relaxed but long.
Sunday completely off.

That's about 17 hours of riding over 6 days, with 3 stretching sessions, and 2 core workout sessions. Too much?

Am I over ambitious having had time off, or does it look about right?

KillerMetre

You regularly do that quantity of riding?if not then you'll probably struggle to make the third week.

jibberjim

nolf wrote:

I've got a solid 3 weeks off, with no work or commitments, and want to train!

Next year I'm doing the Ras de Cymru and the L'etape de la defonce, so need a good winter.

nolf wrote:

Having done them this year, the difference in standard of those 2 events was immense, the etape I was completely active in and felt I was one of the stronger in the field - I scored my only point of the year there, the Ras I was pure bunch fodder.

nolf wrote:

That's about 17 hours of riding over 6 days, with 3 stretching sessions, and 2 core workout sessions. Too much?

Don't see the point of the stretching, but I often have a training block involving 10 days and 40 hours riding off a normal load of 8-12 hours a week, I find them excellent and comfortably completeable.

However I'd question the mix of your workouts, you have a lot of "fast 100km" which are a bit of a misnomer, you can't be going hard if you're doing it for over 3 hours, even if it is harder than a club run or similar. I think you need to spend more time at threshold, and less time pootling along the lanes pushing a bit. Threshold reps up mountains would be great.

SBezza

Just be careful with what I suspect is a massive increase in training.

I did a 2/3 week block of 20+ hours weeks, and it nearly wiped me out, and that was a carefully thought out programme from my coach, and me being very fit from training and racing.

If you are not used to such volume, you might well struggle to do the sessions as you intend to do them, only you know what sort of training you have done before.

As for stretching, I would save this until the end of the day. I believe stretching can help maintain the balance of the muscles, without getting isolated problems. Case in point is myself, never having really stretched my ITB, this has been causing a knee issue, and with proper stretching I have alleviated the issue.

softlad

KillerMetre wrote:

You regularly do that quantity of riding?if not then you'll probably struggle to make the third week.

+1

also, if this is an isolated, 'one-off' three week stint at this time of year (ie Sept/Oct), then it will do you absolutely no good for a couple of stage races next summer - unless you plan on maintaining that level of input...

joeyhalloran

Too many long rides and too many hours to do right after your internship of very little riding. Cut the volume and work on quality, much better to do 1 hour of proper tempo riding than 3 hours which really tire you but the majority are out of your target zone. And you know your body better than anyone else, so quantity is something you need to decide on, but you do have a history of trying to play "catch up" and over reaching.

Stretching is good, but I have found that it needs to be done as soon as the muscles are warm so make sure you do it after the easy rides, not before.

What track work outs are you doing and when do they chaingangs stop?


And don't worry, I will whip you in to shape when I'm back as those two races have also caught my attention.

Pross

I'm no expert but it seems a bit pointless getting such quality training in at this stage of the season. I can't imagine it will give much long term benefit without being backed up throughout the winter by similarly intense sessions. Possibly if you were doing it a month before your target races but not 9 months beforehand.

Alumin-Liam

Go to the pub instead!

DubaiNeil

Alumin-Liam wrote:

Go to the pub instead!

+ many

newtez2

Good point Joey!
I would break it up a little, do a couple of fast 2hrs etc, then rest then do a long day on the bike,
Three weeks isnt a long time now three months trainning now that would be more like it!!!
Enjoy the time off wish i could do that much cycling freedom etc,