4 weeks to the time trial!
Author: Simon Hansen
Length: 4 Weeks
Tags: cycling, time trialing, beginner, intermediate, masters, time goal, power based, tss based
Typical Week: 4 Bike, 3 Day Off
Longest Workout:
2:17 hrs
Author: Simon Hansen
Length: 4 Weeks
Tags: cycling, time trialing, beginner, intermediate, masters, time goal, power based, tss based
Typical Week: 4 Bike, 3 Day Off
Longest Workout:
2:17 hrs
4 weeks to the time trial!
You've got 4 weeks until your upcoming time trial and you need to get in top shape! You are a time crunched athlete, but you are willing to do hard work. This is the training plan for you. Based on 4 short/medium workouts a week. Made by an amateur time trialler, this plan focuses on getting you into racing shape by targeting the systems you use in the race. But don't expect a boring same-same plan - With this plan there is emphasis on variation in the workouts, so it never gets boring. You will work, but I guarantee you will not get bored! This is a power-based training plan using workout builder - you can download the workouts to your Garmin and have them real-time on your bike computer while training.
This is plan is for the intermediate rider who has an acceptable base form, and has ridden some intervals before. Knowledge about how to determine FTP and riding in power zones is good to have, but there is also an explainer in the program. With this plan you will spend from 6-8 hours per week training 4 times a week. You will ride plenty of intervals. Included in this training plan is an appropriate tapering period leading up the race. So just start this plan so the Race date described fits with your real world race day, and you will be totally ready and focused on doing the Time Trial of your life!
Warmup, do one 1minute effort to open legs.Ride all out for 2x8min.
This is the test!
Afterwards your legs and lungs will be tired, so do some nice tempo work so the day is not a wash.
IMPORTANT: You did your FTP test on your road bike and your training zones are set from this. Almost nobody can match this power on a TT bike - so shoot for the lower end of the zones in the beginning and work your way up!
Do 5x3min Vo2max efforts in the aerobars.
After this do two 15min efforts at Sweet spot pace on your "reference point"(see below).
Do 3 sets of each 13 repetitions:
30sec at Vo2max/Anaerobic capacity if you can
15sec recovery
3min recovery between sets.
YES this is a hard session!
After this, ride some nice SST pace. Remember that your watts on the TT bike are probably lower than on your road bike, so if your watts fall 10-20 watts under your normal SST zone it's ok. Try to stay in your TT position for as long as possible. Think about sticking your head forward and then lowering it - Think about the flat back of Bradley Wiggins in a TT, or think about the infernal cadence of Fabian Cancellara winning the 2016 Rio TT - anything that inspires you to keep that pose nice, clean, aero and fluent.
Do the 30sec efforts seated and the position you would choose if you were riding solo in front of the chasing bunch - aerodynamic.
Warmup and do a 1min effort at your FTP to get the legs and lungs ready for some work.
Ride 4min at FTP, then do 2min at Vo2max and end with 4min at FTP - no breaks. Recover for 6min and repeat for 3 intervals.
Afterwards do the lenght of your time trial at tempo pace. Your focus is on keeping the position at all times except if your speed falls below 30km/h on a climb. And think about breathing right partially through your nose to get a nice full rhytmic breathing all the way down in your stomach.
This is your standard Norwegian style microburst intervals spiced up with 3min block of steady Vo2max work.
Do two 12min Sweet spot intervals.
roll for home
Do four FTP intervals of each 15min.
If your power falls into Sweet spot zone just keep going and complete the intervals.
Think of these as four time trials. Every second counts!
We all know what it takes to get better: You've got to put in the hours to get form.
My focus is getting the most out of those hours, making it as fun and adverse as possible. I know the theoretical stuff - What I work hard at is implementing that into fun, diverse training plans in which you will learn why we do what we do while training.
I specialize in training for time trials. I implement what psychology I can into them, so there is plenty of advice to find besides training in your zones.