I have 1-2hrs available for training on weekdays, and 4-5hrs on weekends. I want to do 3 interval sessions during the week, and 1 hard group ride on the weekend. Most of the races I would enter would be in the 1-2hr or 40-80 km range, criteriums and road races. My most recent MAP result was 460 watts, and I do 4 min intervals at 380 watts and 20 min intervals at 340 watts.
In an attempt to keep my schedule simple, should I be doing: 2 sessions of 5x4 min w/1 session of 2x20 min, or, 2 sessions of 2x20 min w/1 session of 5x4 min, or, 3 sessions of one or the other?
I have 1-2hrs available for training on weekdays, and 4-5hrs on weekends. I want to do 3 interval sessions during the week, and 1 hard group ride on the weekend. Most of the races I would enter would be in the 1-2hr or 40-80 km range, criteriums and road races. My most recent MAP result was 460 watts, and I do 4 min intervals at 380 watts and 20 min intervals at 340 watts.
In an attempt to keep my schedule simple, should I be doing: 2 sessions of 5x4 min w/1 session of 2x20 min, or, 2 sessions of 2x20 min w/1 session of 5x4 min, or, 3 sessions of one or the other?
Thanks for any input.
If it were me, I'd opt for 3 sessions of the short, intense intervals, since you've got the hard group ride on the weekend. That's in part because I have been researching the best way to shorten dynamic recovery times (in addition to increasing 40K MP) and my first conclusion is that this is best achieved with shorter, L6 intervals. BTW, today I did a similar session, with a total of 16 minutes at ~390w.
There are so many different workouts, that if you do two of the same in a week, you've left out something that could've been more beneficial on that 2nd identical day. The weekend group ride will be fine for longer aerobic stuff and endurance. So your shedule looks great, I'd just make one of the workouts of higher intensity and shorter duration. Might want to add one more intense day:
1 session of pyramid intervals 1-2-3-2-1 minutes 1 session of 5x4 min 1 session of 2x20 min (this would be good on a hillclimb since it's hard to find a road where you can ride for 20-minutes uninterrupted)
Then do your weekend ride and that should be all your need for maximizing your improvement rate.
There are so many different workouts, that if you do two of the same in a week, you've left out something that could've been more beneficial on that 2nd identical day. The weekend group ride will be fine for longer aerobic stuff and endurance. So your schedule looks great, I'd just make one of the workouts of higher intensity and shorter duration. Might want to add one more intense day:
1 session of pyramid intervals 1-2-3-2-1 minutes 1 session of 5x4 min 1 session of 2x20 min (this would be good on a hillclimb since it's hard to find a road where you can ride for 20-minutes uninterrupted)
Then do your weekend ride and that should be all your need for maximizing your improvement rate.
There are so many different workouts, that if you do two of the same in a week, you've left out something that could've been more beneficial on that 2nd identical day. The weekend group ride will be fine for longer aerobic stuff and endurance. So your shedule looks great, I'd just make one of the workouts of higher intensity and shorter duration. Might want to add one more intense day:
1 session of pyramid intervals 1-2-3-2-1 minutes 1 session of 5x4 min 1 session of 2x20 min (this would be good on a hillclimb since it's hard to find a road where you can ride for 20-minutes uninterrupted)
Then do your weekend ride and that should be all your need for maximizing your improvement rate.
How would you space these? What days would you do them including the group ride?
How would you space these? What days would you do them including the group ride?
My CTS coach typically schedules intervals for Tues & Wed, endurance miles Thurs, recovery (or off) Friday, intervals Sat, GR Sunday. If its a race weekend, its 3 x 1min max effort intervals the day before ("open up the legs" - no idea if its scientifically accurate, but its a cycling tradition...) and race the next day. Mondays are "off the bike" rest days.
My CTS coach typically schedules intervals for Tues & Wed, endurance miles Thurs, recovery (or off) Friday, intervals Sat, GR Sunday. If its a race weekend, its 3 x 1min max effort intervals the day before ("open up the legs" - no idea if its scientifically accurate, but its a cycling tradition...) and race the next day. Mondays are "off the bike" rest days.
