Yearly Cycling Training Regimen

Training is an ugly word to me, especially at my age. In some manner I am indeed training or making an effort to maintain my fitness. There are no “off seasons”.

This isn’t a month that is kind to cyclists. Modify your training when the roads are icy. Don’t go running. You might do the gym work, ride trainers or “rollers” inside.

Mondays: Gym work weight training/circuit training.

Tuesdays: 2-3 hours on the bike with steady miles

Wednesdays: Gym/weights

Thursdays: 2-3 hours on the bike with steady miles

Fridays: A lighter session in the gym

Saturdays: 3-4 hours on the bike

Sundays: 4-6 hours on the bike

Similar program as January but workouts should be progressive.

Bike speed will be improving.

Mondays: Gym work weight training/circuit training.

Tuesdays: 2-3 hours on the bike with steady miles

Wednesdays: Gym/weights

Thursdays: 2-3 hours on the bike with steady miles

Fridays: A lighter session in the gym

Saturdays: 3-4 hours on the bike with steady miles

Sundays: 4-6 hours on the bike with steady miles

The racing season starts now. The weather is improving. More training on the bike is possible and probable therefore less time is spent in the gym. Taper off on the longer, steadier rides for week-ends in favor of workouts for strength, endurance, and speed.

Mondays: Recovery day- lighter training ride with low gears.

Tuesdays: 2-3 hours of general endurance training

Wednesdays: Gym/weights

Thursdays: 3 hours on the bike-long steady distance but lift the speed some, at least toward the end.

Fridays: Rest day- check the bike for the weekend-

Saturdays: Early season races- use them for training- technique-anaerobic threshold

Sundays: Race or go for a 5-6 hour ride. Rev up the pressure from time to time.

Mondays: Again recovery day- lighter training ride with low gears, spinning the legs to work out the lactic acid which will have accumulated from the efforts of the week-end.

Tuesdays: 2-3 hours of general endurance training

Wednesdays: Look for special areas to work on-weaknesses

Thursdays: 3 hours of general endurance training

Fridays: Rest day- check the bike for the weekend

Saturdays: Race according to fitness and conditions-otherwise steady riding

Sundays: Race according to fitness and conditions-otherwise steady riding

Major events start now. These events could tax the body-combined with heavy training, could bring recovery problems. Check you pulse twice daily to see how recovery is progressing. If the pulse is elevated, the next workout should be light.

Mondays: Recovery day- lighter training ride with low gears.

Tuesdays: About 1 ½ hours of paced effort, as fast as you can. This to prepare for greater speed later.

Wednesdays: 3 hours of general anaerobic endurance work. Put out extreme effort from time to time making sure you go into anaerobic condition. This gets your muscles used to working with a build-up of lactic-acid.

Thursdays: Speed training-intervals

Fridays: Rest day- check the bike for the weekend

Saturdays: Racing- If not racing long steady riding and mix it up

Sundays: Racing- If not racing long steady riding and mix it up

Major events start now. These events could tax the body-combined with heavy training, could bring recovery problems. Check your pulse twice daily to see how recovery is progressing. If the pulse is elevated, the next workout should be light.

Mondays: Recovery day- lighter training ride with low gears.

Tuesdays: About 1 ½ hours of paced effort, as fast as you can. This to prepare for greater speed later.

Wednesdays: 3 hours of general anaerobic endurance work. Put out extreme effort from time to time making sure you go into anaerobic condition. This gets your muscles used to working with a build-up of lactic-acid.

Thursdays: Speed training-intervals

Fridays: Rest day- check the bike for the weekend

Saturdays: Racing- If not racing long steady riding and mix it up

Sundays: Racing- If not racing long steady riding and mix it up

Step up the regimen with more anaerobic work and interval training. Watch out for “staleness” that may be exhibited in loss of sleep, loss of appetite, irritability, and loss of form. If these signs are present slightly, ease up. If these signs are pronounced- give up training for a while. Take your mind off the bike for a while- refresh yourself mentally.

Mondays: Recovery day- lighter training ride with low gears.

Tuesdays: About 1 ½ hours of paced effort, as fast as you can. This to prepare for greater speed later.

Wednesdays: 3 hours of general anaerobic endurance work. Put out extreme effort from time to time making sure you go into anaerobic condition. This gets your muscles used to working with a build-up of lactic-acid.

Thursdays: Speed training-intervals

Fridays: Rest day- check the bike for the weekend

Saturdays: Racing- If not racing long steady riding and mix it up

Sundays: Racing- If not racing long steady riding and mix it up

September is also century month. Many clubs still have races but many are also sponsoring Metric centuries and centuries. Manyracers will use these as “race days”.

At the end of a hard racing season the inclination is to rest, stay off the bike, stop training, do more socializing- everything you’ve been putting off.

You need a psychological relaxation period.

Physically, it’s a bad idea to abandon everything. Don’t be taken in when others say that they don’t get on the bike before New Years or some other nonsense. They are certainly doing something. They are cyclo-crossing, mountain biking, swimming, or in the gym. If they are competitive, they are active year-round.

Part of being a great cyclist may be the ability to lie about the training one does.

This is the fundamental of training- the cornerstone. LSD is basic aerobic training to build up stamina. The longer the race is- the more distance you need in training. It is time in the saddle. Group riding is the best way for this. It breaks the monotony. Try to retain spin and form. A lot of racers, including Greg Lemond have said that there is not much need to go over 3 or 4 hours. However, I know of very proficient riders who concentrate on the time spent on the bike training a week or so before an event to be equal to the time spent on race day. It doesn't have to be with the same effort. Time in the saddle can help your "rear" stay in the saddle.

This is cutting down on distance and concentrating on going faster, pacing your effort throughout the workout. It’s aerobic work but emphasizing on improving speed. A time-triallist would move from LSD to riding 20 to 30 miles at a constant pace, gauging his effort for the distance, but extending himself as well. This will develop speed and accustom your muscles to work at reasonable levels of lactic acid.

This is aerobic and anaerobic. Perhaps with a group of six, you take a turn at the front of a pace-line. The front rider is making an effort but the riders are changing the lead every 100 to 200 meters. The time taken to ease back to the front should be same as to allow the lactic acid to be dispersed. This can replicate racing conditions such as being in a break-away in a race.

This is planned effort and rest period system. The rest period should allow only a “partial recovery”. Efforts should be all-out and rest periods should be very easy. Intensive speed training will be short efforts with short periods of rest.

Once having reached a high level of training participate in what is “mock racing”. This is going out with a group, working steadily within your capacity, and occasionally sprinting for a point in the road. This is maintaining a level of fitness with an enjoyable form of training in company.

This is using medium high gears and going from a slow speed to a maximum in as short a time as possible. This is similar to intervals but it’s more of using a strong gear but not over revving at maximum speed.