Crit Season Panic Training - Advanced - 4 Weeks
Author
Alex Quirk
All plans by this CoachLength
4 Weeks
Typical Week
1 Day Off, 3 Strength, 6 Bike
Longest Workout
2:30 hrs
Plan Specs
cycling road cycling intermediate power based
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Summary
Crit Season is here! YAY! But it just hurts so goddam much! Want a training plan that will make the hurt go away! Well...... maybe look somewhere else. This one is short, sharp and painful. But it might just hurt a little less on race day. Program has lots of variety so you don't get bored and will feel a clear sense of progression. This would be ideal for a reasonable A grade /(Cat 1 / Cat 2) rider or a committed B grade rider.
- 1 x 4 Week Training Block
- Program designed to get progressively more difficult but allow for recovery
- Variety of sessions to keep you engaged
- Detailed session plans that are easy to follow
- Detailed Power and Rate of Perceived Effort Guidelines for each session
Stats
Sample Day 1
Doing some core strength work will do your climbing. There are a wide array of resources out there on the interwebs. Yoga and pilates are also fantastic activities to pursue. I've included some useful links below.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tVeHIDTy6MA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ic0URFZrzw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d_nzO_bm05s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2mROpewU414
The one thing I will say is to not try and copy some of the advanced exercises you may see the pros doing. Start with the basics, do them well and go from there. My athletes normally get an assessment from a strength and conditioning coach and then work off an individualised program. If you feel like going down that path, ask around and find someone in your area.
Sample Day 2
Testing Session: We are going to use the average power achieved in the 5 min test for sessions in the last half of this program. Much easier with a power meter but if you don't have one then don't stress. Make a note of how hard it felt before and use that as your guide.
- 10min easy pedalling
- 4 min progression starting at a fast bunch riding pace, finishing at a THR pace (or breakaway pace).
- 3 x 10 sec sprints, 4 min apart.
- 4 min rest
- 5 min max effort (1st two minutes should feel hard but still comfortable, you don't want to go out to crazy and exhaust yourself at the 3 min mark.)
Sample Day 3
This is a particularly difficult HIIT Session. Do it on the flat (NOT on a hill).
You are going to try and hold the power that you achieved for 5 minutes yesterday, in the 3 minute efforts. It should be roughly 120 - 130% of your FTP but just try and hold that power and you should be fine.
So the set is:
6 x 3min 120 - 130% of FTP,
6min @ 55-60% FTP between efforts
The difficulty with this session is that the recovery is not a complete recovery. I still want you to keep riding at your general endurance pace (NOT ACTIVE RECOVERY). Each effort should get progressively difficult even if the wattage is pretty similar.
For total time anywhere between 1 and quarter hours to 2 hours is fine.
Sample Day 3
Doing some core strength work will do your climbing. There are a wide array of resources out there on the interwebs. Yoga and pilates are also fantastic activities to pursue. I've included some useful links below.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tVeHIDTy6MA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ic0URFZrzw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d_nzO_bm05s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2mROpewU414
The one thing I will say is to not try and copy some of the advanced exercises you may see the pros doing. Start with the basics, do them well and go from there. My athletes normally get an assessment from a strength and conditioning coach and then work off an individualised program. If you feel like going down that path, ask around and find someone in your area.
Sample Day 4
10 min easy pedaling then 5 min progressive warm up starting at general riding pace and finishing at breakaway pace. Be careful to get to the final intensity in the last minute. Increase the difficulty slowly. This effort is only to warm up.
Ride easy for 3 minutes.
Then do 5 x 30 second seated efforts with 30 seconds easy pedaling. If you know your FTP the intensity should be 120 - 130 % FTP. But if you don't don't stress its the sort of session where you can do it on feel. Treat each effort as an attack in a race. You'll find out what is a feasible intensity after the first set of efforts.
Take 3 minutes easy pedaling and then repeat the 30/30s 3 - 4 more times depending on how you feel. This is a super hard session. Good luck!
Sample Day 5
Anywhere between 45 min to an hour is fine. Go be social. Ride with some friends, go for a coffee.
Sample Day 6
In my opinion, the best way to get better at racing is to race more! Every race is a learning opportunity, you can always try new things. Maybe try a break away, try to catch the sprinters off guard and go with a lap or two to go or perhaps you could save you energy for the sprint.
Try enough things, enough times and you will get a feel for what you are good at and not good at. Use that knowledge to refine your race strategy. And every time you move up a grade start the process again. If the race is cancelled, then feel free to either repeat a session from earlier in the week. Or go for a 2 - 3 hour ride with your mates or on your own. Go on an adventure.