TSS/IF & Weekday training/Weekend Racing

[objective]

How does one train during the week while racing on the weekends?

I live in an area where I can race from January through September
and I'd like to know how best to plan weekly workouts based on TSS/IF.
Currently, a typical week for me looks like this:

TSS: 700-1000
IF: .7-.8
Hours: 15-20hrs

I've been led to believe the following:

1] The benefits of periodization are over stated.
2] Doing L4-L6 work year round is good.

This leads me to think that I should slowly increase my IF week-to-week
while keeping my TSS steady. As a result, I'll likely see a decrease in
duration and increased race performance.

I'm not really planning to peak for anything as this is my first year of
racing but, if I was, would that change my weekly workouts other than
simply adding a taper the week before the event?

 

[WarrenG]

How does one train during the week while racing on the weekends?

I live in an area where I can race from January through September
and I'd like to know how best to plan weekly workouts based on TSS/IF.
Currently, a typical week for me looks like this:

TSS: 700-1000
IF: .7-.8
Hours: 15-20hrs

I've been led to believe the following:

1] The benefits of periodization are over stated.
2] Doing L4-L6 work year round is good.

This leads me to think that I should slowly increase my IF week-to-week
while keeping my TSS steady. As a result, I'll likely see a decrease in
duration and increased race performance.

I'm not really planning to peak for anything as this is my first year of
racing but, if I was, would that change my weekly workouts other than
simply adding a taper the week before the event?

Since you're new to mixing racing with training it's easy to fall into the trap of wanting to rest up for each race. That's too much rest if you really want to improve your fitness as much as possible. So, pick a race (weekend) or two each month and rest a bit for those and don't allow complete rest for the other races. "Train through" those other races. The efforts you get during these races is part of your training, e.g. if you do a 40-minute criterium or 2-hour road race then count the time you're around threshold as part (or all) of your weekly training at that intensity. Count the time above threshold in the race as part of your weekly training at that intensity.

When you get more fit you can train through races and still do okay in those races.

While you are certainly riding hard during races those efforts may prevent you from doing more appropriate training that day or during the next few days.

"Sometimes, racing gets in the way of your training."

 

[Woofer]

How does one train during the week while racing on the weekends?

I live in an area where I can race from January through September
and I'd like to know how best to plan weekly workouts based on TSS/IF.
Currently, a typical week for me looks like this:

TSS: 700-1000
IF: .7-.8
Hours: 15-20hrs

I've been led to believe the following:

1] The benefits of periodization are over stated.
2] Doing L4-L6 work year round is good.

This leads me to think that I should slowly increase my IF week-to-week
while keeping my TSS steady. As a result, I'll likely see a decrease in
duration and increased race performance.

I'm not really planning to peak for anything as this is my first year of
racing but, if I was, would that change my weekly workouts other than
simply adding a taper the week before the event?

If you are increasing your IF over the whole year, it's highly probable you need to reassess your FTP regularly - i.e. your IF is probably not increasing over the whole year.

I'm doing 10-15 hours with the same ballpark TSS, haven't bothered measuring the IF over a week.

In Northern California, a person could race five days a week in season.

Based on past experience, omnium track races substitute nicely for L5/L6 workouts, depending upon the tactics I choose to use.

 

[objective]

If you are increasing your IF over the whole year, it's highly probable you need to reassess your FTP regularly - i.e. your IF is probably not increasing over the whole year.

I'm doing 10-15 hours with the same ballpark TSS, haven't bothered measuring the IF over a week.

In Northern California, a person could race five days a week in season.

Based on past experience, omnium track races substitute nicely for L5/L6 workouts, depending upon the tactics I choose to use.

I'm in NorCal as well and I hope to race at Hellyer this summer but need to spend some weekends at the track first, but it's kinda hard to 'take off' a Sat/Sun to go do a beginners session at the track. I need to make some time.

 

[WarrenG]

I'm in NorCal as well and I hope to race at Hellyer this summer but need to spend some weekends at the track first, but it's kinda hard to 'take off' a Sat/Sun to go do a beginners session at the track. I need to make some time.

The beginner sessions are not hard. You can do the session on Saturday and still race the next day. After a few of those you can do the Wednesday night omnimum races from April on, or the Thursday night points races in March, April, and May. Great training and skills practice for your road/criterium races and plenty of fun too. And where else can you get brownie premes?

 

[Woofer]

The beginner sessions are not hard. You can do the session on Saturday and still race the next day. After a few of those you can do the Wednesday night omnimum races from April on, or the Thursday night points races in March, April, and May. Great training and skills practice for your road/criterium races and plenty of fun too. And where else can you get brownie premes?

Yeah. I think what is unwritten is - how do I fit the Saturday beginner session into my weekly training plan? It is semi-inconvenient and though there are periods when one gets to go hard - this time going hard is not very long compared to Wednesday/Friday night racing so it's more suited for folks looking to do a little sprint work and mostly skills. One might opt to do the session, eat lunch then do a different workout after that supposing that the rest of life does not get in the way. I like bringing my road bike and doing Metcalfe and the like.

 

[WarrenG]

I like bringing my road bike and doing Metcalfe and the like.

"I like...doing Metcalfe"? Kevin is back to racing this season.

 

[Woofer]

"I like...doing Metcalfe"? Kevin is back to racing this season.

I can't spell.

http://home.pacbell.net/leewaysf/hicksloop.html

I would do a ride like this at whatever pace I wanted to do it, or if I needed a easier ride, would use the mostly flat Coyote Creek trail to go out to Morgan Hill and bike around and come back.