Please help me with my training.

[radziowy]

Hi everybody.
I need your help guys!
I'm pretty new to cycling and need your wise advices on my training.
I've already got a lot of input reading this forum and I really appreciate that somebody puts a lot of time to anonymously help others

As I mentioned I'm new to cycling, but I'm not new to sport in general. I have 10+ yrs of running, swimming, rawing etc. behind me.
Of course all of this was done just to stay fit, not to compete.
I tried cycling 2 yrs ago and fall in love with it. In 2008 I just cycle around with HR monitor and in 2009 I bought a decent road bike and indoor trainer
and based on knowledge gained on this forum and few books (Friel, Carmichael etc..) I made my training plan for a year and joined a local cycling group.

I need your help in estimation of my work load levels (what is my L3, L4 etc. expressed in Watts and in my HR) also any advices on how to improve my training routine will be more than welcome
I will give you now some data:

I'm 31 yr old male.
Height 183cm
Weight 78kg (my aim is to drop it to 75 till june-july).

I have a tacx flow with power reading and I did Astrand test from the tacx web site (astrand)
and according to it my VO2max is around 62-64 (it didn't improve over a year of training ).

Last year I did some races with the group and noticed I'm much better on the climbs than on the flats (it doesn't mean I'm a good climber or better than other folks but I can stay on the climbs with guys who easily drop me on flats and I can drop on the hills guys that stay with me on flats )
I think I owe it to the fact that for some reason I like training on my tacx and even during summer I sometimes do some rides on it rather than go outside.

I don't know much about all that FTPs, Sweet pots, lactic thresholds. So maybe if I give you some of the data from my last trainings you could please estimate what my aerobic / anaerobic zones are and with what HR and wattage I should train to improve.

For example yesterday I did my first longer ride this year on my tacx:
Time 2:30.00
Dst: 68.7 km
Avs: 27.5 km/h Max speed: 33.2 km/h
Cad av: 78 Cad max: 87 (normally last season my Cad av: was in between 85-95 - I'll work on it in March-April)
Watt av: 184W, Watt max: 233W.
I did 5' warm up than 15' at ~180W then 20' at 200-220W then 10' at 180W then 20' at 200-220W then 80' at ~180W.

On 21 Jan I did some endurance/strenght training:
Time 1:35.00.
15'Warm up
3 times repeats like this:
5' at ~ 210W (HR ~140) Cad 70-75
5' at ~ 230W (HR ~150) Cad 70-75
5' at ~ 250-280W (HR 160-170) Cad 70-75
10' at HR < 130 Cad ~ 70
5'cool down.

And to give you more input I'll also post my data from my best race last year in August in the mountains (some hills 10% steep):

DST: 181.3
Time: 7.29.06
AVS: 24.5
Vmax: 66.9
Cad av: 79
Cad max: 116
HR av: 151
HR max: 182 (the highest I got on a bike - while running I could go up to 187).

I could do a little better but:
1. I stay to long with my buddy on climbs with HR 153 when I know I could go faster but didn't want to leave him behind.
2. I stopped 4 times on buffets to get some fluids
3. I stopped once to get a pie (I guess I drank too much).

I would appreciate it so much if you can give me some hints on how I can improve in this coming season.
I spent so much time reading different stuff -and some of them are contrary and I have to admit I'm pretty much lost.
For example I found on this forum that the best thing one can do to improve - is L4 workouts lasting 20 mins, and some books say you should do it in 3-10 mins intervals...
And what the heck is this sweet pot? aka SST ?? (I tried to find it in this great post 'It'skilling me but...' but just didn't manage to get the idea what kind of training it is...
Thank you in advance!

