@Phil, great to hear you’re seeing such progress in your training! You’re responding really well to that work! You are getting close to the time to start adding intensity, but just keep in mind that you have A LOT of time before your target event. You’ll likely need to look for a spring peak, then a rest, redo some base work, and then finally build to your event.
Thanks for comments. I am wary of peaking too early for August. So the idea of a Spring peak, rest, then more base etc before building some more resonates with me.
Glad to hear it! That’s been my typical approach when I have August/September targets
Well here we are at 3 months of base endurance riding with 3 weeks off / recovery along the way. I started end of November. Some high intensity now and again but not a great deal to matter. My average weekly volume hit the 10 hours per week I was progressing towards.
Today I did one of my regular loops I’ve been doing since end of November. My average speed is up 3.4 km/h with my average and max HR being identical between today’s ride and end of November. The average being 121 bpm, and 95% below LT1 / VT1.
I’m going to keep on this base till the end of March then want to reintroduce higher intensity. I’m not going to be doing more than 2 days a week of intensity, as I’m mid 50s.
I’m torn between a 4 week block of VO2 max to give that a boost then move towards a block of threshold and then block of tempo or something else.
My cycling discipline is ultra endurance in the form of non competitive brevets. It doesn’t involve sprints, and VO2 max or threshold efforts are only seen on longer sustained or steep hills. The vast majority is endurance and tempo levels of effort.
Despite not involving much VO2 max in my events I’m aware it’s a good one to push as we age. Plus is complements the low intensity volume.
Any thoughts on what next as a general approach? As I’ve said previous my main event, of 1500km is early August. Plenty of time for different blocks to challenge me, plus a mid season break sometime this Spring.
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Nice work Phil
I did 3 months of z2 endurance and tempo work and also saw good gains. Then went into some vo2 work and got 3 weeks done - long time since I’ve done much of that, so it was a little patchy and took a little work to dial in some sessions, but I felt like I got a decent amount of work done. I did find I needed an extended recovery afterwards though - the usual easy week just wasn’t enough and it was closer to 2 really, as a 51 yr old. I’ve heard similar from others.
Now into a threshold block and continuing to see gains, so I think it was worth it. In future I will continue to do some vo2 work early to avoid being wiped out closer to events, but probably not do a block of it as the sole focus - I wonder if its better mixed with something else to dilute the fatigue it brings? YMMV though.
So, I guess I’m saying I think your idea sems sound given its so far working pretty well for me. I’m just a little ahead as I started my base Nov 1.
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I’ve found in the past, that if I restrict the high intensity to twice a week and aim to have three days between sessions, then the fatigue is fine. If I have an extra long duration endurance ride in a week, I’ll keep the high intensity to one session, just so I’m not trying to manage three lots of fatigue in a single week. I sometimes think that a pattern of high intensity once every 5 days would work quite well for me, meaning twice a week, once a week repeating etc.
I did an 11 hour moving (12.5 hours elapsed) ride on Sunday. Average HR 117 bpm and firmly in my Seiler Z1. Now that caused fatigue as I don’t do many base endurance rides over 6 hours in training. This was a route check of an event I am running this coming Sunday. So easy intensity but not easy duration. My rule of thumb is to have a day off the bike for every 5-6 hours of an endurance ride. Thus I took 2 days off and was back on the bike yesterday. Yesterday I managed ride one of my loops (at my easy effort) under two hours for the first time. A nice thing to see.
It is interesting noting the difference in fatigue from long duration as opposed to high intensity. Easy intensity is no longer easy when the duration is sufficient.
Plus of course the obligatory photo as Spring arrives in the UK
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Thought I add a further update here.
Did a 5 hour flattish easy ride on Sunday at the same pacing as I did back in November 2021.
In November 2021 my average heart rate was 117 bpm , on Sunday it was 93 bpm. Wind conditions pretty much identical. Same average speed. Now while it being warmer on Sunday will account for some of the difference. It’s an astounding change in fitness when I’m looking back 7 or so months. Admittedly I was coming out of 21 after a break from structured training.
But it’s great to see the progress I’ve made. I still do the long easy effort ride and it’s a weekly 5 hour ride at the moment. Mixed in with intensity and hill strength endurance work on other days.
Now a little under 6 weeks from my A event.
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@Phil thanks for the update! Really glad to see that improvement with your dedication. Good luck at your next event!
I live in a hilly area and I recently got a new bike. It has a smaller cassette but I am a stronger climber than I used to be - just heading into the 4 w/kg range. On some hills I stray out of Zone 2 (for power) in zone 2 rides. I try my best to keep it in z2, but sometimes it just isn’t happening. But if I breathe easy and stay relaxed, I can keep my heart rate in zone 2, and the hills are typically short. I’m not “ruining” my long z2 work with this am I?
Nope, no worries. Even you go above zone 2 for s short while
As was said, you’re not. It’s really about keeping it well below threshold so the effort is as completely aerobic as possible. If you do a one-minute suprathreshold effort up a hill, all of a sudden your body starts looking for more sugar.
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