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| May 03, 2013 |
Coach's Note from Lance Watson
Thought Patterns, and Dealing with Pressure
When you are out training, it is empowering to start becoming aware of your thought patterns. Obviously the way we think and the things we focus on in practice become habitual over time, and that place we regularly visit in our mind and spirit become an automatic response... |
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Olympic Distance: 3 Bike Workouts to Super Charge Your Late Season Racing
By LifeSport Coach Lance Watson |
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| Aug 27, 2012 |
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Racing your best for an entire season means planning your training in waves of building volume, followed by intensity, in a methodical manner throughout the year. If designed well, the end of your race season can culminate with a second seasonal peak and your best performances of the year.
It is common to emphasize base miles in the late winter and early spring, followed by strength (hills) and threshold work and higher intensity as race season approaches. To achieve a second, higher peak make sure and plan a mid summer short active rest of reduced volume and intensity (7-14 days), a short revisit of base miles (14-21 days) and then ramp it up to another level or training and racing intensity. (14-21 days).
During this last 2-3 week block of intensity focus, reduce base miles and increase rest. If the bike is something you really need to work on, build your training program around your riding to emphasize it, allowing you to hit those key sessions with a bit more energy.
Assess your area of needs, and pick two of these three listed sessions to repeat once per week, for 2-3 weeks and to take your riding to a new level. Make sure and warm up and cool down well.
Session #1: The "Strength Builder" should be performed on the trainer with lots of tension, or on a moderate grade hill. This will help your hill climbing ability and flat time trialing. Stay on the same gear through the set and gradually let your heart rate and power output rise as cadence rises. The harder you work the greater the strength gains. You should be 10-15 beats/minute or 40-60 watts higher from the start to finish of each interval.
Week 1: 3 x 10 minutes (3 minutes rest) as 3 minutes @ 50 rpm, 3 minutes @ 60 rpm, 4 minutes @ 70rpm.
Week 2: 2 x 15 minutes (5 minutes rest) as 3 minutes @ 50 rpm, 5 minutes @ 60 rpm, 7 minutes @ 70rpm.
Week 3: 30 minutes as 5 minutes @ 50 rpm, 10 minutes @ 60 rpm, 15 minutes @ 70rpm.
Session #2: "Threshold Boost" sessions are a way to increase oxygen carrying capacity and power output at threshold heart rate and race cadence. These should be performed at, or above, your typical race cadence. Your heart rate should rise higher than your typical Olympic distance race heart rate. These can be performed on the road or trainer.
Week 1: 15 minutes at 90 rpm at race heart rate and goal race pace/effort/wattage. 5 minutes recovery ride. 8 x 3 minutes (3 minutes rest) at 100-105 rpm with your finishing heart rate 5-10 beats higher than average race heart rate.
Week 2: 15 minutes at 90 rpm at race heart rate and goal race pace/effort/wattage. 4 minutes recovery ride. 6 x 4 minutes (3 minutes rest) at 100-105 rpm with your finishing heart rate 5-10 beats higher than average race heart rate.
Week 3: 15 minutes at 90 rpm at race heart rate and goal race pace/effort/wattage. 3 minutes recovery ride. 5 x 5 minutes (3 minutes rest) at 100-105 rpm with your finishing heart rate 5-10 beats higher than average race heart rate.
Session #3: "The Finisher" is great for the athlete that tends to fade in the second half of the ride portion of races. This should be performed on the road, and pick a flat to rolling course that ends near a short hill. Do a great job on the second half of the tempo portion and really attack the hills. These will teach you pacing, building effort, and to be tough when your legs are tired!
Week 1: 60 minutes at race cadence with the first 30 minutes at a heart rate 10 beats below your average Olympic distance race heart rate, or 20-40 watts below race wattage. The second 30 minutes should gradually build to 5 beats below race heart rate or 10 watts below race wattage. Take 5 minutes recovery. Ride 5 x 1 minute hills on a moderate grade and all out effort with 3 minutes rest in between (ride back down the hill).
Week 2: 45 minutes at race cadence with the first 30 minutes at a heart rate 10 beats below your average Olympic distance race heart rate, or 20-40 watts below race wattage. The last 15 minutes should gradually build to 2-3 beats below race heart rate or 5-10 watts below race wattage. Take 5 minutes recovery. Ride 5 x 2 minute hills on a moderate grade and all out effort with 3 minutes rest in between (ride back down the hill).
Week 3: 45 minutes at race cadence with the first 20 minutes at a heart rate 10 beats below your average Olympic distance race heart rate, or 20-40 watts below race wattage. The closing 25 minutes should gradually build to 2-3 beats below race heart rate or 5-10 watts below race wattage. Take 5 minutes recovery. Ride 10 x 1 minute hills on a moderate grade and all out effort with 2 minutes rest in between (ride back down the hill).
One last coach's tip is to consider adding a 10-15 minute fast run off the bike at just quicker than goal Olympic distance pace. Done once or twice a week, this run doesn't cost you much in terms of recovery, but quickly boosts run economy off the bike, and complements these bike sessions well.
LifeSport head coach Lance Watson has coached a number of Ironman, Olympic and age-group champions. He enjoys coaching athletes of all abilities who are passionate about sport and personal excellence.
Visit www.lifesportcoaching.com or write him at coach@lifesportcoaching.com for coaching inquiries.
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