Tim, I've been traveling for work way too much, but looks like it slows down in November and I'll have access to my gym again.  Would it be possible to set me up for starting during this time frame?

Thank you

Scott,

Sign up through the club and we can get you started!

Tim

Team,

Hope the cycle is going well and you are getting in some work!  I am following a pretty similar schedule myself and starting to feel the balance and lean muscle improvement.  I am working on next months training plans and will post on Friday.  Let me know if any special events or items i need to know.

Tim

I was just about to push them up, check back in an hour!

Thanks @TimCusick

Team,

I posted plans for Cycle 1.  We are stepping up the "on the bike" time and getting rolling with the foundation training.  It can be a bit boring, but lots of Tempo and SST.  Most of the workout are targeted towards a trainer but always better to get outside.  Make sure you pay attention to cadence notes, want to focus a little more on the higher RPM stuff this month.  Please post questions.

Tim 

Hi Tim, 

Did you post the plan for those of us doing CX?

this weekend my watts dropped off significantly after the first 20 or so minutes of the race. The first two laps were consistent with typical efforts but felt like I was in the red. The remainder of the race was lower than what I typically produce. Might have been a bad day, but I didn't feel unusually tired, sick, etc. 

I was curious about your thoughts regarding the following: I've been able to complete the majority of the shorter - more intense training workouts, and they feel good. However the thing "missing" from my diet are longer endurance rides. Even when I haven't raced my weekend rides have not gone over two hours. Could this be part of the reason for my drop off? 

I will probably race into early or mid December

thanks 

Patrick,

As per my earlier posts, was only going to write CX plans to November as really the program was not meant to include CX or additional plans.  That being said, don't want to leave you hanging so will pull something together later today for Nov.

Building fatigue resistance is tough to diagnosis without really looking at a series of files and history.  Typically you don't need many longer rides (assuming some base fitness) for CX success.  If you have power, the answer is usually more about FTP then holding power.  When i review CX files of riders that drop I always (usually) see a Normalized Power above FTP for 15-25 minutes and pop.  The answer here is to raise FTP.  You can also build higher AWC but the plan are pretty solid for that.

Take a look at your files (or estimate from HR) and see if that makes sense.

Tim 

Tim

I must have missed the earlier post. I can always reuse earlier workouts in a similar pattern to what you have posted earlier. 

Thanks for the ideas about fatigue resistance. I'll review my files closely. 

By the way, the answer for me is almost always to raise FTP, but somehow mine is one stubborn SOB. Over the past couple of seasons the pattern has been to go up about 30 watts from the off season and and then just stay there. It is much easier for me to increase the duration of my FTP than the actual FTP. 

Patrick

Patrick,

No worries, i will push out one more cycle.  

The FTP point is the rub!  Often once plateaued you really need a pretty big uptick in duration of training (load) to move the needle and this is hard.  I am the same way.

Increasing resistance is the key if not a ton of time available but there you limited by your AWC.  I can send you a few specific workouts to help (will put them in our account as alts).

Power out here for now so stuck on lap top, as soon as back on, will load a CX plan.

Tim correct me if I'm wrong, but it's always been my impression/understanding that it's pretty standard for FTP to drop after a long season filled with shorter, high intensity training and racing.

Anecdotedly, I'm hearing from many other racers around the cross circuit that they are feeling "less fit" than they did not too long ago.

My feeling here is that most of us, those who even profess to "focus" on cross don't really sacrifice late summer racing for building base in July. I myself am "guilty" of this, choosing instead to race a robust road or MTB season deep into the summer. And this approach serves us well for a good 6 weeks or so...but here we are 7 weeks into the CX season.

The good news here, in my opinion, is that we're mostly in the same boat and our percentage of fitness loss/gain is relatively similar to other racers with whom we compete.

TimCusick said:

If you have power, the answer is usually more about FTP then holding power.  When i review CX files of riders that drop I always (usually) see a Normalized Power above FTP for 15-25 minutes and pop.  The answer here is to raise FTP.  You can also build higher AWC but the plan are pretty solid for that.

Take a look at your files (or estimate from HR) and see if that makes sense.

Tim 

Tim, interesting take on addressing the problem. Intuitively I'd think that going on perceived exertion this wouldn't really solve the "pop" it would just mean going faster before you blow.

Jules,

There lies the problem eh? I get asked this a lot and it is tricky.  Marc's post points out a big issue one that is hard to solve in a generalized approach.  Think about two things, FTP  and AWC (anaerobic work capacity - ability to ride over FTP in a continuous effort).

As your fitness ebbs and flows through the season, these two can work a touch like a teeter - totter.  To raise FTP you tend to need more work (duration) and lower intensity (doesn't mean noodling around) and to raise AWC you tend to need a lot more intensity and a lot less work (AWC performance very tied to how rested / fresh you are).  The challenge is CX training late in the season typically forces a focus on one or the other.

Think about it, you cannot keep packing in the duration and quasi steady state work needed to maintain FTP while doing shorter, high intensity work as you leave not time for "resting".  The best way to solve that issue is to build a really great base, high FTP and maximal aerobic fitness just before CX season (as Marc points out) then "spend down" some of that fitness in the name of building AWC.  This requires specialized timing and event focus. Hard to do when you racing all summer and moving into CX.

