5-7 Hour a Week Training Program

Itchy-Tichy said:

... Any advice would be appreciated.

You sound like a good candidate for indoor SST training. The search function on these forums is currently disabled, but here's a couple of links to give you some ideas:
http://www.fascatcoaching.com/training_tips/SweetSpot_partdeux.html
http://www.cyclingforums.com/t314849.html
http://www.cyclingforums.com/t-438868-15-1.html
http://www.cyclingforums.com/t444567.html
http://www.cyclingpeakssoftware.com/power411/
http://groups.google.com/group/wattage/browse_thread/thread/68e22b700ae20175#

Anyway, you can go a long way on 5-7 hours a week if you stay focused and use your time well. SST base training makes a lot of sense for someone in your position with limited training time.

Good luck,
Dave

Next year will be my fifth year of racing. I can count on two hands the number of weeks that I trained more than 7 hours per week. It can be done. The general rule is that more time on the bike is better than less time on the bike. Five to seven hours is enough if you use the time wisely. If possible, try to use block training to maximize the training effect.

A simple off season plan could look like this:

January: SST intervals five times a week for an hour or more
February: SST intervals twice a week and 1 to 3 minute power intervals three or four times per week
March: Threshold intervals twice a week, power intervals and sprints twice a week and SST the other day.

Don't get carried away with fancy workouts. Keep it plain and simple and go as hard as possible during the threshold and power intervals. The key is to be consistent and to get into a routine. You may have to set time aside just for training. For me, I train at 9:00 after my kids go to bed. Its inconvenient but it works as long as I train on a regular basis and don't get distracted by life.

Good luck and let us know how it turns out.

Thanks for the replies. SST sounds like the way to go. Started doing it tonight.

Itchy-Tichy said:

Thanks for the replies. SST sounds like the way to go. Started doing it tonight.

On 5 to 7 hours, do the upper end of SST though. You can do well in cat 5 and 4 on that few hours (I've done it) but you've really got to hammer every time you're on the bike. I'll warn you though it's really hard to stay that motivated every time.

I agree with the above. If used wisely those 7 hours could mean a heck of alot more than alot of folks i know doing 10+ who have no idea how to structure a program. You should be able to hold your own in cat 4/5 races no problem. Just another thought though: last year when my son was born i had all but conceded that my chances at training on a day to day basis were done, and i'd be scraping for time and my fitness would go to the dogs, but i discovered an amazing way to gain time: commute on your bike. I went from Pre-baby riding 7-9 hours per week where i would fit it in after work and be riding at all weird hours, to post-baby commuter riding 12-14 hours/week...funny huh? CTL went up nicely, had plenty of training time and recovery rides. I used to think that fitting it in was just "how it was done". Commuting made me more efficient as opposed to less, and cut my stress levels about finding time to train way down and improved family time. I call commuting sweet spot "life" hours as well as bike hours. Best of luck.

-Mike

I am in the same boat and started a thread called "power quest for the 2busy." You can see what I am doing, and frankly, I averaged only about 4 hours per week during the holidays. I am moving my office in a few weeks to a building with a shower, right along cycling friendly Valley Forge Park, and hope to steal some hours as thekgb suggested, by commuting and grabbing some lunchtime workouts. I do have a power meter, which I think is critical for the time stressed, so that you can follow a specific plan.

As for racing, it is hard to travel and complete a race in less than 4 hours, door to door unless your races are real close to your home. So then in addtion to your training time, you have to be able to incorporate an additional 4 hours per weekend to race, if not 6 once you are really doing it right, getting there early, warming up, checking the course. Now you are looking at blocking almost 9-15 hours per week of time away from work and family for your riding. And Cat 5 races in the middle of the pack are white knuckle rides.

Trade offs are a [censored]. Grabbing some additional time on the bike commuting or odd hours on the trainer are part of that kind of program. Good luck, I am in the same boat.

Hi,

Maybe slightly OT, but related to getting more time each week to train. If it's impossible to commute on a bike also consider a Computrainer or Tacx VT. I sometimes also sneak these sessions is after the kids are in bed - if you leave you bike setup on these it's very quick to get started.

I fly alot for work and as a result I miss alot of group rides. Sticking an ERG Video is then my punishment as you cannot cheat on these power controlled rides, and they can be run at the most flexible time each week.

7hrs is plenty for a recreational racer. It's all about quality time on the bike. None of those 4hr zone 1/2 rides, lol.

I'd take up the challenge of racing my category(2), with only 4 hrs on the bike a week.

Intervals!

Hello!

Hello again!

I appreciate all the info. I looked at the 2008 race schedule in my area and I'm wanting to start racing in a 6 week crit series that starts on March 1, 2008. I looked at the flyer for the series from last year and the Cat 5 crits seem to be 7 milers. I plan on continuing SST intervals through January, but I'm wondering what I should start focusing on for February training for short crits? Should I start mixing in some L5 and L6 days into my February training? I was thinking of shooting for 4-6 X 5 minute intervals for L5 and 4-6 X 1 minute intervals for L6.

Itchy-Tichy said:

....I'm wanting to start racing in a 6 week crit series that starts on March 1, 2008. ... I plan on continuing SST intervals through January, but I'm wondering what I should start focusing on for February training for short crits?...

Following this thread it seems like you started SST work in early January. I wouldn't jump to L5 or higher training after only a month of aerobic base building. Maybe you've been at it longer than this thread indicates, but as important as high end work can be for crits, you want to build that high end work on top of a strong core of aerobic fitness.

One way to start prepping for the acelerations and jumps that you'll get in crits while still building your aerobic engine is to introduce a day of microintervals. There are different flavors, but in general ride a sustainable SST pace (Tempo through mid SST) and do a seated jump for 10-15 seconds every couple of minutes. At the end of each seated jump go right back to your Tempo/SST pace as quickly as you can. Do this in 20 to 30 minute blocks just like you'd do your SST efforts. You'll end up with an AP in L4 but with frequent acelerations and recovery in Tempo/SST. It won't take long to figure out how to manage the intensity of those seated jumps, go too hard and you won't last long but they should focus on quick aceleration and snap.

Quoted post said:

...Should I start mixing in some L5 and L6 days into my February training? I was thinking of shooting for 4-6 X 5 minute intervals for L5 and 4-6 X 1 minute intervals for L6.

I wouldn't unless your base is deeper than this thread would suggest. And I wouldn't jump to both weekly L5 and L6 days at the same time. Those are hard efforts and will take some getting used to. They'll also cost you training volume or CTL in powerspeak as it's hard to rack up as much quality time in the higher levels.

If you've got the base then I might add an L5 session early in your training week starting in mid February. I'd also try to extend one Tempo or low SST session later in the week to offset the reduced TSS that generally comes with a move to higher end work. L6 work can come closer to your events as anaerobic fitness tends to train up pretty quickly and if associated with a decrease in overall training load can bring about fitness peaks. Best to have those peaks correspond with your races and not come too soon. You might find that the races themselves provide plenty of L6 work with less mental effort than making yourself suffer during 1 to 2 minute all out intervals.

One strategy for a 6 week series is to hit the early races with enough fitness to finish the races and at least ride with the field and then to build throughout the series. If you started your focused training in early January then this would be a good strategy for a spring series and set you up better for races later in the season than trying to cram for peak fitness in a short time.

Good luck,
Dave