The goals of this 12-week base to race training plan is to focus on progressive fitness development while balancing endurance, strength, and intensity. In theory, this 12-week plan would be implemented over the winter and early spring as you prepare for the first race of the season. It is best if you have a heart rate monitor and some way to view it while riding, but you would be able to complete this plan without one if necessary.

The volume and pattern of this plan should effectively prepare you to complete most gravel, mountain bike, or gran fondo road events, though more specific training and higher volume might be necessary to be competitive at the "pointy end" of longer (> 2 hour) events or super short, high intensity races like short track mtb or criteriums.

For the first few weeks, the major focus will be on long, steady rides at a moderate pace to build endurance, with a few harder efforts mixed in to build adaptations at a range of efforts. We want to build aerobic capacity, muscular endurance, and establish consistent training habits. Then, we will focus more on increasing intensity and power, and develop the ability to handle race-like efforts as you get closer to your race. The final week will be a taper week, where volume and intensity are decreased in order to let you prepare for your race.