So far this season, we have been focusing on quality workouts that can be executed mid week. This week we will focus on weekend long ride efforts to strengthen your stamina.

I introduced the Power Duration curve and the stamina metric in BTC Video #19. As a reminder, Stamina is a measure of how quickly your power duration curve falls off at sub threshold effort levels. Long course riders should be especially concerned about their stamina. Along with a high FTP, Stamina is a key predictor of long course performance.

Moreover, for all long rides be sure that you have an adequate hydration plan. Fatigue resistance diminishes rapidly as you dehydrate. If you find yourself weakening through the course of the workout, ask yourself “Did I hydrate properly?”. For more on Hydration see BTC Video #9

For your long ride, choose one of the following workouts. These workouts are a couple of my favorite workouts that will be solid preparation for the upcoming end of season race event that the coaches are planning for you.

• Workout A – (Long Tempo/Sweet Spot) – Approx 2:30 hrs. This workout is approx a Half Ironman bike effort compressed into a shorter period of time. The workout includes two intervals at Olympic distance effort to challenge the rider to above race pace efforts. This workout is also an excellent (over distance) ride for Advanced Olympic distance athletes.
• Workout B – (Long Tempo Ladder) – Approx 2 hrs – This workout is an endurance building workout suitable for all levels. The workout builds from Endurance effort through Tempo to approx. Olympic distance race effort in a laddered progression.

Note: Both these workouts can be completed on the trainer (yes.. true).  If you do either of these workouts on a trainer, please make sure you do this workout in level mode or course mode. These workouts are a poor match for ERG mode.

Be sure to balance this workout with a quality workout for the bike early in the week. For your mid week workout, choose a quality work from prior weeks.

Good luck this week!

DETAILED WEEKLY WORKOUT INSTRUCTIONS:

• 2020 BTC Bike workout program

INDOOR RIDERS: SMART TRAINER PLATFORM WORKOUT DOWNLOADS:

• Workout (A) – Zwift
• Workout (A) – TrainerRoad
• Workout (B) – Zwift
• Workout (B) – TrainerRoad

How to load workouts:

• Zwift Instructions
• TrainerRoad Instructions

This week we will continue to focus on weekend long ride efforts to strengthen your stamina.

Previously, I introduced the idea of keeping your effort/power output steady in order optimize energy expenditure. It is crucial to learn to meter out your energy reserves and reduce overall the physiological stress of the effort. Review BTC Video #6 as a reminder of this concept and apply this concept to your workouts this week. Practice evenness of effort……….practice practice.

Those of you using power meters will want to watch your data on your head unit. Review BTC Video #8 for a reminder on how best to set up your head unit. if you have not adjusted your head unit yet, now is the time to do so.

For your long ride, choose one of the following workouts. These workouts are a couple of my favorite workouts that will be solid preparation for the upcoming end of season race event that the coaches are planning for you.

• Workout A – (V02 + 2 * Tempo/Sweet Spot) – Approx 2:30 hrs. This workout is approx a Half Ironman bike effort compressed into a shorter period of time. The workout includes 6 * 5 min V02Max efforts to challenge your power production while you’re fresh & then follows up with tempo & sweet spot intervals to challenge your stamina. This workout is also an excellent (over distance) ride for Advanced Olympic distance athletes.
• Workout B – (Long Tempo/Sweet Spot) – Approx 2 hrs – This workout is an excellent endurance workout for Olympic distance athletes & over distance workout for Sprint athletes. This workout is a shorter version of last weeks A workout.

Note: Both these workouts can be completed on the trainer (yes.. true).  If you do either of these workouts on a trainer, please make sure you do this workout in level mode or course mode. These workouts are a poor match for ERG mode.

Be sure to balance this workout with a quality workout for the bike early in the week. For your mid week workout, choose a quality work from prior weeks.

Next week we will return our focus to quality workouts.

Good luck this week!