P.S.
Forgive me any language mistakes as english is not my native language

 

[laweidauer]

I just have a couple ideas for you you and can maybe help clear something up with you. VO2 max is genetically predetermined, so by training as a runner for 10 years, you may be at your physiological peak so any more gains in VO2 max may be minimal. With that being said, we can increase your lactate threshold. In order to do that you must do intervals that put you above your lactate threshold. A couple of ideas to try are:
Warmup 10-15 mins
Interval 20 mins as hard as you can possibly maintain for 20 mins (you should be borderline ready to vomit)
Recovery spin 5 minutes to let yourself recover (do not stop or your legs will not want to go again)
Interval 20 mins again as hard as you can (there is pretty good research regarding this workout
Only do this a maximum of once a week. I typically incorporate it once every 2 weeks because it is the most strenuous workout I perform.

Another good workout since you are using a HRM is a series of 5-10 x 2 minute intervals at near maximal effort. Recovery should be based on your heart rate returning to where it was before you began the interval.

Let me know if you have any questions about any of this.

 

[DancenMacabre]

I just have a couple ideas for you you and can maybe help clear something up with you. VO2 max is genetically predetermined, so by training as a runner for 10 years, you may be at your physiological peak so any more gains in VO2 max may be minimal. With that being said, we can increase your lactate threshold. In order to do that you must do intervals that put you above your lactate threshold. A couple of ideas to try are:.

Sorry to be disagreeable but that's simply not true about the OP's vo2 max being at peak or near peak for cycling. VO2 max levels are consistent with the specificifity principle. This is shown time & time again by athletes who show varying measurable vo2max numbers in different activities. As a runner the OP may have a vo2max of let's say 65 but put on an ergometer for a vo2max cycling test, and the OP may only show say, 45. As an untrained cyclist, the OP's cycling vo2max is unlikely to be anywhere near peak.

Now as a 10+ year runner, I do agree that the OP may well have raised his running vo2max to near peak levels.

As far as LT goes for cycling, that like his vo2max in cycling, it too has tremendous upside.

One of the regular posters here, Steve, was a national caliber marathon runner before he began cycling & can comment more on this issue.

 

[laweidauer]

I do apologize for the bit of misinformation, but I misunderstood the poster's prior email and thought he had been cycling for a while, but was just having trouble. Just needed to read the post a little closer I guess. Anyway, I totally agree about the specificity principle and would agree that his VO2 is probably not quite at his peak, but my advice for the workouts remains the same, because it will also serve to get the last few ml/kg/min out of his VO2max. Thanks again for pointing that out, I do honestly want people to get good information.

 

[radziowy]

Thank you laweidauer and DancenMacabre for your input.
As for my previous postI think I found some of the answers here on this forum in "It's killing me but...' post.
I figured out - I will estimate my power zones doing MAP test protocol with 20W increases every 1 minute. I'll do the test during this week and post my results just to be sure I haven't done any mistake that could affect my training zones.
As to your advices on spending 2x20 minutes in L4 zone.. I live in Europe and we are in the middle of winter now, my aim is to have peak in July/ August. My first 'race' will be in the end of April (and week before that I have some 6km TT). So the question is - is it ok for me to start L4 intervals that early in the season? All the sources I've read so far advice on L2/L3 training zones (endurance) at this time of year. I should also mention - I haven't sat on the bike from October till mid of December 2009. I started indoor training in the end of December and by now I'm cycling approx 4 times a week with total 5-7 hrs a week (all indoor). Btw. there is no way I could stick my butt outside in the next month since I hate cold and there is -15 'C outdoor at the moment So should I stick with my boring L2 rides or proceed with L4s ??
Thank you for your help guys.

 

[DancenMacabre]

I do apologize for the bit of misinformation, but I misunderstood the poster's prior email and thought he had been cycling for a while, but was just having trouble. Just needed to read the post a little closer I guess. Anyway, I totally agree about the specificity principle and would agree that his VO2 is probably not quite at his peak, but my advice for the workouts remains the same, because it will also serve to get the last few ml/kg/min out of his VO2max. Thanks again for pointing that out, I do honestly want people to get good information.

