Yesterday Gonzalo talked about his improvements after four weeks of wattage controlled cycle training. Now I can present another rider with an even more impressive performance. Paul Skiba has made improvements that is much better than I would have expected, so I certainly understand why he is so happy. Here is the interview:

Today you have completed your critical power test for sprint power and anaerobic endurance after 4 weeks of training in the Power Meter Project. What is your reaction to your performance in these tests?
Paul Skiba: “I am a competitive person. I was competitive when I was young and strong and I’m just as competitive now though not as strong but maybe smarter.

Because I previously did all my tests indoors, I was committed to doing all my tests indoors again. I ride the majority of my winter miles indoors on a trainer or on my rollers I started searching for answers as to how I c/would better my results in these first two metrics and compete with Gonzalo. In the 5 sec sprint I knew I would be hard pressed to touch his results since I couldn’t flex the bike as much as I might in a real road sprint. I was able to tweak my form a little and put out 955 watts which is a 20.7% gain over my previous result. I’m pleased with that though its not close to what I have pulled on the road.

Apply the same thinking to the 1 min test though I thought I could be more competitive. I focused on gutting myself and going for an all time best 60 second effort. My wife provided support by counting down in 10 sec increments so I wouldn’t have to look at the clock. I was able to put out 551 watts, which is an 18% increase and with my deceasing weight dropped me in at 7.9 watts/kilo better then Gonzalo’s initial effort by .2 but short of his latest effort -darn-.”

In what way have your training been different during the Power Meter Project?
Paul Skiba: “I worked with a CTS coach previously, there testing paradigm utilizes 2 x 8 minute all out efforts, I understand only one is really considered for setting my ranges. I also used there labs for VO2 and lactate testing.

Utililizing the CTS methodology I was unable to directly connect my various efforts during training with direct results in a test or tests, Using Jesper’s system I am able to directly connect my efforts in training with a body system I’m working which will allow for better test results and make me a stronger cyclist.

The difference in what I’m doing as far as the training goes is that I’m doing more sprints then I have at this point in the past and probably a little less tempo. I’m riding my endurance miles at a little lower intensity then I did in the past since last season I cooked myself by the end of the year pouring on hard edurance efforts. “

Before we know the results from your vo2max and threshold tests: What are your conclusions so far?
Paul Skiba: “I’m extremely happy with my results. I do not anticipate anything close to the same improvment in my results for the next two tests though I will be a lot stronger. This off-season has been a fruitful one in that I’ve identified shortcomings in my nutrition and performance based psychology and taken active steps to improve both of them. All of this work along with Jesper’s workouts and structure has brought me to a point where I’m feeling fit, strong, and ready for more. I am eagerly anticipating the next phase of training.”

• Unibet.com were not allowed to use their normal jerseys yesterday when they raced in Prix d’Ouverture la Marseillaise in France. In the Boulder Report they wonder why Unibet.com were not allowed to this when teams like la Francaise des Jeux (lottery game) and Predictor-Lotto (another lottery game) don’t have the same problems? I guess that Unibet.com got many times more attention than they normally will in a race like that. In this short message they are now mentioned three times (without mentioning which team won the race…)
• There is a good article about how marathon running can damage your heart. The conclusion was to train wisely and well before entering a marathon. I think that all endurance athletes can benefit from that advice.
• Recovox has a good article on why we get tired.

Here are the test results from Thomas Davis who started on the Power Meter Project last week. Due to vacation he starts a couple of weeks later than the rest of the participants.

Comments from Jesper Therkildsen: Thomas is a very light rider and that explains why his performance seems low compared to some of the other riders in the project. But when you look at the watts per kilogram, you will realize that he is a strong and powerful rider. His training program for the next month will be 13 to 17 hours weekly training with focus on building a large aerobic engine. Thomas has an impressive sprint power compared to his low body weight, but I guess that the absolute power is too low to win bunch sprints but strong enough to have a chance in smaller groups or steep climb sprints. Thus, he will have to improve his VO2 max and threshold power to make him able to make winning moves (or to reduce the size of the group) before he gets to the final sprint.

This program is an example of how you can plan the final 12 weeks before the race season begins. If you have been lazy during the winter, starting on this program might be a good chance to catch up. If you are able to do12 hours per week training now without problems, there should be a good chance that this program will suit you.

The pre-season program has a very common design with building of aerobic endurance for the first part, then an increasing workload with more training sessions and longer rides and finally the intensive part with more anaerobic intervals and sprints and also a couple of races that should be performed as a part of the pre-season preparation.

Have a look at the complete training program

I have often been asked how beginners should train if they want to improve fast. I must admit that most of the cycling programs here on Cycling Training Tips are not made for pure beginners, but they are not made for experienced riders either. These training programs are made to show some of the basic elements I use in my training programs.

Structure and Planning
One of the best ways to improve fast as a beginner cyclist is to get structure into your cycling. I have often been told by my riders that they feel much stronger when they’ve started on one of my programs. In the beginning they believe that it is because of the special combination of intervals but I keep telling them that the single best explanation for their progress is that they now have a structure on their training program. If you are a hard working cyclist, you deserve to achieve good results with the work you do. You don’t (necessarily) have to train more or harder to achieve better results. If you get the right structure with proper amounts of interval training on the right days, there is a good chance that you will improve fast and continue doing so.

The principle of super compensation
When you’ve performed a hard training ride, your body will have to recover before it get’s stronger. How much time you need for recovery depends on the type of training, your overall fitness and nutritional status. There are also some other factors that influence on your recovery time, but for a beginning it is important to know that hard training takes more time to recover from than light training. When you have trained for a while you will start to experience that your legs might feel sore the day after a hard interval workout and feel fresh the day after a light training session. Thus, you are about to get the idea about super compensation. To get the best progress you will need to find the perfect combination of training sessions and recovery.

Frequency, intensity and duration
There are mainly three ways to change the total workload in a training week: Frequency, intensity and duration. E.g. if you train more frequent, ride with a higher intensity (more races, more intervals) or simply just ride more, you will force your body to adapt to these challenges. This way you can reach a higher level of fitness, but your body will not allow you to increase the total workload too fast. Good cyclists make use these buttons to turn up and down the workload all the time. Remember that it is the consistency that makes you a strong cyclist, not just one hard week of biking. With small adjustments over time, you can configure a more challenging training program that will make you a better cyclist.

I’m busy at the moment so the posting frequency here at Cycling Training Tips will be lower than normal until Tuesday. But that doesn’t mean there is no interesting articles for you. A good place to find articles you haven’t read yet is the sitemap which is a site with the headlines of all posts on the blog.