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(?) bike-specific prep and base workouts
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i believe most of us are in our prep or base phases and i'm curious as to what bike-specific workouts you are using. it's pretty darn cold here in boston (i just moved here from the bay area) and most of my bike work has been on the trainer. i've held my fitness over the winter/off-season to where i can still handle my spinervals, but i don't think its prudent to be doing a lot of AT workouts so early in my training.

so am i correct in assuming i should just start logging LSD (long slow distance) miles to prepare for my upcoming base1 training? maybe work in a few pick-ups in these longer trainer rides or perhaps keep them slow and work in a spinerval once a week?

what specific workouts are most beneficial in this phase?

my "A" race is IMLP in July for which my base1 training starts on at the end of February and, yes, i'm trying to put a Friel plan together for my season. there's no mistaking Friel-ese.

thanks for the pointers/tips/advice/comments/ridicule......
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Re: (?) bike-specific prep and base workouts [golferboy] [ In reply to ]
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Sounds like its just time to keep the easy base miles going and maybe throw in a Powercrank workout if you have them or believe in them. Just stick to the boring, easy stuff for now and build the distance is what I am doing, but I am no coach...

Tom Demerly
The Tri Shop.com
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Re: (?) bike-specific prep and base workouts [golferboy] [ In reply to ]
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If you can understand that Friel book, you're a smarter man than me. I found that thing to be very confusing and overly-scientific. Depending on what your IM goals are, check out Gale Bernhardts 13 weeks to a sub 13 hour IM article she wrote for Triathlete magazine It works.
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Re: (?) bike-specific prep and base workouts [golferboy] [ In reply to ]
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I don't have my athletes put in much time on the trainer doing just aerobic work - as I like to see them mix it up with power workouts, pedaling drills, and even extensive endurance work (high aerobic) - the biggest issue is boredom on the trainer if you don't have a CT or PCs - it's tough to stay motivated just spinning on a trainer. Here are a few sample workouts that I give my athletes:

Power - 10 minute wu and cool down - Main set is: 3x30" (seconds) in your TT gear -1 cog, then 3x30" in your TT cog, and then 3x30" in your TT+1 gear cog. These start out standing. You can add one rep to each set each week. The rest is 90".

Pedal Drills - WU: 10' (minute) - CD: 10' 1' spin with each leg. Then spin for 30" easy. Do this cycle 6x or for 15 minutes. After the 6th cycle spin high RPMS (100+) for 5', then repeat with 6 more cycles. After 6th cycle, 10'cd.

Another would be: WU: 15' - CD: 10' 3’ at 100 RPM. 2’ at 110 RPM. 1 ‘at 120 RPM or highest sustainable RPM.



Hope this helps.



Mike

www.d3multisport.com

Mike Ricci
2017 USAT World Team Coach
USAT National Coach of the Year
Coaching Triathletes since 1992.
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Re: (?) bike-specific prep and base workouts [Mike Ricci] [ In reply to ]
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Quote:
If you can understand that Friel book, you're a smarter man than me. I found that thing to be very confusing and overly-scientific. Depending on what your IM goals are, check out Gale Bernhardts 13 weeks to a sub 13 hour IM article she wrote for Triathlete magazine It works.


justinb, yeah, i'm struggling a bit with Friel's book. i'm at the point where i have to create a weekly training routine and i've stalled. just not entirely intuitive to me. i also picked up bernhardt's book and liked the style of her sub-13 plan, but i wasn't entire convinced it could get me to my goal of sub-12. i sometimes get caught up in plans thinking complexity is better.

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it's tough to stay motivated just spinning on a trainer. Here are a few sample workouts that I give my athletes:
mike, thanks for the sample workouts. makes sense that you have your athlete's work on technique and power rather than just log miles. i'll try some of them out to break up the monotony.
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Re: (?) bike-specific prep and base workouts [golferboy] [ In reply to ]
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No problem - I use to live in Beantown and train through all those wet winters. I know where you are coming from.

Mike Ricci
2017 USAT World Team Coach
USAT National Coach of the Year
Coaching Triathletes since 1992.
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Re: (?) bike-specific prep and base workouts [golferboy] [ In reply to ]
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I do a mix of fast spinning on my rollers (usually for 1- 1.5 hours) and through in the odd interval session. I also go to the health club and do spin classes, however, I basically ignore the spin teacher and crank up the tension to turn it into a power workout since I can't load up that type of resistance on my home trainers (I look sort of odd grunting to keep some turnover while everyone else in the class is pedalling at 120+ rpm but I let the teachers know in advance why I'm the class misfit and not following along).
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Re: (?) bike-specific prep and base workouts [golferboy] [ In reply to ]
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I am also on a schedule similar to yours and have IMLP as an A race. I have chosen to sign up with one of Friel's Ultrafit coaches and we primarily work via trainingbible.com. Not having spent a lot of time building my schedule myself, I can only relay that many of the workouts that I am using are available to all members on the site.

Basically, I am focused on strength and form/economy at this point. Specifically, I am focused on getting to the gym and getting in my leg press and other weights three times a week (will go to 2x's sometime in the next few weeks) and three rides a week (total 4+/- hours). I also do most of my winter rides indoors and my primary workouts involve one leg drills, spin-ups, simulated hill rides and starting to work in limited sprints. Most all of my training has been very focused on getting efficient in zone 1 -2.

Hope this is useful and good luck in your continued training.
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Re: (?) bike-specific prep and base workouts [golferboy] [ In reply to ]
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{i also picked up bernhardt's book and liked the style of her sub-13 plan, but i wasn't entire convinced it could get me to my goal of sub-12.}

golferboy, I used Gales program and went 12:39 @IM FL and that was with a bike mechanical problem and 3 ft ocean swells. I know everyone from a 65 year old woman to a 26 year girl who have gone sub 12 hours using the program. My first IM, I got a coach who overtraned me. Next year, I went with Gales program and went under 13.
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