Role of 20 min power in base training

20thfret

With limited number of hours to training, I am left with 5-7 hours of training per week. All the books that I have read recommended that based training should be long and slow. However, I have a feeling that the intended reader are rider who are able to ride 3-4 hours per day 7 days a week. With limited number of training hours, I don't think that is going to work for me.

For the last two years, I have training using the approach of Base Period -Long endurance miles and strength , Build Period - start building for the year goal. That has been disappointed, my form came in very laste. Last year, I started my base in October with the goal of competiting in April. However, I don't that I have "it" until late June .

My questions here is how to effectively training during the base period especially the use of 2x20min at different intensity to:
1. Effectively use the limited hours.
2. Improve/Maintain gain from last year.
3. Established the solid based for the Build period

My 2005 year statistic are as follow:

Age: 37
5s: 12.45 w/kg
30s: 7.8 w/kg
15min: 4.2 w/kg
20min: 3.97 w/kg
FT: 3.69 w/kg

I am not a sprinter (don't have the pre-disposition for it) and my goal for 2006 is to be able to finish well in 40K tt (< ~58m).

This year, I am planning on building a solid 20 min power during the based period.

Here is what I planned to do: Using the combination of 2 sessions of 2x20 on week days, one sessions of 5x6 on week end

Based 1:
2 Sessions of 2x20min per week (week day)
week#1: IF .85 of my FT power work:recovery 20:5
Week#2: IF .87 of my FT power work:recovery 20:5
Week#3: IF .90 of my FT power work:recovery 20:5
week#4: Testing

1 Sessions of 8x4min on the week end
week#1: IF .85 of my 20 min power Work:recovery 4:2
Week#2: IF .87 of my 20 min power Work:recovery 4:2
Week#3: IF .90 of my 20 min power Work:recovery 4:2
week#4: Testing


Based 2:
2 Sessions of 2x20min per week (week day)
week#1: IF .87 of my FT power work:recovery 20:5
Week#2: IF .90 of my FT power work:recovery 20:5
Week#3: IF .92 of my FT power work:recovery 20:5
week#4: Testing

1 Sessions of 8x4min on the week end
week#1: IF .87 of my 20 min power Work:recovery 4:2
Week#2: IF .90 of my 20 min power Work:recovery 4:2
Week#3: IF .92 of my 20 min power Work:recovery 4:2
week#4: Testing


Based 3:
2 Sessions of 2x20min per week (week day)
week#1: IF .90 of my FT power work:recovery 20:5
Week#2: IF .92 of my FT power work:recovery 20:5
Week#3: IF .95 of my FT power work:recovery 20:5
week#4: Testing

1 Sessions of 8x4min on the week end
week#1: IF .90 of my 20 min power Work:recovery 4:2
Week#2: IF .92 of my 20 min power Work:recovery 4:2
Week#3: IF .95 of my 20 min power Work:recovery 4:2
week#4: Testing

Target 20 min power at the end of based period is: 4.3w/kg

Please comment on this approach.

Thanks,

frenchyge

Here's an article that talks about training with limited training time:
http://www.pezcyclingnews.com/?pg=fullstory&id=2852

Here's a question:
In your 4min intervals, it looks like you're doing them at a fraction of your 20-min power level (which is also a fraction of your FT). I would expect the 4min intervals to be done at a higher power level than the 20-min intervals, and your 20-min intervals to be done at close to or equal to your FT power. Am I misunderstanding what you wrote? Are you using FT to say your ~1hr TT power?

20thfret

I have not seen this one. Thanks for the info.

If you look at my training plan, the week days power zone is in the range of 85-95 of my FT. These 20 min powers sessions are with in my zone 3. Do you recommended that I turned one of those day into a single zone 3 session of 60min +.

The week end sessions that I planned are in zone 4 for 4-6 mins long with work recovery ratio of 2/1 and shorten the recover every week. The goal for that session is for improving/maintain my FT power at the end of base period.

Thanks,

20thfret

Here is the clarification:
My power level presented here are:
20min: 3.97 w/kg
1 hr: 3.69 w/kg


Thanks,

frenchyge

How is your FT determined? What schema are you using for your zones?

20thfret

All the data that I presented are from actual testing at the stated duration. All of my training zones are from:

Training and racing using a power meter: an introduction
Andrew R. Coggan, Ph.D..

I think the definition of FT is on page 4. of the article. I also uses THE MONOD & SCHERRER CRITICAL POWER MODEL from velo-fit to compare the projected 60 min vs real test. They are very closed.

I hope that help.

--
PRS.

20thfret

All the data that I presented are from actual testing at the stated duration. All of my training zones are from:

Training and racing using a power meter: an introduction
Andrew R. Coggan, Ph.D..

I think the definition of FT is on page 4. of the article. I also uses THE MONOD & SCHERRER CRITICAL POWER MODEL from velo-fit to compare the projected 60 min vs real test. They are very within ~ 10w.

I hope that help.

--
PRS.

frenchyge

Ok, I just wanted to make sure we weren't getting our levels and zones crossed with 2 different schema, or talking about another FT besides ~1hr TT power.

Personally, I do my L3 work in 1hr+ chunks. There's probably nothing wrong with breaking it into 20-min intervals, but I just don't feel like I need the recovery periods to complete my L3 work. I tend to vary power throughout L3 (76-90% of FT) to keep it interesting rather than riding right at the top, as you're saying, so that may be the difference. In my mind, the idea behind 'intervals/rests' is to enable someone to ride at a *higher* power level than they could ride continuously, in order to acclimatize the body to the higher power level. I wouldn't typically do intervals unless the power was near or above FT, but that's probably just preference.

That 12-week "Base" period looks okay to me. That should get you ready to build. The only thing I'd question is the duration of the 4-min L4 intervals. Coggan says that the duration of each excursion into a particular level affects the adaptation, in addition to the total time spent in that level, and he suggests 10-30 min intervals for L4.