Today we get an idea of your baseline fitness via a field test. This may be completed on the trainer, or outside.

This field test should be done on a FLAT course, as the purpose of this training plan is to help boost your power and abilities on the flats.

8 min w.u. (Wam up)

3x 1 minute Fast Pedaling (1x ea on bar tops, hoods, and drops). These should be done by keeping your arms nice and relaxed, with a firm, but relaxed grip on the handlebars.

HOW TO DO IT: Using a gear that allows you to ride at endurance, over the first 15 seconds of the effort raise your cadence up to where you are just shy of bouncing in the saddle, and hold that cadence for the remainder of the effort.

5 min endurance

5 min ALL OUT (Push hard!)

10 min Endurance

Then 2x 10 min Lactate Threshold efforts. For these, your legs should begin burning around 2.5 minutes in, and you should be able to maintain that burning sensation for the rest of the effort.

8 min easy riding in between efforts

5 min c.d. (cool down)

As we have just 8 weeks to improve your climbing, today we will execute a Sweet Spot workout, which will allow us to hit the Lactate Threshold energy system back to back, but without completely draining you.

These sweet spots should be done at 88-94@ of your FTP, based on what you've been able to average for the END of the short SSI workouts.

Focus on smooth pedal stroke and power to the pedals, while keeping your upper body nice and solid throughout.

Today we focus in on the VO2 Energy Systems from 4-8 minutes in length. This will help us begin to raise your lactate threshold, as well as your ability to push harder on the climbs.

The descending nature of todays efforts allows you to gradually increase the intensity as you ride. This is extremely important in our 8 week journey to increase your climbing power, as teaching you to push hard, especially towards the end when it REALLY hurts, will help begin to mould you into a fiercer competition on the slopes.

This one is going to hurt. So come ready!

Todays ride is a Foundational Miles Ride.
These are done with a slightly higher power range than Endurance Rides (at times touching on 80% of you Lactate Threshold).

This makes it much easier, and much more enjoyable to do in a group setting.

Make sure to keep your pedals turning 90% of the time, and that you are focused on a smooth, even pedal stroke, especially on rolling terrain, and when you hit those slight inclines.

Cadence 90-100 on Flats/rollers
Cadence 85+ on climbs!
-YES EVEN IF THAT MEANS SMALL RING+ SMALL COG!!!!

A shorter than "normal" endurance ride today, as we want to ensure that we are allowing you to build your fitness. 

Week one should be about 70-80% of your usual ride volume, but with much higher intensity.

Make sure that you are staying in YOUR endurance pace range!

We'll finish todays ride with 2x 10 min Climbing Repeats, helping to gain more time on the slopes, especially under a little tiny bit of fatigue.

Aim to keep your cadence between 85-100 for the ride today, except for the Fast Pedals

Learning to deal with multiple efforts at Lactate threshold with short recovery periods is a fantastic way to not only boost your Lactate Threshold abilities, but also to improve your ability to ride smooth and strong in a group.

To help us consolidate all the work we have been doing, and to allow you to feel the good ol' burn of the legs for a longer period of time, we now have a Sweet spot workout.

These sweet spots should be done at 88-94@ of your FTP, based on what you've been able to average for the END of the short SSI workouts.

Focus on smooth pedal stroke and power to the pedals, while keeping your upper body nice and solid throughout.