No problemo That's why it is a forum and we discuss ideas

Thank you laweidauer and DancenMacabre for your input.
As for my previous postI think I found some of the answers here on this forum in "It's killing me but...' post.
I figured out - I will estimate my power zones doing MAP test protocol with 20W increases every 1 minute. I'll do the test during this week and post my results just to be sure I haven't done any mistake that could affect my training zones.
As to your advices on spending 2x20 minutes in L4 zone.. I live in Europe and we are in the middle of winter now, my aim is to have peak in July/ August. My first 'race' will be in the end of April (and week before that I have some 6km TT). So the question is - is it ok for me to start L4 intervals that early in the season? All the sources I've read so far advice on L2/L3 training zones (endurance) at this time of year. I should also mention - I haven't sat on the bike from October till mid of December 2009. I started indoor training in the end of December and by now I'm cycling approx 4 times a week with total 5-7 hrs a week (all indoor). Btw. there is no way I could stick my butt outside in the next month since I hate cold and there is -15 'C outdoor at the moment So should I stick with my boring L2 rides or proceed with L4s ??
Thank you for your help guys.

um I dont know you or your goals but some general stuff comes to mind...

• if you can, get a friend to yell/motivate you for the MAP. I know it sounds very doable solo, but that is one tough tough test & quitting prematurely may make your test results far less usable. I would strongly urge you to read more about the protocol at Coach Alex Simmon's cycle blog. He also has links to some useful timers which you can set for the target power levels during the MAP test.

• my suggestion - just track the power you generate during routine, regular long (20-30 minute) intervals & work from there. Look at it even from one week to the next & use recent workouts as your benchmark. be conscious of your RPE during the sessions, get the time needed to produce the adaptations, and the results will come. It needn't be harder than that at this point.

• As to what kind of training you do - remember that L2-L4, even somewhat into L5, do the very same things & produce similar adaptations. it is perfectly fine to do L4 now. the variable is that to achieve those same adaptations at L2 will require much, much more hours than at L3/4/5. Like you, I am indoors (by choice) & since I wish to not spend 20 hours on my trainer doing level 2, I keep my training intensity mostly in the 80 - 100% range (mid L3 - L4 aka SST) along with some variable power workouts like Bill Black's hour of power. Altogether total training hours (all indoors) are in the 8-10 range. doing level 5 is different in that it tends to be less sustainable for most people & for that reason tends to bring about a peak in fitness. great for race preparation but not so great when you are 4-5 months away from your first event. Also, doing much SST & L3/L4 work tends to build your endurance & recovery ability. That will help you when you do add L5 work to your regimen eventually, perhaps in March or therabouts.

 

[radziowy]

Thanks DancenMacabre!
Yet, I'm stubborn and I think ambitious.. so I'll try doing MAP test I have no experience with any fitness tests but I think I can push myself to the limits like no one else could push me.. So I'll give it a try. At least I'll have some comparison on where I stand in my progress (if any) in let's say a month.
As for L4 efforts I will take your advice and start doing these intervals. But to do them I need to know what power/HR I should stay at.. so I need the MAP test
If I want to pace myself according to HRM - Is the following calculation of my L4 interval HR zone correct? :
HR Max = 220 - 31 = 189
L4 zone (84 - 90% HR Max) = 158 - 170 beats/min

 

[ctgt]

Thanks DancenMacabre!
Yet, I'm stubborn and I think ambitious.. so I'll try doing MAP test I have no experience with any fitness tests but I think I can push myself to the limits like no one else could push me.. So I'll give it a try. At least I'll have some comparison on where I stand in my progress (if any) in let's say a month.
As for L4 efforts I will take your advice and start doing these intervals. But to do them I need to know what power/HR I should stay at.. so I need the MAP test
If I want to pace myself according to HRM - Is the following calculation of my L4 interval HR zone correct? :
HR Max = 220 - 31 = 189
L4 zone (84 - 90% HR Max) = 158 - 170 beats/min

Most everyone on here would say that if you have access to power numbers (and you do), then don't use HR to prescribe training levels. I use a HRM, but I pace by either power or perceived effort and then I look at my HR numbers later.

