The arrival of power meters sparked a new craze in the 1990s and they are now a part and parcel of the make-up of most pro riders.
 Power meters are invaluable tools for pacing control and interval sessions, and are especially useful for tackling time trials.


But the bottom line is that they are not absolutely necessary.

And you certainly don’t need one to tackle my training programs.


Interval sessions can be performed using just a heart rate monitor. In fact, it is clear that is what the majority of my readers do, and only one in seven tend to use a power meter like SRM or Powertap.


Of course, it is obvious that something as important as pace control is easier to do with a sophisticated power meter.

However in the majority of cases it is possible to learn how to find the correct pacing for sub-threshold /threshold/VO2 max intervals using a heart rate monitor.

Heart rate values are ever so slightly delayed and represent your physiological response to past training. In contrast, a power meter represents your current external workload.
 


Or you could simply do without both a power meter and a heart rate monitor – and just go with your gut feeling.

Some riders do – and this works just as well as a power meter.

Don’t forget that a few years ago many pro cyclists did all their interval sessions without any type of monitoring. And there are still some modern-day riders who turn back the training clock by cycling solely based on their feelings and instinct – because they know just how hard they should train.
 


But if you are a relative beginner or don’t have the benefit of experience of training 
20-plus hours per week for the last 10 years, it will certainly help if you at least use a cheap heart rate monitor to get some vital feedback on your physiological response to the training.

This may sound like common sense but if you have a specific goal or aim in life, it is crucial to organise and implement your activities in line with achieving your goal.

Imagine that deciding on your goal is the mental creation.

Well, how are you going to get there?

Unless you have a personal cycling coach or a mentor who is with you 100% of the time to motivate you, your motivation will have to come from inside YOU. This process can be referred to as the physical creation: giving yourself the tools and strength to achieve your goal.

If you want to make progress, you’ve got to take action to make things happen.

It is no big surprise.

But you know the feeling: You know what you should do to get better. But you just don’t do it. Something is stopping you.

You are scared.

Do you recognize this problem?

When you have a big goal then you also need to be committed for a longer period to achieve what you aim for.

You will have to train more hours, perform extremely difficult VO2 max sessions, train on your own etc. That’s incredible hard work.

So why don’t just stay in your comfort zone riding moderate distances, no hard interval training and group rides only?

And guess what happens if you step out of your comfort zone AND fail?

There ARE definitively reasons to be scared and not take action.

But that’s why you don’t achieve the goals you are dreaming about: You are so scared of stepping out of your comfort zone that you never take the necessary steps to achieve success.

So how can you step out of your comfort zone AND succeed?

As soon as you realize that it is you who are responsible for your own results then you will start to move.

I have seen several riders who have been fighting overweight for years and instead of doing what is obvious to everyone, they don’t take the necessary steps to get slim. Instead they do all they can to postpone stepping out of their comfort zones.

Obese people search the internet for advice about weight loss (without changing habits), they ask questions to several cycling coaches and weight loss experts hoping to find a magic training formula, they spend lots of money on nutritional supplements etc.

But they don’t take the necessary steps to achieve their goals.

I have also seen lots of riders who want take their performance to the next level, but feel unsure about riding more hours, training more intervals, using a different cycling training plan etc. Instead they decide to do things as they are used to – and achieve almost the same results as they are used to.

These riders are scared too. They are scared to fail (and maybe even scared to succeed).

It is important to notice that when you aim for a big goal then failure may be the outcome. That is just a part of the game.

But that shouldn’t stop you.

Be honest: What have you got to lose? What is the worst thing that can happen?

Here are some simple steps that will help you to develop some effective habits that make it easier and not-so-scary for you to step out your comfort zone:

1. Train with successful riders

If you train with successful athletes then you can be almost sure that they have already developed habits that help them to get their training done.

No magic intensities or intervals. No magic recovery drink.

The real secret is that they get they get their job done.

Sure, successful cyclists and triathletes have bad days and bad habits too. But they have developed strategies to achieve success. And they take the necessary action to make things happen.

2. Make a training plan (and a plan B as well)

Cancelling is not an option if you want to achieve really good results.

