Poll: How Much Do You Train?

Out of curiosity (*):

  1. how many hours do you train per week?
  2. do you compete?
  3. which program do you follow (polarized, sweet spot, fartlek, something else)
  4. when looking back at your data, did you actually follow that program?
  5. what sport?
  6. what is your estimated or measured VO2max?
  7. difference between ‘begin of season performance’ and ‘peak of season performance’
  • Why do I ask?
    We talk a lot about programs, metrics etc here, which made me wonder if we are actually able to execute ‘the plan’. I know from my own training that it is quite difficult to adhere to a plan, especially when group training comes into play.

If you want to, just fill out the questions with a short answer, than elaborate if you like.

To kick off with myself:

  1. how many hours do you train per week?
    6
  2. do you compete?
    No
  3. which program do you follow (polarized, sweet spot, fartlek, something else)
    COPID
  4. when looking back at your data, did you actually follow that program?
    about 60% of the time is in the target HR zone
  5. what sport?
    Speed skating
  6. what is your estimated or measured VO2max?
    Polar guestimate: 64
  7. difference between ‘begin of season performance’ and ‘peak of season performance’
    Zone 2 average power from 200 to 280 watts (+40%)
  1. how many hours do you train per week? 8-18
  2. do you compete? Starting 2022 after a 12 year break from being pro.
  3. which program do you follow (polarized, sweet spot, fartlek, something else) sweet spot
  4. when looking back at your data, did you actually follow that program? Yep
  5. what sport? Road. Mtb.
  6. what is your estimated or measured VO2max? 76.5 measured 2009
  7. difference between ‘begin of season performance’ and ‘peak of season performance’ my best 20min from 2009 was 365w to 375w at 157lb. Now it’s 332watts at 180lb
  • Why do I ask?
    We talk a lot about programs, metrics etc here, which made me wonder if we are actually able to execute ‘the plan’. I know from my own training that it is quite difficult to adhere to a plan, especially when group training comes into play.
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  1. how many hours do you train per week? 8-10
  2. do you compete? Yes. 37 years
  3. which program do you follow (polarized, sweet spot, fartlek, something else) I mix them all up depending on training goals
  4. when looking back at your data, did you actually follow that program? Yep
  5. what sport? Cycling
  6. what is your estimated or measured VO2max? 40 per WKO, Garmin, Apple
  7. difference between ‘begin of season performance’ and ‘peak of season performance’ Define “performance”
1 Like

Thanks @dkrenik performance can be FTP / zone 2 power / something you used to track progress.

At this stage of my life (60 years old), my training efforts are going more for “fighting the decline” than seeking gains. Not much I can do about until I retire and start riding more.

  1. 10-15h per week.
  2. Yes in xc marathon 10+ hours events ( We don’t have the timed section approached on our grand fondo stile events like I here about on fast talk you are timed from start to finish you are in the same race as the pros and we race for a good " bragging rites time" .
  3. As polarized as possible but closer to a A race some sweet spot is needed.
  4. Probably 80% of the time or more I like working with a plan.
  5. Refer to question 2.
  6. I don’t know and I’m not to bothered I know what my intervals should feel like and I know when I’m improving.
  7. Don’t have a power meter and we don’t have a season here there are races all year
    long I train and rest as I need to.
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  1. how many hours do you train per week?
    Ave = 7h20m
    Peak = 10-11h

  2. do you compete?
    Did my first road race, yesterday, with the last one in February 2020.

  3. which program do you follow (polarized, sweet spot, fartlek, something else)
    Started polarised in August 2021 as an experiment on myself, to see if it’s worth prescribing to the few athlete I currently have.

  4. when looking back at your data, did you actually follow that program?
    Yes, mostly. Work, family and a race organizer throws in curve balls that requires some adaptation.

  5. what sport?
    2020-2021 Cycling only
    Prior years included running; up to half marathons.

  6. what is your estimated or measured VO2max?
    66 - last measured in 2015

  7. difference between ‘begin of season performance’ and ‘peak of season performance’
    Like chalk and cheese. With no events to train for, it’s been a long base season that only required building on from July.

Edit: Let’s say that I set new 3m, 5m, 6m, 12m, 20m and 60m power on yesterday’s race; most of it on my own as I was dropped from my age group just before halfway. When on my own, all the climbing and flats were done on feel.

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  1. how many hours do you train per week?
    6-20h
  2. do you compete?
    When does someone compete ? Racing, treating a cycling event as a race, racing online on zwift ? Where do you draw the line ? I rank some timetrials on the Concept2 logbook- does this qualify to be competitive ?
  3. which program do you follow (polarized, sweet spot, fartlek, something else)
    polarized since 2017, following no plan at all
  4. when looking back at your data, did you actually follow that program?
    I feel my body, what is possible, what not, having a familiy and a job as a clinic senior physician makes things complicated…
  5. what sport?
    Indoor rowing, cycling, trail running, a bit of cx skiing in winter
  6. what is your estimated or measured VO2max?
    2016 69ml/kg/min in a clinical test, now with age 42~ 70 calculated (i was not well trained 2006)
  7. difference between ‘begin of season performance’ and ‘peak of season performance’
    Full marathon time on the row erg in march 2:47:44.5, on 5th Nov. 2:40:40.2 (this is a difference)
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  • This time of year I am training 10h/wk on the bike + 2-3h/wk in the gym
  • I race MTB in the spring and summer, and cross in the fall. Been racing bikes for about 10 years after many years of being a runner.
  • I have created a polarized training plan for myself based on Friel and Fast Talk resources
  • I find with a formal, week by week plan I am able to stick pretty close to it most of the time
  • 60+ Masters MTB and cross
  • I had a lab VO2max text done at Oregon Health Sciences University - mine is 52.8
  • My early season races are focused on technique and race tactics, with my goal MTB race in late May/ early June. Last year I started the season with top top 5 finishes, and won my goal race in great form.
1 Like