Either way, don't use 220-age. If you do the MAP test, you'll probably learn your max HR too, as you will hit it a couple of seconds after you end your test.

Edited to add: Perhaps you should wait for someone else to tell you this. I just noticed that I have 0 rep pwer and "can only hope to improve" ????

 

[radziowy]

Hey there.
All this MAP testing discussion and DancenMacabre discouraging me a little bit from performing that test made me curious... so I hit the bike and I hit it hard I think.
I went up to 380W but gave up at first 10sec at 400W, so my MAP should be 380. Honestly I think there is something wrong with my trainer's power meter and the number is a little bit exaggerated (however it's properly calibrated). My HR at the end was 181.
According to that test result my L4 is in the 247 - 285 range. It would be hard to ride 20 mins at 250W I guess but I will try. I just hope I'll not overtrain...
And as it comes to HRM vs Power Meter - I'll need HRM once I'll finally go outdoors as I don't have PM on my bike (only on the trainer).
I'll do my next MAP-test in a month time and hopefully I'll see some improvement.

P.S.
Regarding other'speople help during the MAP-test...
My trainer became unusually noisy during the test which attracted my wife to the room and disturbed be a lot - I mean, I didn't feel like explaining the woman what I'm doing, while there was 340W on the display... Conclusion - next time I'll lock myself up
Once more - thnx for all the help I'm getting in here

 

[DancenMacabre]

<snip>

Edited to add: Perhaps you should wait for someone else to tell you this. I just noticed that I have 0 rep pwer and "can only hope to improve" ????

He he, we dont need no stinking rep power! Robert Chung has a 'zero rep power' here but I sure pay careful attention to what he says!

everything you said about HR & power makes perfect sense. One alternative to the 220-HR, which as we know is highly variable & oftentimes inaccurate..........is the Heart Rate Reserve (HRR) method). It uses a simple formula:

For x = desired % of VO2max intensity
Target HR = ((HRmax - HR rest) * X% ) + HR rest

So if the OP wishes to exercise at 75- 85% of VO2max, common intensities for building threshold power, then you would plug in .75, .85 (or whatever number you desire) for x.

The premise of this method is that even at rest we use some oxygen (~3.5 ml/kg/min). So that the diff. between VO2resting & VO2max is called VO2 reserve.

A convenient table of values is:

% HRmax % VO2max
50 28
60 40
70 58
80 70
90 83
100 100

Again, power provides a more objective, instantaneous, and direct feedback but if radziowy wishes to track HR (with all the limiations it has as a metric) then by all means there are methods.

Hey there.
All this MAP testing discussion and DancenMacabre discouraging me a little bit from performing that test made me curious... so I hit the bike and I hit it hard I think.
I went up to 380W but gave up at first 10sec at 400W, so my MAP should be 380. Honestly I think there is something wrong with my trainer's power meter and the number is a little bit exaggerated (however it's properly calibrated). My HR at the end was 181.
According to that test result my L4 is in the 247 - 285 range. It would be hard to ride 20 mins at 250W I guess but I will try. I just hope I'll not overtrain...
And as it comes to HRM vs Power Meter - I'll need HRM once I'll finally go outdoors as I don't have PM on my bike (only on the trainer).
I'll do my next MAP-test in a month time and hopefully I'll see some improvement.

P.S.
Regarding other'speople help during the MAP-test...
My trainer became unusually noisy during the test which attracted my wife to the room and disturbed be a lot - I mean, I didn't feel like explaining the woman what I'm doing, while there was 340W on the display... Conclusion - next time I'll lock myself up
Once more - thnx for all the help I'm getting in here

Whatever credibility my advice comes with, dont take anything as me discouraging you. Take the information with a grain of salt, weight it with other opinions, and then make your own conclusion.

