What does this plan do?
This plan is designed to build your aerobic base and lay the foundations to help you complete more race-specific training closer to your target event.
After following this plan you should find that long rides are less fatiguing, and you feel well prepared for more intensive interval training. You may also see improvements in threshold power (e.g. FTP), but this is not a development priority for this plan.
Importantly, this plan strikes a balance between training that develops your fitness, while simultaneously maintaining motivation and avoiding burn-out when racing is far away!
Accordingly, this plan incorporates weekly opportunities for unstructured riding, and opportunities for cross-training such as running or walking to help maintain training motivation. Regular strength sessions are also included
Who is this plan for?
Developing a strong aerobic base is critical for cyclists of any discipline. This plan is intended to be used 4-12 months out from your target competition or race season.
This plan is specifically designed to account for hormonal changes that can impact your capacity to train and recover among females with a regular ~28-day menstrual cycle. In particular, we include lighter training weeks when hormones are less favourable to training and recovery, and heavier training weeks when hormones are more supportive of high training loads.
The plan is pitched at 'advanced level' cyclists, who are able to complete 2x longer rides (e.g. 2.5-3-hours) each week, and who have at least several years of experience with structured interval sessions.
Key Features
We believe our plans stand our from the crowd. We’ve done our very best to provide an experience that’s as close as possible to having on-hand coach support, with ample guidance on how to get the most out of our plans, and clear information on what we’re trying to achieve both session-by-session and week-by-week to keep you motivated. Our plans are grounded in science and supported by over a decade of full-time coaching experience.
This plan includes:
- A comprehensive PDF user guide, providing information on how to implement the workouts correctly and how to adapt the plan if necessary
- Structured sessions, meaning all sessions can be automatically exported to your headunit or synced to training platforms like Zwift or TrainerRoad and are ridable in ERG mode
- Regular FTP testing to help set training intensity zones, using a methodology we’ve refined for improved accuracy through working with 100s of athletes
- Each workout’s purpose and key adaptations clearly communicated, including references to scientific papers
- Notes summarising the week's training and the goals for the next training block, so that you always know where your training is heading
- Opportunities for cross-training, unstructured riding and twice-weekly strength sessions
High North Performance is a cycling training and metabolic testing consultancy based in Harrogate, UK. We provide customised training programs and performance diagnostic services to professional and amateur athletes using both established and novel training methods, leading testing and analysis technology, as well as a scientific and strategic approach to planning and preparation.