Time for Some Springtime CYCLING!

From that moment your parent let go of the back of your two wheeler and said GO!, the bike has given you freedom to explore the roads, test our balance, and gain fitness.  Spring is a great time of year when we have moved our clocks forward so the afternoons have more daylight.  In our riding studios or pain caves, we have changed our space heaters for fans.  Springtime is coming,  and race season is near!

You have gotten to this moment in 2 different ways.

Either way spring is a great time to make some progress. 

Similar to running, cycling can be a fantastic way to get fit if the program is built in an appropriate manner.  With the appropriate progression and rest, you will succeed. Many coaches have their levels or zones.  These are defined by perceived exertion, heart rate, or power (watts). The ability to use power enables a cyclist to set their zones, know their strengths and weaknesses, track their progress, and even set guidelines for racing. Heart rate can be a valuable tool for the lower zones and used as a max for racing. 

Key terms:

VO2 max: Maximal oxygen uptake, this sets the upper limit to aerobic energy production.

Lactate threshold: This is a point where moderate exercise becomes hard.  Your lactate level is 3.8-4.0 mmol.  It can be defined as % of VO@ max . This is the point   point where lactate begins to rise.  

FTP Functional Threshold Power: The power you can maintain for an hour.

Defining FTP:

1. Power Distribution Chart: months of power data used on training peaks that gives your power versus time.
2. 1-hour Test: Ride even but an all-out for 1 hour to to see average power
3. 2 x 8 min test: average of 90%
4. Ramp test on Zwift 70-80 % of your last min
5. The 20-minute test: Ride 20 min even but all out to get average power.  95% of this number is your FTP.  We feel this is the best test for endurance athletes. You can also use your average HR during this test as your functional threshold heart rate.

*** These tests can show strengths and weaknesses so must be specific- road, trainer, rider strengths    

We can use this FTP to set zones for power-based training

1. Recovery <55%; truly easy spinning
2. Steady 55-75%
3. Tempo 75-90%
4. Hard: Lactate threshold 90-100%
5. Very hard
6. neuromuscular power – all out 10-sec power

*****you can use heart rate to set these zones but this may be 10 beats lower than run heart rate zones. HR becomes useless on shorter/ harder intervals

We can use power to look at our strengths and weaknesses: Allen and Coggans: Training and Racing with a power meter watts/kg.   This graphic shows 5 sec, 1 min, 5 min, and FTP and how you compare to different CAT levels.

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Once you have designed your zones, you can develop a cycling plan. The most important training for cycling is the “base”  or steady training. These are longer rides and solid but not hard effort.  Steady even pressure on the pedals.  Put in the time.   You are building metabolic fitness, and you are building mitochondria.  This is your foundation for fitness.  Multiple studies have shown the steady state training is the key to performance and gains. A solid steady-state foundation builds FTP.

Once you have a foundation, you can build in more intensity. Depending on fitness, Tempo can be 60-90 min of harder effort.  Hard or FTP-like efforts are taxing. Progressive time at FTP efforts with appropriate rest builds fitness.  As the effort gets harder, the interval gets shorter. Very hard intervals can be completed in 2 different ways.  You can perform 2-5 min intervals at this very hard effort or you can do repetitions at short bursts.  10 reps of  40 sec very hard/ 20 sec rest for 2-3 sets is a common way to complete this effort.  These shorter bursts allow you to get the very hard work done in a less taxing manner or may allow you to get this work done if you don’t have the aerobic fitness to hold this high intensity for a longer period of time.     Similar to running,  the harder effort takes more recovery.  As we age,  riding hard can give us that much-needed intensity session needed to decrease the loss of V0 2 max and strength ( see previous blog: Fast After 50 – How to not go gentle into the night – HUB Training (hubtrainingcenter.com)– ).  

The major issue with cycling training is the amount of time. Many of us are time-starved, and we don’t have 20 hours a week. How do we fit in swim, bike, run, and strength? Our HUB priorities are family first, then work, then racing/training.   How do we balance intensity and rest for each?   How do we balance gaining maximal cycling fitness and progressing?

1. Understand where your fitness is now.
2. Make a progression plan – months, weeks; (3 weeks hard, 1 week easy )
3. Figure out the number of realistic hours you can ride. Figure out when you ride harder or steady or recover. 

Example: Total training  12-14 hrs the bike is 50-60& of race so 5-6 hrs a week. IF your bike is weak, you may want a higher number.  Any time of year, bike training time may be up or down.

• Make sure you have built an aerobic base (base phase)

**** Substitution of less time but harder riding does not provide better fitness or allow for maximal progression. 

• Add in intensity progressing through the stages and allowing for adequate rest. Racing on Zwift or hard peloton rides every workout leads to burnout, plateaus, and injury.  
• Be specific about what you are training for; mountain or cross bike, sprint, crit, half or full ironman
• Strength training makes a difference.
• Hip flexor stretches, sitting at work, sitting on bike, aero, and tight hip flexor, lead to knee, back, and hamstring issues.  One of the most common problems.
• To maximize the sessions; think about nutrition and hydration.  For bigger efforts need more carbs.  For steady state may do fasted.  Train the system

Transfer to spring:

1. Check your bike and bike fit. The front tire and brakes can corrode on the trainer.
2. Work on bike handling; parking lot, and safe area.
3. Understand that cars do not see you!
4. If you do get hurt, develop a plan to keep fit and keep mental health.