Testing is training & training is testing. Provided you have a clean bill of health, the periodic MMP tests are an excellent exercise & help you gauge your fitness as well as teaching you how to pace efforts.

Don't sweat the results of the tests too much. In your situation, I would opt to start my intervals at about 240 watts. This will get you at a level you will be more likely to complete and nothing builds confidence more than succeeding with modest but steady progress - rather than being overly ambitious and then failing. It takes time to get used to these long intervals & indoors, it is as much about occupying the mind as it is the body.

Also consider that you needn't be restricted to these 2 x 20 or 3 x 20 formats. There are many varieties, protocols, and ways of doing these. The entire range from about 85% to 100% can be trained using intervals from 10 minutes to 90 minutes. I'd be bored silly if all i did were 2 x 20's so i use many different structures for these. Not to mention being a successful bike rider/racer takes much more than 2 x 20's!

You may consider hiring a coach to assist you in creating a program that is specific to your goals & situation.

Best of luck with your training

 

[gman0482]

Hello Radziowy. Radziowy ? You are Polish, am I right ?

Not sure if this was mentioned as I just skimmed through, but to answer the Sweet Spot (aka SST), it's the base platform in training, and most comfortable and common intensity range, between high L2 and L4, with it's best 'spot' at around 88% (high L3). It also is the range that should give you the highest increase in FTP (functional threshold power).

Sorry if this was explained already, just figured to give my .02 cents (złotych)

-Greg

 

[radziowy]

Hey there my virtual coaches

As DancenMacabre advised - yesterday I did:
15' warm up
30'@230/240W (first 15'@230 and second 15'@240 no brakes in between).
25'@210W

This 230/240W all didn't feel that hard - my HR was 140-145, so I think when I start real L4 intervals next week I'm good to go at 260W (correct me if I'm wrong).

Now I have a question regarding my weekly schedule:

I'm gonna do 1 day of L4s intervals (after a day off).
1 day will be longer ride at L2/L3 (in the end of the week).
And what with the other days? I can train 4/5 days a week now.
In the sources I used to read before I found this awsome forum, it was suggested that at winter time I should focus on endurance/strengh training. And 2 weeks ago I started doing that 3x5min + 1x10min very hard intervals with Cad 50-55 gear 53x12 (I guess the power range was around 250-280 but I'm not sure I didn't pay much attention to power b4 ). Can I continue with them now, when I'm planning on L4 intervals? If so, how many days should be in between L4/hill intervals?

THANKS!

PS.
How do you add that 'quote' thing into your posts?

 

[DancenMacabre]

Hey there my virtual coaches

As DancenMacabre advised - yesterday I did:
15' warm up
30'@230/240W (first 15'@230 and second 15'@240 no brakes in between).
25'@210W

Good work

You made it through the workout, came out of it with more confidence, and you now can look forward to your next session instead of dreading it after failure.

This 230/240W all didn't feel that hard - my HR was 140-145, so I think when I start real L4 intervals next week I'm good to go at 260W (correct me if I'm wrong).

There are many, many ways to approach this question. The key thing remains the same: get the appropriate amount of time at the training levels, perform these workouts consistently, and the positive adaptations will come.

Level 4 work can be done in anywhere from 8-60+ minute 'chunks' or 'intervals'. As you can guess, that means you can do them at different power levels - what you do for a set of 4 x 15 will be more than 2 x 20's which will be more than what you do for 1 x 60.

If a power level starts feeling easy for a fixed duration such as some watt #, let us say 230w for 2 sets of 20 minutes, then you can a) do more sets i.e.., 3 or 4 x 20 @ 230w, b) increase the time of each set (instead of 20 minutes do 30 minutes, or do 1 x 40 or 60 at this power), or c) increase the power level such as by doing 2/3 x 20 @ 240 or 250, etc.

