Training Plans

Kerrmit1992

Hi guys,

So since moving into a more sedentary job I've seen my weight rise from around 15st to 17st. This needs to be fixed when I come back my holidays so looking to get serious about training again. Used to be in good shape when I played rugby lol.

I've just converted to a road bike and bout a garmin and hr monitor. I'd like to find some training plans to follow which would give me structure rather than just going out and doing whatever on several days of the week.

I've been looking at the training plans on British cycling which look quite good but would like to see if there are other options.

Cheers
Craig

KheSanh

I'd stick with the British Cycling plans, they are good. You could go for a traditional periodization training program which starts with just building base endurance with long slow rides and then moves along etc.

Okay some guys might shoot me down here but the British Cycling plans use the principals (obviously at a lower level) Tim Kerrison brought to Sky and British cycling I think, so even early on your working on a range of aspects like power etc as well as building endurance. They are quite adaptive and obviously if you stick with them you will be the next Wiggins. ;-)

Sorry I didn't answer your question but thought I'd try and help out.

Kerrmit1992

I'm looking to have a crack at a 10 mile tt next year. I'm assuming the British cycling plan will suit that too? It keeps banging on about a 100km sportive. I suppose I'd still need the fitness base.

I wish It would make me as good as wiggans but rugby hasn't exactly made me very efficient at cycling but I still enjoy it :-)

KheSanh

[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19698442#p19698442]Kerrmit1992[/url] wrote:

I'm looking to have a crack at a 10 mile tt next year. I'm assuming the British cycling plan will suit that too? It keeps banging on about a 100km sportive. I suppose I'd still need the fitness base.

I wish It would make me as good as wiggans but rugby hasn't exactly made me very efficient at cycling but I still enjoy it :-)

Yep certainly. Follow them and you'll get a good foundation for progressing onto a bit more specific 10m work next year but you'll find there is plenty of speed and strength training also.

Kerrmit1992

That's great :-)

I find no matter what I'm training for that I do better if I have a plan.

I tried a bit of mtb racing a couple years back and just uses to cycle as far as I could as fast as I could and I didn't really see much improvements to be honest.

I now have a direction lol

Craig

KheSanh

Ah yeah you'll definitely see improvements. Make sure you do the testing to work out your heart rate zones and then try and stay in the training zones. Don't train like you use to. Getting the lower zone training in is important even if at the start it's really slow, don't worry as you get fitter you will get faster with the same low effort, be disciplined and it will pay off. And then the harder interval work will top things off for you.

Kerrmit1992

Thanks for the advice mate :-)

cycleclinic

The problem with cycling as fast as you can all the time is you fatigue and the next ride if you have not recovered enough you fatigue more. Also you may also be riding in that tempo zone which gives little development to muscle strength. Training needs to involve a mix of activities from building strength by riding hills in tall gears at low cadance to short sprint and longer sprints from low and high cadence and mix that with lots of base miles which are simply riding 3 to 4 hours and a reasonable pace to build endurance. Without the base all the interval work is pointless. I am sure the British cycling training plans go into that. They put into a structured format.

Today ride was two hours at race power outputs with lots of extended intervals. Tomorrow ride will have lots of sit down and stand up sprints from 80 rpm through to 130 rpm lasting 10 secs at the most. In between i will ride at an endurance pace (17 mph or so). Every ride is different. Keep mixing it up and the improvements will come, this is what I have noticed.

Alex_Simmons/RST

[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19698203#p19698203]Kerrmit1992[/url] wrote:

I've been looking at the training plans on British cycling which look quite good but would like to see if there are other options.

There are various places that provide plans, e.g. Training Peaks. I'm sure the BC plans are probably pretty good as standard plans, and by and large if starting from low to moderate fitness levels, what matters most is consistency and progressive sustainable workload. The specific content is less important that the bigger picture, although of course not unimportant.

However not all off-the-shelf plans suit everyone's own fitness level, ride time availability, previous experience, goals, dates, etc which is why I also do plans that a semi-customised for you to better suit the individual. I have 6, 8 and 12 week plan options.

http://www.rstsport.com/training/

note the PayPal link is broken, so if interested, drop me a line either here or via the website link.

Either way, all the best with training and getting back to some good fitness

homers_double

I need to get with the plans too, I joined BC so can access their plans as at the moment I have a feeling I'm slowly turning into a diesel.

Probably the HGV version but one all the same.

Kerrmit1992

So my goals for over the winter period are to lose some of my flab and improve my base fitness to a level where I can sustain an average speed of 15mph over a longer distance. This allows me to do the group rides with the local club.

I noticed on the BC plans that there is an optional cross training day. What cross training would help with the above goals?

Cheers
Craig

DeVlaeminck

What about this free plan here !
http://www.cyclederbysportive.co.uk/

bobmcstuff

[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19706123#p19706123]Kerrmit1992[/url] wrote:

So my goals for over the winter period are to lose some of my flab and improve my base fitness to a level where I can sustain an average speed of 15mph over a longer distance. This allows me to do the group rides with the local club.

I noticed on the BC plans that there is an optional cross training day. What cross training would help with the above goals?

Cheers
Craig

I wouldn't think it actually matters that much.

For me in the winter I like to do a bit of running as I can fit a decent run into my lunch hour, which means I actually get to see some sunlight during the day (I live in Aberdeen so there's barely any daylight in the middle of winter...).

stringybob

[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19706175#p19706175]DeVlaeminck[/url] wrote:

What about this free plan here !
http://www.cyclederbysportive.co.uk/

So in summary:
18 weeks before event - Ride
Every week thereafter - keep riding