DETAILED WEEKLY WORKOUT INSTRUCTIONS:

• 2020 BTC Bike workout program

INDOOR RIDERS: SMART TRAINER PLATFORM WORKOUT DOWNLOADS:

• Workout (A) – Zwift
• Workout (A) – TrainerRoad
• Workout (B) – Zwift
• Workout (B) – TrainerRoad

How to load workouts:

• Zwift Instructions
• TrainerRoad Instructions

This week we switch back to a focus on quality with threshold intervals. You saw these two threshold improving rides a few weeks earlier.

• Workout A – (40 min Threshold) – Approx 1:00 hr. This workout is a proven FTP developer.
• Workout B – (2 * 16 min Threshold) – Approx 1:00 hr. A less challenging threshold workout for the less experienced or well trained.

Note: These workouts are best suited to predictable conditions such as early mornings in Prospect Park or on the trainer. The workouts can be completed in any mode. If you do them in ERG mode, switch to level mode if your cadence falters.

For your long ride this week, leverage Coach John’s Long Brick.

Good luck this week!

DETAILED WEEKLY WORKOUT INSTRUCTIONS:

• 2020 BTC Bike workout program

INDOOR RIDERS: SMART TRAINER PLATFORM WORKOUT DOWNLOADS:

• Workout (A) – Zwift
• Workout (A) – TrainerRoad
• Workout (B) – Zwift
• Workout (B) – TrainerRoad

How to load workouts:

• Zwift Instructions
• TrainerRoad Instructions

After several weeks of harder bike workouts, this week brings us back to pacing at lower intensities. At this stage of the season, neither workout should induce the need for significant recovery.

• Workout A – (40 min sweet spot) – Approx 1:00 hr. This workout is a pure & simple Olympic distance race pace ride. A staple in every Olympic distance athlete’s arsenal.
• Workout B – (40 Endurance/Tempo) – Approx 1:00 hr. An easier effort focus for those who feel they need a little more recovery this week.

Note: These workouts are best suited to predictable conditions such as early mornings in Prospect Park or on the trainer. The workouts should be completed in course mode if you are on a trainer. Outside or inside, the challenge of these workouts is to keep your effort steady through varying terrain. It is easy to overdo it on the hills especially if you are doing workout B.

Note: Long course athletes race at either endurance or tempo effort so knowing how to ride up hill in control is a crucial skill. Climb unusually slow!!

For your long ride this week, leverage Coach John’s Long Brick.

Next week, I will introduce a couple of longer rides for your weekend workout to challenge your stamina once again.

DETAILED WEEKLY WORKOUT INSTRUCTIONS:

• 2020 BTC Bike workout program

INDOOR RIDERS: SMART TRAINER PLATFORM WORKOUT DOWNLOADS:

• Workout (A) – Zwift
• Workout (A) – TrainerRoad
• Workout (B) – Zwift
• Workout (B) – TrainerRoad

How to load workouts:

• Zwift Instructions
• TrainerRoad Instructions

This week we return back to a mid week Tempo Pyramid workout. The goal of this workout is to maintain your stamina, and enable you to focus on tomorrow’s quality run and on Coach John’s quality brick later this week. We will return to harder quality rides next week along with longer weekend rides as well.

Note: These workouts are best suited to predictable conditions such as early mornings in Prospect Park or on the trainer. The workouts should be completed in course mode if you are on a trainer. Outside or inside, the challenge of these workouts is to keep your effort steady through varying terrain.

Coach Peter

DETAILED WEEKLY WORKOUT INSTRUCTIONS:

• 2020 BTC Bike workout program

INDOOR RIDERS: SMART TRAINER PLATFORM WORKOUT DOWNLOADS:

• Workout (A) – Zwift
• Workout (A) – TrainerRoad
• Workout (B) – Zwift
• Workout (B) – TrainerRoad

How to load workouts:

• Zwift Instructions
• TrainerRoad Instructions