Now I have a question regarding my weekly schedule:

I'm gonna do 1 day of L4s intervals (after a day off).
1 day will be longer ride at L2/L3 (in the end of the week).
And what with the other days? I can train 4/5 days a week now.
In the sources I used to read before I found this awsome forum, it was suggested that at winter time I should focus on endurance/strengh training. And 2 weeks ago I started doing that 3x5min + 1x10min very hard intervals with Cad 50-55 gear 53x12 (I guess the power range was around 250-280 but I'm not sure I didn't pay much attention to power b4 ). Can I continue with them now, when I'm planning on L4 intervals? If so, how many days should be in between L4/hill intervals?

The Lemond book talks about this a bit. In it, he says he tends to do his hardest (this means highest intensity) days earlier in the week. In my own programme, that's what I opt to do also.

You mentioned doing 3 x 5 min + 1 x 10 min , which is going to (or should) be a much higher intensity than the longer intervals, 20+ minute intervals you do.

Should you focus on endurance/strength training during winter?

Again this gets back to your goals. It is fine to train without goals but then it also becomes hard to measure success & design a program. After all, without a goal, what exactly is the purpose of your training?

If/when you have goals, meaning short, medium, and long-term goals, then ask yourself what you need to do to achieve them. They could be objective (perform 300 watts for 60 minutes, weigh 70 kg) or subjective/results (win the District Time Trial). Then you might consider what skills or performance gains you need to make to achieve them. Finally, at the micro level, how does a given workout or training regiment fit in. Does it help you achieve these goals?

Regarding L5/L6 work in conjunction with L4, some people mix them, some don't. Most save the L5/L6 work for the period leading up to their highest priority races or desired 'peak'. You stated you wanted to peak in July or thereabouts, so that should give you some insight.

As stated before, this is where a professional coach (such as Alex Simmons or Hamish Ferguson, both participate in this forum) can work with you to design a proper programme to help you succeed. In addition, it can shorten the learning curve of power training for you also.

 

[radziowy]

Good work

Again this gets back to your goals. It is fine to train without goals but then it also becomes hard to measure success & design a program. After all, without a goal, what exactly is the purpose of your training?

My goal is... to be the best I could possibly be...
More specifically I want to improve on one day races ranging from 120-200km (classics) and half of them are in the mountains (first mountain race is in May). I know I need to incorporate some strength/hill training into my schedule. What I don't know is - Is it ok to continue that strength intervals now? Or should I try to increase my FTP by doing L4 intervals at Cad 75+ and start doing hill training at higher Wattage with lower Cad a month prior to first mountain race (April in my case).

Regarding a coach assistance:
I know that hiring the coach will be the best and shortest way to success, but:
1. I do road cycling for fun and to relieve work related stress, not to make a living out of it. I'm and will be purely amateour.
2. I'm VERY interested in sport physiology so digging in books and internet on that subject is a pleasure for me. I want to know not only what works, but how does it work.
3. Now, if my training works (I'll improve) - I'll have double satisfaction from cycling.
4. I realise that being my own 'training guine pig' I risk my progress or even health to some point. But still doing what I'm doing will probably jeopardize my health much less than being couch-potato or a smoker
However I never say never to coach -assistance.

And once more I want to thank to all the contributors of this forum and especially those who are putting their time to help me with my progress.

 

[DancenMacabre]

My goal is... to be the best I could possibly be...

No doubt that is something many (all???) of us here share - being the best we can be.

But is that truly a goal?

Using a bit of project management theory I learned some time ago, goals should be SMART, as in:

Specific
Measurable
Attainble
Relevant
Timebound

I would argue 'being my best' is simply not measurable. How will you know you are at your best? What will make you say, this is my best (or not)?

Now if you said you wanted to win your regional TT or perform it in under 60 minutes, then we have a measurable goal. Whether it is attainable or not is another question.

More specifically I want to improve on one day races ranging from 120-200km (classics) and half of them are in the mountains (first mountain race is in May).

This is better. Here now you are getting into some specifics.