To then make it a touch more challenging, as a coach, when you have an athlete racing all summer moving into CX you need to take a very close look at almost every file and make a a lot of tweaks to the plan, ebbing and flowing with need and timing.  This is really hard to do in a team program and to be honest, why we rarely ever do these for CX teams.

Next year, I need to do a custom meeting with the CX peeps in early July and make some decisions to ensure better performance.

Hope that gives some insight.

Tim 

Thank you Tim that does help a lot. Basically we're talking about the limits of time-crunched training and where "having it all" comes to a grinding (grassy) halt

DING!  It is really hard.  We read so much stuff that is really based of "optimal".  So as a final point, the time crunched athlete always should be thinking about the "cost / benefit" equation of their training decisions. 

TimCusick said:

DING!  It is really hard.  We read so much stuff that is really based of "optimal".  So as a final point, the time crunched athlete always should be thinking about the "cost / benefit" equation of their training decisions. 

Believe it. And even wore the decision is often not between VO2max and FTP but between SLEEP and VO2Max and FTP.

This is all really helpful context though, so greatly appreciated.

It all makes sense, in general I find that working on weaknesses is a good use of that limited time.  

For New York roadies that often means focusing on the technical aspects of cyclocross (transitions, running, corners, driving)

-- definitely true for me, I usually can outpedal those finishing around me, but obviously can't totally drop them, so they must be driving better than me.

So to add, is the balance between life, sleep, VO2Max, FTP, and bike handling skills.

(also, no need to add a cx plan from this point forward, I should be good on my own)

eloy said:

So to add, is the balance between life, sleep, VO2Max, FTP, and bike handling skills.

True! I've abandoned trying not to get dropped by your Panache.
#captiulation

Jeff Condon said:

@TimCusick
Also as part of the program are we supposed to receive access to premium TP accounts? I thought I remembered that at one point but I could be mistaken.

Thanks.

I was just wondering what the answer to the above question was?  I have found that I cannot drag and drop my workouts to future days without the premium acct.

Not sure if still valid, but back in April this is the code I used:

kissena15

I signed up for a full year, as that was the best value. Absolutely 1000% worth it.

Team,

Checking in to see how things are going?  Been quiet so everyone understanding the workouts and getting stuff done.  Let me know if you need anything or have questions!

Tim

OK, I can start by reading the board.  You do get a free basic account and discount on premium.  I think the code is still valid, let me know if not.  If you cannot set up an account let me know and i can help.

TimCusick said:

Team,

Checking in to see how things are going?  Been quiet so everyone understanding the workouts and getting stuff done.  Let me know if you need anything or have questions!

Tim

The training is going well!  Thanks for checking in!

Hi Tim,

I am ending my CX season Thanksgiving weekend and wanted to ask about the prep and base aspects of my training going forward.

My volume/intensity was pretty consistently high (for me) from August to late October. In mid October I developed a persistent set of knots in my right quad, IT band and hamstring that didn't recover properly. These knots sapped energy (I had more strength in my left leg) and caused mild pain. Looking back I think it was the result of a crash. I had regular acupuncture and chiropractic adjustments to treat it but did not let up on training intensity. In retrospect, I probably needed to take time off the bike following the initial injury but I did not recognize it at the time. By early November the discomfort and reduced power were too frustrating and so I reluctantly reduced training intensity and duration and I only raced twice this month. My leg is mostly recovered and I figure I'll race one more weekend for fun.

So... you didn't need all the details in the preceding paragraph except that I was curious given the reduced workload whether you would still recommend I take a two week preparation period or start with base training after this weekend. I'll probably start my road season in March but probably don't need to have great fitness until April or May. 

Thanks

Tim, I want to sign up for the workouts, but for some reason having trouble.  I have an active account with Peaks, but I am not getting the workouts. I'd like to sign up for a year (like Eloy did).  Please advise, thanks,

Patrick,

First off, next time ask me when having issue, be glad to help.  Yes, crashes can have some major "downstream" effects that are hard to predict or track.  Cyclist tend to push too hard to return as awe have a fear of "losing fitness".

I would still suggest you rest two weeks but should be fit enough to catch up with the program very quickly.  The reality it what you body needs more is rest and plenty of time to get you rolling well in 2016 (reread you post to me again, slowly, bet you actually answer your own question).

Tim

Scott,

Sign up through the club, Jules or someone can direct you.  Once I get notice, I can add you into the mix!

Team,

Power Foundation Cycle 2 plans posted for everyone except the ones on CX plans.  If you plan is blank, just let me know which one you want (Cat 1-2 or Cat 3-5) and I can add.

Cycle 2 see the increase of duration of sub threshold efforts (tempo and SST).  This can make a slightly boring cycling BUT this is the key to building stamina and fatigue resistance for the upcoming season!  We are not pushing higher and higher watts, we are pushing longer and longer intervals (and hopefully the watts will go up naturally).

I put in a Wednesday alt if you are feeling tired (as defined by heavy legs) and/or stressed with the efforts.  I also added a weekend trainer specific workout that you can use as an alt based off weather.  If you get tow days of bad weather, stick to as much as the plan as possible indoors.

Still doing some cadence work here and you will see the addition of LSE@C rides, Long Steady Endurance at Cadence.  These are freaking HARD, just try it the way it is written, both your focus and your legs will be challenged.

On Friday i put in some Fast Cadence drills to improve your "rate coding" or neural muscular pathing. The idea is to get your body to spin faster then it thinks it can.  Try it, you will see what i mean.  

Let me know if questions!