Take the initiative and proactively design an alternative plan for when you need it. Blaming the weather is definitely not a successful approach in the long run. But please don’t panic if you can’t keep up with your planned training due to bad weather or other complications.

That’s a part of the game. It happens to champions as well.

Just try to relax and remember your long-term focus.

Concentrate on what is possible and what is inside your influence ‒ not outside. It’s more important to get back into your solid training routine as soon as possible than starting a negative spiral where bad decisions lead to more bad decisions.

If you have a real target that is tangible to train for then every decision you make should reflect that target. You can ask yourself this simple question: “Will this decision take me closer to that goal, or move me further away from my goal?”

So be organised, manage your time efficiently and be proactive. Draw up a training schedule and stick to it.

Don’t be distracted.

If you do get distracted then make time elsewhere to do the training. This is a key point to ensure your cycling training program is a success because there will be days where something interrupts your plans.

3. Make it easy for you to stick to your training plan

If you want to achieve great results, you also have to give your training the attention and priority it deserves. When you give the highest priority to your daily training session, it’s also much more likely to be successful.

Scheduling your planned training session in your calendar is one way to secure that you get your training done. And if you do so, please remember to do what’s in you calendar (before checking emails, SMS, watching television etc.)

Television is probably one of the biggest time consumers in the modern world. However, there are others that might be your worst enemy for example internet surfing, mobile phones, social media etc.

Try to eliminate, or at least dramatically reduce, the time you spend on these tasks.

The more actions you take to improve your cycling performance, the more positive habits and attitudes you build, the easier for it will become for you to commit to a strong and ambitious training program.

But most riders will NEVER achieve their goals.

You can whine about it.

Or you can man up and start taking action today.

Choice is yours.

Here is a good place to begin:

http://www.training4cyclists.com/12-week-winter-training-program/

Here is a list of 12 blogs that I expect is worth a visit in 2012. Some of them are beautiful, some of them are quite scientific and some of them are… just about cycling in some way. I hope you will enjoy all these links and stay tuned for more updates here on Training4cyclists.com.

1. Bicycle Tutor A fantastic resource about repairing bicycles.

2. Chris Aarons Training tips collected from all over the world.

3. Daniel Carruthers Lots of pictures and good content about cycling. It’s a quite new website, but keep an eye on this one.

4. Wade Wallace Really cool bike pictures and cycling tips.

5. Joe Friel Legendary Joe Friel has his own blog with training tips.

6. Ross Tucker and Jonathan Dugas Comprehensive analysis of physiological aspects of endurance events etc.

7. Hunter Allen and Andrew Coggan The blog behind the popular book Training and Racing with a Power Meter.

8. Alex Simmons Insightful analysis of cycling training.

9. Marco Cardinale Another sport scientist that is worth following.

10. Jim Vance A tri-coach…

11. Brian Dewberry Follow his continued weight loss project in 2012.

12. The Sufferfest Downloadable cycling workout videos.

Before riders start doing high intensity intervals or pacing with a power meter, they should always begin by testing their physical performance. Remember: setting the right pace is absolutely crucial if you want to get the most out of high quality interval sessions. Performance tests give a great overall picture of your aerobic potential.

The 30-minute test

The simplest method is to take a relevant performance test and base your intervals on the results of your performance. A good example is a 30-minute max test to get a picture of your threshold power. The result from this test is closely related to your functional threshold power, so using it as a reference guide for threshold power intervals works well.

Functional threshold power is often the most determinant factor in road cycling and that is probably why you are reading this article: You want to learn how to increase your threshold power because that will make you a better endurance athlete.

In theory, this 30-minute max test could actually over-estimate your real, functional threshold power. But the bottom line is that you should base your sub-threshold and threshold power on your performance in the 30-minute max test and then just get the training done.

Don’t worry about the theoretical aspects and the arguments for and against certain performance testing. Remember this: getting your training done is what makes you better. If you “walk the walk” and not just “talk the talk”, then you are far likelier to achieve your goals and fulfil your potential.