I know I need to incorporate some strength/hill training into my schedule. What I don't know is - Is it ok to continue that strength intervals now? Or should I try to increase my FTP by doing L4 intervals at Cad 75+ and start doing hill training at higher Wattage with lower Cad a month prior to first mountain race (April in my case).

Strength is not a limitation in endurance cycling. Presumably since you mentioned 100+ km races, you are doing endurance cycling

As I said above, L2-L4 and to some measure L5 create the same adaptations with the differences being a trade-off in time vs intensity.

There is no reason physically at least, why you cannot do L4 or any training level (L1-L7 for that matter) all year long. The more relevant questions might be: should you? yes or no. If no, then when should you (and why) ?

The answers to those questions are related to you as an individual, your situation, etc. Some clues can be found on this graph, look at it closely:

It should now be more clear what the stress/strain-maximal duration-FTP improvement dynamic is from the above image.

Can you do L4 or L5 all year? Yes. Should you? Maybe.

Keep in mind that you can achieve the same outcomes in terms of fitness with a variety of training approaches. Each of those approaches (and even the training levels themselves) will require a different level of time, recovery, psychological strain, progression, and limitations.

Periodization has the highest intensity, race specific work scheduled closest to key events. Yet not everyone uses classical periodization, some use reverse periodization with success. Others use different & hybrid approaches. There's a great deal of material online & in books about periodization as well as exercise physiology, reading up on both is highly recommended.

Regarding a coach assistance:
I know that hiring the coach will be the best and shortest way to success, but:
1. I do road cycling for fun and to relieve work related stress, not to make a living out of it. I'm and will be purely amateour.
2. I'm VERY interested in sport physiology so digging in books and internet on that subject is a pleasure for me. I want to know not only what works, but how does it work.
3. Now, if my training works (I'll improve) - I'll have double satisfaction from cycling.
4. I realise that being my own 'training guine pig' I risk my progress or even health to some point. But still doing what I'm doing will probably jeopardize my health much less than being couch-potato or a smoker

Wanting to be your best & reach your full potential are actually excellent reasons to hire a coach in the first place. The more ambitious you are, the more lofty your goals, the more experienced professional help is invaluable. Note how virtually all pro riders have full-time coaches.

Another thing regarding being a guinea pig - because experienced coaches work with many athletes, they can eliminate much of the trial & error that can come with self-coaching.

That said, if you put in the time and make a serious, dedicated effort, I'm sure you can do quite well self-coached. Numerous riders on this forum have done just that and have had excellent results. Yet I'd say every single one of them, as far as I can tell, are students of the sport & read/learn as much as they can about training, new studies, and methodologies.

Great talent can make up for poor self-coaching up to a point, but eventually talent alone is not enough and that's where knowledge can make the difference. So either you build that knowledge through much time & study or work with someone who already has it.

 

[CalicoCat]

More specifically I want to improve on one day races ranging from 120-200km (classics) and half of them are in the mountains (first mountain race is in May). I know I need to incorporate some strength/hill training into my schedule. What I don't know is - Is it ok to continue that strength intervals now? Or should I try to increase my FTP by doing L4 intervals at Cad 75+ and start doing hill training at higher Wattage with lower Cad a month prior to first mountain race (April in my case).

My goals are similar to yours, but my first race with significant climbing is in April. Here is how I (and my coach) structure the week:

Monday: Core work, plyos, sprints
Tues: On-the-bike strength training (high watts, low cadence)
Wed:Core work, plyos, sprints
Thurs: On-the-bike strength training (high watts, low cadence)
Friday: Off
Sat: High intensity interval training
Sun: 3hr ride - moderate intensity

basically, the feeling is that to simply finish an "endurance" race you don't need much strength training. However, to attack at key places in the race, like on hills, and to contest a finish-line sprint if necessary, some strength training is necessary. We do all of our strength-training on-the-bike to keep it as realistic and sport-specific as possible.