Gravel God Beginner 2 - Build Period
Author
Matti Rowe
All plans by this CoachLength
6 Weeks
Typical Week
2 Other, 4 Bike, 1 Day Off, 2 Strength
Longest Workout
4:00 hrs
Plan Specs
cycling gran fondo/century beginner intermediate power based tss based
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Summary
Includes Structured Workouts
Structured Workouts automatically sync with compatible devices and guide you through workouts in real time.
Learn More about Structured Workouts.
You ride so much that you finally gave yourself a purpose and signed up for a Gravel Race. Trouble is, you’re committed to racing now, but you know a few Zwift rides and random coffee tours aren’t going to cut it. You want to crush your friends.
Welcome to the Gravel God Beginner 2 - Build Plan. We assume you have a base of fitness, so we’re not babying you here - you’re getting generous helpings of threshold intervals, sweet spot intervals, sprints, long rides, and even force you to look at the scenery and be in the moment.
🔥🔥Included in the box:🔥🔥
- PERIODIZATION! - We put the ol’ stress, rest, progress theory in action for you!
- Structured Workouts! - Because if you can't export your workout to Zwift, what's the point?
- STRENGTH! - Shoot us an email and we’ll give you a complimentary Train Heroic cycling strength program.
- Hilarious Workout Titles! - Because if you do one more ‘Sweet Spot’ workout you’ll cry.
- Power-based Training! - Because who doesn't have a power meter now?
- Mobility workouts!- Learn how to touch your toes!
- 6,000-word guide! - We cover everything, from equipment to nutrition to race tactics to life advice!
- Emails! - You can email us at matti@summitenduranceacademy.com and we won't ignore you.
- Advice! - We remind you to do obvious things that can destroy dreams, like replacing your chain!
You make think you're just buying a plan, but when you buy with Summit Endurance Academy you're buying into a community. Our Instagram feed is hilarious and our preferred font is pink. We win races in jorts.
And More!
Crunched for time? Can’t bother with building a ‘base’? Check out our Gravel God Beginner 3 - Peak Plan. It’s the fastest you can get in 6 weeks.
Have too much time on your hands? Check out 18 weeks Gravel God Beginner Plan.
Already riding a lot but not ready to peak? Then our Gravel God Beginner 1 - Base Plan is for you!
Questions?
Hit me up directly with any questions you have: matti@summitenduranceacademy.com
Stats
Sample Day 1
12m progressive warmup
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5m RPE 6/10
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5m RPE 2
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5m ALL OUT. Go as hard as you can for 5 minutes.
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5m RPE 2
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20m ALL OUT. Start the effort conservatively at about an 8/10 RPE - 20 minutes is a LONG time.
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You'll want the terrain to be unbroken flat or slightly uphill - you don't want to get caught at a stop light or intersection in the middle of your effort.
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10m easy spin to cool down.
Sample Day 3
Warm up:
5m Z1
4m Z2
3m Z3
3m Z4
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Easy 5m L1; spin high cadence (>100rpm)
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1 minute ALL OUT; Keep cadence OVER 100rpm if you can
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Easy 5m L1; spin high cadence (>100rpm)
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20x30sec ALL OUT, 30sec L1 EASY spin
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Easy 5m L1; spin high cadence (>100rpm)
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1 minute ALL OUT; Keep cadence OVER 100rpm if you can
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10m L1/2 Cool down
Sample Day 5
This ride is about steady on the gas. Looking for where HR decouples so we can see where aerobic fitness is.
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The goal is not a 3 hour all out time trial. You should feel at the top end of endurance and the bottom end of tempo - mentally you have to stay engaged but RPE should be 6/10 to start and grow towards the end.
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10/15m warm up by heart rate and then settle in at the top of your z2/bottom of z3 heart wattage and hold it there for 3 hours to start.
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The workout will be suffer if you don't eat and drink every 1/2 hour - you're burning LOTS of kcals. Also, minimize stops - rest invalidates the decoupling.
Sample Day 6
Cap it at 2, don't look at your computer and write down 3 things you saw in your post activity comments. Don't forget to be present when you ride!
Sample Day 7
Find a quiet place, sit comfortably. Take 10 deep breaths (2-5 seconds each, really accentuate the inhalation and exhalation)
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For 5 minutes focus on thinking nothing. When something comes across your mind look at it and return to nothing
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Write down 3 things you're grateful for. Look at it before you go to bed at night. Then crumple it up and throw it out.
Sample Day 7
This routine doesn't take a lot of time, but is challenging and works. The focus is all on the posterior chain (read back, glutes, hamstrings). This will make you a better handler on the bike, better climber, and help cut out lower back pain. These are the muscle groups that cyclists often ignore, and pay the penalty for.
Follow the link to the video:
https://stream.foundationtraining.com/programs/12-minute-workout
Do some foam rolling and stretching after the foundation routine.
Sample Day 8
Easy pace as your base (< 145 bpm), with efforts:
1x10min low Z3 (280-300w), 95+ rpm, then sprints:
-2x15sec seated sprints in the little ring, only shifting when you're really running out of gear, keep upper body quiet.
-6x80sec efforts, first 20 sec is "stomp", done seated, in a big gear, from a near stop (<10 mph), max acceleration, should only be hitting 100 rpm in the last 5 sec or so (adjust gear as necessary) - then go into 60 sec @ 350w.
Full recovery between sprints (minimum = 2min).