Only can ride 4xs a week

Personally I race quite successfuly on 4 rides per week (cat3 road/cat2 track). I basically do 3 hard training sessions and one recovery ride for about 10 hours total. Not enough to be competitive in a cat1/2 stage race, unless you're a natural, but if you train smart throughout the week it's pretty easy. I know a lot of guys racing better on less hours these days. Just maybe not the 100 mile RR's of course.

Four days is plenty.

Get in some long miles on the weekends.

Two days during the week focus on building sustainable power at lactate threshold and then once you have developed that system well then focus more on power at VO2 max with VO2 max intervals. Sprints can be done once a week year round.

The vO2 max work can be done on a trainer with a fan blowing on you. Even the LT work can be done on a trainer....so that opens anothe day or two during the week if you like(not needed though)

Also, you can try two a day workouts on the weekends.
Maybe a LT ride in the mornings and then big miles in the afternoon....
Two a days are even better during the week...ie: Sprints in the am followed by a less intense but still short workout in the afternoon or night like a LT ride. Another day in the week you could do VO2 max intervals in the am and then another LT ride at night.

Your main problem is going to be getting in enough endurance rides..but this can be done on the weekends...two a days if you like ie; short group ride in the morning and then a long endurance ride in the afternoon. Weekends can offer you TONS of time for endurance work and done two days in a row it becomes "block training" that system and it is very effective, as long as you take monday as a recovery day.

Of course you have to factor in races on the weekends into your training schedule.

obxbes said:

I've been trying to use the principals from Chris Carmichael's Ultimate Ride Book but only have 4 days a week to ride. Anbody out there using a four day a week training program.

Only 4 days? You're lucky if you have that many days consistenly to ride!!!

Another way to get in more time is via a Computrainer. I can walk down to my basement and ride any course I want virtually and at anytime day or night and regardless of the weather. I can also ride against others according to my schedule by downloading performances from www.performancecentral.net