Fenner said:
Another member of Simon's dream team awesome. Many years ago I was trained by a leading physiologist in England who was very much developing the hypothesis of focusing on increasing top end and by doing so increasing the power at any given percentage of this max power (aerobic). The SRM as a tool for analysing and prescribing training load is very much suited to this and I have no problem in incorporating its use into any normal (Olympic distance XC or Road Race) program that I have written for myself by adapting previous heart rate based programs as percentages of my FTP (350 Watts).
My major interest is I suppose more a training related thread of will I be better off doing massive volume and thus try to develop oxidative enzymes, cappiliaries ect, or work on a similar basis to my more regular plans with a base, build and race phase?
Will VO2 and FTP remain if I do not continue to train at those intensities and only do large volume steady rides?
Yeah, you did stuff with Peter Keen right? Ric Stern, who is a regular on this forum studied with him too I think. Do you know him?
With your background, you no doubt know that the things you talk about (enzymes, capillaries, etc) can be developed with high end work as well and may actually be better developed with high end work. Despite this, I think it is instructive that causes of fatigue in ultra-endurance events aren't well understood and you should train specifically, eg, build a good foundation at race pace L2/L3. However, if you don't work on VO2max, FT, etc, you definitely won't maintain them as compared to your well trained state. I think at some point in the season, it is important to incorporate this kind of work, at it is important to do a little bit of maintenance year round. However, for a guy like you doing ~90-120 minute XC races is probably a good way to do your high end work and you already do this.
I would incorporate some VO2max stuff as maintenance year round but not do it ridiculously. Maybe a focus in preseason/build to raise the roof reverse periodisation style.
A mate of mine is a top 20 Hawaiian Ironman with a Masters in Ex Phys and he has had some success with this kind of program (best bike split in several world class events). He does intervals in january for FT/VO2 and then builds distance doing L2/3 endurance rides. One hard tempo ride a week ~2 hours 300W+. It ends up being big volume, but never slow. His endurance rides ~5-6 hours are 250W+ and he focuses on volume at this pace for most of the year. He cuts volume seriously in the taper, but still does a few long rides, and adds back in some intensity. Physiologically, priming the bike at an IM is probably similar to MTB ultra-endurance. His power-time curve is very flat. That is, he has a very high FTP relative to VO2max, and even higher 4-6 hour power relative to VO2max. He burns fat very well.
It really all depends on what racing you want to do throughout the season and where you want to peak. I guess the basics always speak loudly to me: be specific, but cover all your bases. Also, WKO+ is the shiz-nit in terms of understanding and planning your peaks. Can't recommend it highly enough.
Anyway, I know you know a hell of a lot about this stuff, probably more than me. Hope this is kind of helpful. Let us know what you end up doing, would be interested.
Have you read the Dave Harris blog? Andy Coggan's chapter on power training in the USAC coaching manual? Or even better, his book with Hunter?