One added bonus from taking a performance test is the ability to track your progress throughout the cycling season. As you get stronger, this will easily be measured by taking further performance tests as the season progresses.

When you have followed a training program for two or three months, it is really satisfying to see what difference all the hard work has done to your performance. It’s a great stimulus for your motivation when you can see that your 30-minute maximum power is up by, for example, 15 watts while your body mass is lowered.

V02 Intervals and the five-minute test

Before you start tackling high intensity VO2 intervals, it is strongly advisable to perform a five-minute all-out performance test. This will gauge your average power output (in watts) at maximum oxygen consumption.

This is the most reliable test and it can be done on a stationary bike or on the road if you own a power meter. The most important thing is you get a number for your average power output.

When you perform one of these tests, try to estimate how much power you can produce for, let’s say, five minutes and then keep a consistent pace. It might be necessary to adjust your pace throughout the test, but that’s how performance tests (and time trials) are.

If you use heart rate monitor as your main pacing tool then your average heart rate during the last 20 minutes of the 30-minute test is an excellent indicator of your threshold heart reate.

In my latest e-book, the 12-Week Winter Training Program, I discuss the merits of performance testing in much more detail. For example, in the training program itself, I recommend that you perform a 30-minute test and a five-minute all-out test in week one.

Track Your Performance in 2012

The New Year has arrived and this is the perfect time to set new goals and targets. So why don’t you challenge yourself with two performance tests here in week 1 of 2012? (in case you haven’t performed these tests recently).

Tackling high intensity interval sessions during the winter is a controversial subject that divides opinion among cycling coaches.

My philosophy is simple: I am a strong believer in Time Effective Cycling Training and implementing high aerobic activities throughout the season. And I am convinced interval training can be used effectively during the winter. But how?

One argument against winter interval training is the risk of peaking too early. I don’t follow this because if you are not competing at a professional level your risk of peaking too early is very low. Bear in mind that your current fitness leaves room for improvement so it makes sense to train longer, faster and more frequently.

The real case is that you won’t peak during the winter season. You might have a short period of overshooting ‒ and that’s it. Overshooting has nothing to do with peaking, which is a completely different story.

How can one peak without being even close to one’s own physiological potential?

And, even more importantly, how should one be able to really peak without even tapering? And doing so while increasing your overall training amount?

If you decide to include interval training, you would be able to perform aerobic intervals 2-3 times per week now and that would, in the long run, make you significantly stronger than the pure endurance training you used to compare yourself with.

It’s important to notice that high intensity intervals are not just high intensity intervals. Since road cycling is mainly an aerobic activity, it is also clear that most of your training should target the aerobic engine.

It takes more time to build a solid aerobic engine but once it is built it will remain at a reasonable level with the minimum of training. But if you want to reach your full aerobic potential, you will have to train for several years.

If you train strictly for anaerobic power, you will improve this skill really quickly, but it will not make you a successful road cyclist in the long run (unless you train for special events like 1K on the track or BMX etc).

Winter boost

In winter you tend to train less. You may also lack a little motivation, so with these things in mind it makes perfect sense to include interval training as part of your winter training. This means you will get better results in less time.

And interval training is actually easier to do indoors. You don’t have to battle with the traffic, pedestrians and traffic lights and you can focus 100% on maintaining the correct power output, cadence or heart rate during the sessions. That can be a lot more difficult to achieve outdoors.

Indoor intervals

You can also decide to take part in two or three spinning classes a week and use them as your high intensity sessions. The remainder of your training time, which is mainly endurance, can then simply add to your training volume.

When I draw up a training program for a rider I usually make intervals and high intensity training a focal point of the plan. With regards the winter months, I always plan indoor intervals to be performed on the ergometer bike or home trainer.

This approach allows me to tackle exactly how I would like the intervals to be. It also leads to the desired physiological improvements in my cyclists: for example, improved VO2 max.

My latest e-book 12-Week Winter Training Program contains many more useful tips and advice on how to tackle interval training during the winter months. If you want to reach your full potential as a cyclist and prepare properly for next season then the e-book, priced at $29.95, will give you the perfect boost. Get prepared for 2012: Download your copy today.