Base training doesn't have to be boring! in this training plan IRONMAN Cerified Coach, British Triathlon Level 3 Coach in training and 24 hour endurance cyclist Simon Olney helps you lay the foundations for a great year on the bike.

Spending mostl of your base period in zone 2 isn't appealing or realistic for most cyclists. The 80/20 approach is suitable for athletes with a lot of time for these long rides, but most of us lack the time or motivation to sit at the same power output hour after hour, week after week, especially those of us who are newer to the sport.

With this plan, we work on a basis of three big rides a week. One long ride on Sunday, and two shorter rides (V02, tempo, sweetspot, hill reps e.t.c.) each week, combined with strength work to help you perform at your best.

This advanced plan is for cyclists who have been actively training for at least three years who wan to perform well, but don't have the time for a fully polarised approach. After a strength building block we then have three tougher workouts a week in addition to a long ride. This is not to be underestimated, and while you may be able to keep it up for a week or two, you may find yourself struggling to maintain this level of effort. If in doubt, I recommend you start with my intermediate plan and build yourself up from there.

We'd like to think we hit a happy medium with this plan between being too repetitive and being too gimmicky, developing each workout organically over time by increasing duration, reducing rest or adding more intervals to avoid you becoming complacent. You'll also test your FTP every four weeks to check for improvements and ensure your zones are up to date.

The first month is dedicated primarily to strength work, before the plan evolves brining you up to the point where by week 16 you will be able to hold sweetspot for an hour, putting you in great shape going into your base period.

The plan also includes weekly and monthly reminder of essential bike maintenance jobs required to ensure the safe operation of your bicycle, as well as save you money in the long run.

If you have any questions about this plan before or after purchasing, or need a bit of help with basic principles, E-mail us at Simon@phazontriathlon.com and I'll get back to you as soon as I can.