Base Training: Traditional, Sweet Spot, or both?

[nathanong87]

I got up to 5.3 watts per kilo after only two years on the bike, getting that number higher is now much more difficult

impressive

[jekyll man]

I got up to 5.3 watts per kilo after only two years on the bike, getting that number higher is now much more difficult

Duration??

Test protocol, and maybe you were getting better at performing in tests?

[waltthizzney]

I got up to 5.3 watts per kilo after only two years on the bike, getting that number higher is now much more difficult

Duration??

Test protocol, and maybe you were getting better at performing in tests?

Sorry that was my 20 minute test almost two years ago back on a wahoo that may have read a little high, I now use my 4iiii power meter and a dumb trainer if I am not riding outside, my numbers have increased by around 10w since that test I have found

[waltthizzney]

the best way to get faster is to ride with people faster than you and not be afraid to get dropped.

[JBeauBikes2]

the best way to get faster is to ride with people faster than you and not be afraid to get dropped.

That's what I've been doing. There's a Tuesday/Thursday groupride in my area that's flat and there's four groups ranging from 16-25+ MPH that gets a pretty big showing. I was dropping like a fly at first but now I'm up to being able to sit in the pack, and working my way up to taking pulls at the front.

Coming from football, I'm good with the short, explosive efforts. I just want to see some physiological adaptions from a base phase to enhance my all-around cycling capabilities. I have 37 weeks to train until races start next season so I'll have plenty of time to build.

Does 12 weeks of base, 12 weeks of sweet spot, and 12 weeks of build sound like an efficient use of time or are there better things I could be doing for the duration of that 37 weeks?

[AJS914]

How much base do you already have? How many miles in your legs for say 2016 and 2017?

[JBeauBikes2]

How much base do you already have? How many miles in your legs for say 2016 and 2017?

4700 miles since last June

[AJS914]

It doesn't sound like you need 12 more weeks of base rides. I'd do your regular rides and add 1 or 2 days of structured training (intervals) for the rest of the summer until fall/winter rolls around. Then, take some time off, do some cross training, hit the gym and start your season again with the base training.

I'd also do some races now if you can. You'll learn a ton from that and it will help you know what things you need to work on.

I've been enjoying the Velonews Fast Talk podcasts. There are lots of nuggets of wisdom in them. Some of the episodes are throwaways but some are very good.

http://www.velonews.com/tag/fast-talk-podcast

You can read the Joe Friel book for a basic primer on training if you haven't already.

[GambadiLegno]

IMO it's too much base. You should be conscious that when adding sweet spot training you're not going to do SS workouts everyday, so if you plan 2 or 3 SS training sessions per week, the rest of them are supposedto be endurance and recovery rides. At least I understand that you will be introducing only SS and not any other intensity.

Nowadays it's well known that a bit more of intensity than endurance is the best way to improve cycling performance. Personally, I would add another type of workout appart from SS, and not only to improve better, but to do different sessions and not get burned because of doing the same every week.

[Tinea Pedis]

Z2 is a waste of time. if you are burning fat for energy you are BONKING.

Sorry? This makes no sense whatsoever.

Do a mix of hard FTP intervals 5, 10 and 20 minutes... maybe 2 per week.... 1/4th rest in between. mix in two high end vo2 work outs per week. if you got any legs left do a z2 work out.

So four hard sessions a week? Even without racing, this is already too much. Trying to add z2 sessions to that would simply result in a quick burn out.

I see a lot of teammates wasting hours upon hours on the trainer at 200w then getting dropped all year

Actually a good point. Cannot neglect Vo2 max efforts.

at the end of the day it i almost impossible to get that high end power on the trainer though

That's also been disproven. Racing is another pathway to fitness, but it's not the panacea for "high end power". Unless someone forgot to tell me? Or other successful racers that I know.

[MisterNoChain]

Last winter i did a SS trainingplan on TrainerRoad, it helped me a lot!!! And it's also much more fun then doing slow rides, definitely when you have to ride indoors.
Spring/summer for me is just about enjoying my ride, i dont race so in that period it's more about having fun on the bike then really training perfectly. I do more hours on my bike but i feel i make more progression during the winter.

That trainingplan on TrainerRoad also includes a slow Sunday ride, it's not putting the hammer down every single day

[bm0p700f]

I do base miles mixed with what could termed be sweat stop rides and racing. 16 to 20hrs a week normally is what i do including tt's and races but this years thing has been 12hr an 24hr tt,'s so base helps as does being able to burn fats efficicently. This is the third year of this kind of traditional training. The last two years it lead to variable performance this year it is finally starting to deliver. I expect next year do better in the 24hr. The one thing i have noticed this year is i am recovering alot quicker than last year after a training ride or race. So the high volumes are doing what i want them too.

Another way to do intensity is do do what i will be over autumn/winter ride the 29er on fast group rides. That gets you into the ugly zones pretty quickly and you stay there. Done it a couple of times this year and it is a right hoot.

So it depends what the op wants. If the op wants to build endurance then lots of time on the bike is useful. If the op just wants to improve ftp the shorter rides full of different kinds of intervals and group rides that make you work help alot.