espejo09 wrote:
Now I have been reading a lot on getting a greater ftp and workouts to do during the winter, 16week plans and so on. I have been doing one of the plans similar to BarryPs running, doing 2x20min, 5x5min, all out 20min TT tests...at what point during the winter do you focus on base training?? Do you focus on base at all? is it adviseable? on days you are not doing a hard bike workout is an easy z1 day encouraged?? I am 6 weeks into this plan and doing my FTP test tomorrow. I know my ftp has gone up because my intervals through out the upcoming weeks have gotten easier or i am increasing my watts...
just a thought on base training, when do you start???
To the OP:
Periodization is based on periods of time and not types of workouts.
Periodization goes from General to Specific.
The General period has been given different names and different meanings by different people (ie: base, out season, off season, fall, winter, etc) but simply put, this is your General period.
To answer your question, the General period (what you call "base training") starts the day after your last triathlon of the year. Once again, different terms (ie: recovery, preparation, cross training, etc) are used to describe this initial period of time but it's simply your General period.
It may be that you start your General period (ie: "base training) by taking 2 weeks off after your last triathlon and then get right back at it or you may take 2 weeks off and then follow this up with an 8 week block of drinking beer and getting fat. No matter what option you choose, General ("base") starts the day after your last triathlon of the season.
The General period is to prepare you for your Specific period and as desert dude and Francois mentioned, periodization is not slow to fast.
To finish up, some thoughts on "base" as in, "I need to do a bunch of lsd to build my base". LSD workouts aren't stored in a separate container in your body and this container doesn't drain itself empty at the end of every September and then needs to be refilled again starting in October. Instead, imagine that you have a "fitness" container in your body and that all of your workouts regardless of duration and intensity are all stored in this one container. What you want to do is at the appropriate times of the year is fill it with the appropriate amounts and combinations of "fluids". If you do this on a consistent basis, the fitness container won't drain and if you keep slowly and carefully pouring in fluid in the right combinations, the container will magically increase in size so it can hold even more fitness.