1. Know how hard to train
Understand the terms ‘overreaching’ and ‘overtraining’ and use them to improve your performance. Distinguishing overtraining from overreaching is important, because overreaching is a very natural process when we train. Actually that is an advanced use of the super compensation principle.

2. Make a training plan
Plan your training and set a goal for your training. Find out how much time you can spend on training and how you can get the best results with the time you have. When you know what your goals are and what time you have to achieve your goals, it is time to make a detailed training program.

3. Power meter training
Measure your effort in watts and evaluate your training rides and races. A power meter is a very powerful tool, which gives you opportunity to make even better training plans. It is best way to follow your progress.

4. Strength training
Heavy and explosive lifting makes you more efficient and stronger. Use Cycling Training Tips’ strength training program for cyclists.

5. VO2 max intervals
Increase your maximum oxygen consumption. For a cyclist a large aerobic engine is essential. When you go for a ride you stimulate your aerobic system, but how much stimulation depend on the intensity you ride with. VO2 max intervals triggers a great response from your aerobic system.

6. Anaerobic intervals
Increase your anaerobic endurance. After only a few of these sessions your body will be better to work at an anaerobic environment. This skill is primarily used in competitions, where jumps and sprints demand anaerobic efforts. This art of training is very exhausting and therefore it should primary be used for competition preparation.

7. Sprint training
Get faster and more explosive. When it comes to true sprinters, genes play a big role. Sprinters are born to be sprinters. It is said that you can make a slow donkey to a faster donkey, but you can never make a donkey to a race horse. This animal is simply born to be slow and it is the same situation for many non-sprinters. But even slow donkeys can get faster, so sprint training is strongly suggested.

8. Fartlek
Improve your tactical skills (and aerobic endurance, anaerobic endurance, sprints… etc.) If you have a period where your motivation for regular interval training is low or non-existing, then try Fartlek. It is fun and often you will experience that you get a really good workout.

9. Aerodynamics
Improve your aerodynamics. Cheat the wind… The biggest changes in aerodynamic drag come from changes in body position.

10. Recovery
Optimize your recovery. When you train hard, you deserve to get good results. One of the best moments to improve your performance is the first hour after your training session.

Image by jaymce
Marathon is a classic distance of 42,195km and is the ultimate challenge for a runner. I have run Hamburg Marathon a couple of years ago and I learned some lessons from the experienced marathon runners that I think many cyclists can take advantage of: 

1 - Focus on a main goal

Marathon runners are very selective when they plan their season. They choose two or three main goals during the year and use all their effort to make a top performance on race day. I know that cyclists do a lot more races than runners do, but it is recommendable to select specific races to peak in.

One of the big differences between Lance Armstrong and other riders is that he used to focus on the Tour de France as his main goal, where his opponents had several other goals during the season (World cup, Pro Tour, World Championships, Olympics). With only a few main goals it is possible to reach a higher level of performance in these hand picked races.

2 – Make a training plan with a specific goal

Marathon runners have a training plan focusing on peak their form at the main event of the season. I believe it is easier to stick to a training plan when there is a goal to achieve. That is exactly what marathon runners have: The last day in their training calendar is the marathon itself.  

3 – Use a tapering protocol

Marathon runners use different kinds of tapering protocols the last two or three weeks before the marathon race day. Again, these runners are very selective and are not afraid of deselect races as a part of preparation for the big event.

4 – Train with higher intensity

Even though marathon is a long distance event most training is performed at a relatively high intensity compared to long distance cycling. By training with a higher intensity marathon runners achieve better results in less time.

Learn more from marathon runners: Important lessons from marathon runners.

Interval training is often mentioned as the key to successful cycling training. Interval training is a cornerstone in all my training programs and I believe it is the most time effective way to achieve great results. Here is a list with 10 tips that can rapidly improve your interval training:

1.High priority to your interval training

First of all you must decide that you really want to do interval training. It might sound obvious, but if you give high priority to your interval training, it’s also much more likely to become a success. Try to perform your intervals as the most important part of your ride. Prioritizing interval training means that it is more important for you to perform your intervals than e.g. getting your planned distance, joining a social group ride or even participating in a race.    

2.Schedule your intervals

When you have decided to perform you interval training, it is a good idea to make a crystal clear plan for your interval training. You (and your training partners) must know exactly what is going to happen when the interval training begins. Intensity, distance and recovery should be well defined in a way that everyone understands. There should be no need to ask questions during the interval session.

3.Have a goal

When you perform interval training, you will often try to pace yourself through high intensity efforts that require a high amounts of mental power. If you have a goal with you interval training like a specific race you are training towards, it is a lot easier for you to go through the difficult parts of the training.

