The Training Plan

Any fan of Red Dwarf will remember the scene where Rimmer makes a revision timetable that takes so long to create that he loses revision time. He then has to re-write the plan, taking up more time, leading to another re-write and so on and so on. Eventually he is left with no time to revise and a very pretty revision chart.

This is me when it comes to cycle training.

I love all of the conflicting information around training approaches. Do you get a power meter or go on feel? How do you calculate your maximum heart rate? How do you best gain endurance, speed, climbing ability? I could spend hours researching all of this and walk away without a single decision being made; but with a warm feeling of having done "something".

Then add on my recent addiction to GCN and their YouTube Channel where I can spend hours "learning" really useful information like the Top 10 Things Not To Wear When Cycling and it is a miracle that I came up with any plan at all. But here it is in all of it's glory.

The mighty training plan v1.0

This was created from a mixture of a Brevet Sportive Training Plan, my experience from going from couch to 10km runner, a lot of fingers in the air and fitting in with existing commitments. It has three main themes:

1. Periodicity - The plan features four week blocks where the effort increases and then reduces in the last week, This allows your body to recover
2. Escalation/Recovery - The times and distances slowly build with each four week block before winding down before the event to preserve energy
3. Variation - The plan mixes endurance, technical and easy rides and is supplemented with cross training (football) and core/flexibility sessions

Of course, just like Rimmer, I'm almost certain parts of this plan are going to go out of the window when reality hits. The second week is interrupted with a holiday and there is snow in the forecast. But, with only 20 weeks until the Coast 2 Coast there is nothing for it now but to get on my bike and start riding.