Rick & Co what would you do?...

[toks adesanya]

My goal for the season is this year's ETAPE (july 11th). Since January I've trained with a steady diet of 2*20 minute intervals twice a week, plus two endurance rides at the weekend. Since the end of March one of the endurance rides has been replaced with a 3rd cat road race...Ok so I'm fitter than I've ever been in three years of cycling!... My Average tt/rr heart race is 168. My max is 193 (although this year its only been 186)

So here's the thing... I think I've plateaued on the 20min time trial efforts so last week I decided to drop them (mmm!)and do five shorter 4min (hard as you can!) intervals twice a week and do either a crit/hour time trial at the weekend plus a long endurance ride. What do you guys think and would you do things differently?

 

[Andy/RST]

Hi Toks

I wouldn't drop the 2 x 20 mins routine (twice weekly) completely as I think it's one of the most important work outs of the week. Instead of dropping them completely in favour of the 5 x 4 mins workout twice per week, why not do 2 x 20 mins once per week and 5 x 4 mins once per week, which along with a race and an endurance ride sounds like a perfectly well-rounded training plan leaving a little time to maybe go out once or twice to look at the scenery real easily with no guilt

Andy

 

[toks adesanya]

Thanks Andy. I'll take your advice and do the short vo2max intervals on tuesdays and a 45 minute time trial effort on thursdays and keep the weekend the same...I'm always telling people how effective the 2*20 min work out is!!. Our club recently did a their annual "tour of the surrey hills" and i was suprised how comfortable I felt on the climbs. In stark comparison, at last years T.O.S.H i really struggled. Cheers Toks

 

[Watoni]

How crucial are 5x4 or other Vo2max intervals for an event such as L'Etape? It would seem 2X20 or other threshold work would be most important here once endurance is established. Perhaps those who might win such an event will attack on a climb or sprint for the line, but most folks will do better not tilting into the red zone too early/often, no? I would be interested to hear about this since I do several similar events each year!