4.Warm-up before interval training

Warming up before interval training should be a no-brainer. Metabolic processes are temperature-dependent, thus many enzymes perform better at higher temperatures. Oxygen transport from blood to tissue is more rapid. Warming up simply increases your performance and makes it possible for you to train at higher oxygen consumption.

• How to perform a quick warm-up before interval training.

5.Use a heart rate monitor or power meter for pacing

Pacing is a discipline in itself, but heart rate monitors and power meters have made it easier than ever before to pace yourself through an interval session. There is a steep learning curve and many positive experiences with both kind of monitoring.

• Introduction to Power Meter Training
• 5 Steps for Better Heart Rate Monitor Training

6.Active recovery between intervals

It is tempting to stop pedaling after finishing a hard interval, but it makes good sense to keep pedaling at low intensity because it helps your recovery. The recovery periods can also be used to maintain your oxygen consumption at a relatively high level and thus make it easier for you to reach high aerobic levels in the next interval.

Bottom line is you will get more time at a higher percentage of your VO2 max and that will give more stimuli for both peripheral and central adaptations.

7.Cool down after interval training

When you have finished your interval session it is recommended to perform a short cool down. If you are serious about your cycling training, this is the time where you should start your post-training recovery process. Eat proteins and carbohydrates, drink water and ride easy to boost the recovery process.

• Post-training nutritional tips for cyclists

8.Experiment

Train alone, train with other riders, try different routes, try different bikes and naturally try a broad range of intervals sessions. The best way to get experience is to experiment with different strategies and that is also a great way to keep your motivation high.

• Boost Your Performance with Alternative Workouts

9.Evaluate

When you have performed your interval session you must always remember to evaluate how it worked out for you. Are there any things you would like to adjust before your next interval session?

10.Share your best interval training tip!

Just to remember you about that fact that I don’t have all the answers to perfect interval training. If you have some good suggestions, please don’t hesitate to share these tips with the readers here on Training4cyclists.com. Your comments are highly appreciated!

How to Become a Better Climber – Lesson 4

This post is the fourth in my series about how to become a better climber. After the first three lessons you should be able to describe the physical challenges to fast climbing: The hill steepness and length, your body and bike weight. Now you know what you are up against and you can begin to plan your training. Always keep in mind what you are preparing for.

I am often asked how to plan for peak performance from a broad range of riders. The single best advice I can give you, is to start with the end. Write down how you should train the day before the race. Afterward write down how you should train two days before the race etc. This little trick keeps your focus on the event you are training for and makes sure that your tapering protocol is optimal.

Thus, if you have 14days or 14 weeks is not that interesting. It is clear that you can prepare better if you have 14 weeks, but sometimes that is impossible. Even with elite riders, race schedules and priorities might change throughout the season. Suddenly an athlete has the change to represent the national team, then that race gets a high priority and a short deadline.

In such situations, instead of trying to do the impossible, stick to sensible training planning techniques, starting with the end in mind. Sometimes one must accept that miracles are not made in 14 days or less. Instead, focus on the small changes that can be made and will have a positive influence on your performance (optimal tapering, optimization of bike etc.)

Your task today:
Describe how long time you would like to spend on your climbing project.

How to Become a Better Climber – Lesson 3

This is the third post in my series about how to become a better climber. This lesson will not focus on you, but on your bike. In the first two lessons you were supposed to describe in details what hill you would like to climb faster and your optimal body weight / body composition. Since you will have to carry your bike up the hill, it’s obvious that bike weight is also essential for your performance.

What is the optimal bike weight for a road bike?

If you race under UCI rules the answer is pretty exact: 6800g. If your bike weight is more than that you will get a ‘weight penalty’ to your opponents. If your bike weight is less than 6800g you might be disqualified. I have never heard of any rider having trouble with this rule, but maybe this is because of extremely rare testing.

Rules are rules and should always be followed. As a rider under the UCI rules you should aim for a bike weight of exactly 6800g.

If you ride just for fun and want to achieve the best possible performance uphill, you might benefit from an even lighter bike. Today it is not that difficult to build a bike weighing less than 6kg. It will cost you, but it is definitely possible.

What is the optimal bike weight for a mountain bike?

There is no limit to how light a mountain bike can be. If you can make your mountain bike lighter, there is room for improvement of your climbing performance.

Reducing bike weight is challenging and does not have to cost a lot of money. Every single gram saved is an advantage on the climbs. Naturally it must not negatively effect the riding performance.

It is clear that weight savings can be really, really expensive, but for road cyclists, you are probably not far away from optimal bike weight regarding UCI’s 6800g rule. It is a little more tricky and expensive for mountain bikers since they must estimate how many grams or kilograms they are from the best mountain bikes in their competitions.
Your task today:
How light weight is your bike and how light weight would you like it to be?