This plan is designed for marathon and similar long-duration off-road disciplines. The primary aim is to balance maintenance of the aerobic fitness with development of the higher-level, race-specific abilities needed for marathon racing. Expected outcomes from the plan include: improved VO2max, lactate threshold power, repeatability of high-power efforts, lactate tolerance and bike handling skills.

This plan is the second in a series of plans for MTB marathon athletes, and is designed to follow on from the ‘Customisable General/Base Phase Plan for MTB XCO/MARATHON’ (although it can also be used in isolation).

Like the General/Base Plan, this plan prioritises low-intensity training, which is essential for long-term and sustainable improvements in aerobic fitness [1]. However, the intensity distribution is more polarised, with a greater focus on high-intensity sessions that develop MTB-specific abilities including lactate kinetics, aerobic capacity (VO2max) and fractional utilisation of the aerobic capacity at lactate threshold, neuromuscular recruitment, cycling economy as well as sprint repeatability and ability to recover quickly after each sprint/high power surge [2]. Ride length also becomes longer as endurance abilities progress.

Each week features both road and off-road sessions to develop handling skills (off-road) or minimise unnecessary fatigue from vibrations (road or indoor trainer) whilst still improving key determinants of MTB marathon success [3].

We also employ scientifically-grounded techniques such as fasted training to help increase the stimulus for aerobic adaptations [4].

The plan is laid out over a 12-week period, using three mesocycles, each featuring a 3-week ramp in training load, which is then followed up by a week aimed at recovering and adapting to the load. This ramp rate from week to week is "functionally conservative"; enough to result in a meaningful training stress yet gradual enough to avoid 'non-functional overreaching' or overtraining. Regular testing is included to assess progress and ensure training intensities are set appropriately.

NOTE: The plan's volume is totally adaptable from the default 7-13 hrs/week, where guidance on doing so is provided in our detailed user guide supplied with each plan.

Who’s it for?

This plan has been built specifically for MODERATE TO WELL TRAINED MTB MARATHON cyclists seeking to build race-specific fitness in advance of the competitive season. It is also suitable for other off-road events lasting 3H+.

If you have any questions about the suitability of this plan or how it might fit with other plans, please get in touch via info@highnorth.co.uk.

Key Features

• Built using TrainingPeaks’ Workout Builder


• All workouts exportable to .FIT, .ZWO, .ERG formats (to be used with Zwift, TrainerRoad etc)


• Polarised Intensity Distribution


• Large variety of interval workouts


• All workouts designed for power meter users


• Progressive TSS load for sustained improvement throughout 16-week period


• Each workout’s purpose and key adaptations clearly communicated

REFERENCES

[1] Seiler, Stephen, and Espen Tønnessen. "Intervals, thresholds, and long slow distance: the role of intensity and duration in endurance training." Sportscience 13.13 (2009): 32-53.

[2] Novak, Andrew R., et al. "A multidimensional approach to performance prediction in Olympic distance cross-country mountain bikers." Journal of sports sciences (2018).

[3] Macdermid, Paul W., Philip W. Fink, and Stephen R. Stannard. "Transference of 3D accelerations during cross country mountain biking." Journal of biomechanics (2014).

[4] Burke, L. M. (2010). Fueling strategies to optimize performance: training high or training low?. Scandinavian journal of medicine & science in sports, 20, 48-58.