CTS Training Program By Coach Chris Carmichael - www.trainright.com Congratulations on your decision to take part in the 2005 Ride for the Roses. The coaches at Carmichael Training Systems want you to have a successful ride and a great time on your bike, so we've provided two exclusive training programs to the Lance Armstrong Foundation and Ride for the Roses. There is a plan designed specifically to prepare beginners, and another to prepare more advanced riders, and you can take part in these programs whether you're planning on riding 10 or 100 miles in October. Overview These 21-week training plans are designed to prepare you to complete the Ride for the Roses. The plans are built on a periodized program with different phases, each focused on different energy systems, to get you ready for the big event. If you are a novice rider, you'll begin with eight weeks of the Foundation Period. As the name implies, the training in this period builds an aerobic and strength foundation that will prepare you for more difficult training later. Following the Foundation Period is eight weeks of the Preparation Period. Both the intensity and volume of training is increased, building on the gains you've made during the Foundation Period. The goal of the Preparation Period is to increase endurance and to cause adaptations in your muscles and cardiovascular system that will increase the work you can do before you reach your lactate threshold (the point at which you feel the "burn"). Finally, you'll complete four weeks of a Specialization Period and then a taper (easier) week before the event. Training in the Specialization Period is quite intense and develops your high end speed and power while maintaining the endurance you've built up. Because the training is more intense, the volume (or time) of training will decrease somewhat. If you are a more experienced rider, you'll begin with eight weeks of the Preparation Period training. Next, you'll complete four weeks of Specialization Period training. Four more weeks of Preparation Period training will build your endurance to an even higher level. Finally, you'll complete another four weeks of Specialization Period training before a taper week brings you to the event. Getting More Specific Within each period, training is broken down even more. In most cases, you'll complete three weeks of increasingly longer and more difficult training, followed by a much easier recovery week. The design of these four-week blocks allow you to place training stress on your body, and then give your body a week to rest, adapt, and become stronger before moving on. Adjusting the Plan for You In this plan, you'll ride 5 days each week, with 2 days completely off. Three of those days (Tuesday, Wednesday, and Saturday) will be relatively short and contain the majority of your interval work. The other two (Thursday and Sunday) will have less intensity and focus on endurance. If you ever need to shorten your weekly training from 5 days to 4 or even 3 days, use the following rules. Since the event you're training for is an endurance ride, first remove one of the shorter, more intense days; Wednesday would be ideal. If another day needs to be skipped, Thursday should be next in line. The training days that remain will then still give you an appropriate mix of intensity and endurance. How to Read the Workouts Notice that, in most cases, there are two parts to each training day. The first part describes the total time of the ride and the heart rate you'll stay within when not doing intervals. For example, "3hrs EnduranceMiles" indicates a 3-hour ride within your EnduranceMiles heart rate range. Often, there will also be intervals scheduled on each day of training. Intervals are listed second and are meant to be done during the total ride time. An example would be "2 - 15min Tempo, 5min RBI", indicating that you'll do two Tempo intervals of 15 minutes each during the 3 hour ride. For 5 minutes after the first interval (the "RBI" or Rest Between Intervals), ease off until your heart rate reaches EnduranceMiles pace. Determining Personal Training Intensities In order to calculate accurate heart rate ranges for each interval, you need to begin your training plan with a CTS Cycling Field Test. After a good 10-15 minute warm-up, ride for eight minutes as hard as you can and record your average heart rate. Ride easy for another 10-15 minutes and repeat the process. Use the higher average heart rate from the two efforts to determine your training heart rates. You'll do this same test several times over the course of the training plan to keep your training heart rates accurate as you increase fitness. Use the following chart to calculate your heart rate ranges: Workout % Field Test average heart rate FoundationMiles™ 60% (low end) - 89% (high end) EnduranceMiles™ 65% (low end) - 91% (high end) Tempo™ 88% (low end) - 88% + 3 beats (high end) SteadyState™ 92% (low end) - 92% + 3 beats (high end) ClimbingRepeat™ 95% (low end) - 95% + 3 beats (high end) PowerInterval™ Maximal Effort CTS Workouts 1. ClimbingRepeats (CR) Goal: Increase your climbing power at lactate threshold by training at the edge of your aerobic/anaerobic threshold. How to do it: This workout should be performed on the road with a long steady climb. The training intensity is a fraction under your maximum sustainable climbing pace and heart rate, which you can calculate from your CTS Field Test. Your max sustainable climbing heart rate is slightly higher than your max sustainable heart rate on flat terrain because you involve more muscles while climbing than on flat terrain. Since more muscles are being used, more blood is required for these muscles, hence a higher heart rate. Pedal cadence for CR intervals should be 70-85 rpm. Maintaining the training intensity is the most important factor, not pedal cadence. It is very important to avoid interruptions while doing these intervals, and you should focus on continuous riding for the length of the prescribed interval. 2. EnduranceMiles (EM) Goal: This is the next step after FoundationMiles. EnduranceMiles focus on building an aerobic energy system that will increase your endurance capabilities. Expected benefits include: * Slow-twitch muscle fibers gain size and strength. * Increased capillary development. * Increased mitochondrial density. * Increased stroke volume from your heart. * Improved temperature regulation. * Increased respiratory endurance. How to do it: This workout is not limited to the Preparation Period. The pace during the EM workout is quicker than during the FM workout. It is performed at a moderate pace, but at a slightly higher heart rate than the FM workout. Use your gears as you hit the hills so you can remain in the saddle as you climb. Try to keep your pedal speed up in the 85-95 rpm range. The goal is to not exceed the prescribed heart rate ceiling. Even though the intensity is greater, you are still using aerobic energy to power your cycling. At the end of your EM ride, you should have spent at least 95% of the ride below your heart rate ceiling. 3. FastPedal (FP) Goal: To establish better and more efficient pedaling mechanics through high speed pedaling. How to do it: This workout should be performed on a relatively flat section of road. The gearing should be light with low pedal resistance. Begin slowly increasing your pedal speed, starting out with around 15-16 pedal revolutions per 10-second count. This equates to a cadence of 90-96 rpm. While staying in the saddle, increase your pedal speed, keeping your hips smooth with no rocking. Concentrate on pulling through the bottom of the pedal stroke and over the top. After two minutes of FP, you should be maintaining18-20 pedal revolutions per 10 seconds. 4. FoundationMiles (FM) Goal: This is the cornerstone workout for your endurance training. FoundationMiles prepare your aerobic system for the physical adaptations that will be developed through other forms of more intense training. Expected benefits include: * Slow-twitch muscle fibers gain size and strength. * Increased capillary development. * Increased mitochondria, structures within the muscle cell that produce energy. * Decreased resting heart rate. How to do it: This workout is not limited to the Foundation Period. Expect to do this workout year round. Since all riding below the prescribed heart rate ceiling involves your aerobic energy system, the goal is not to exceed this ceiling. At end of your FM ride, you should have spent at least 95% of the ride below your heart rate ceiling. This ensures that you trained your aerobic energy system and didn't accumulate lactate within your muscles. Normally, pedal speeds range between 85-95 rpm during this exercise. 5. HillAccelerations (HA) Goal: This workout simulates the acceleration demands that occur in hilly rides and events. HillAccelerations will build power and climbing speed while riding at your individual lactate threshold. How to do it: This workout is best performed on a long, moderate climb. When using a trainer, you can achieve the same climbing position by raised your bike's front wheel 4-6 inches above the normal horizontal position. This position simulates your climbing position so that you will use the same muscle groups as when you are climbing. Begin a long climb and slowly increase the training intensity until you reach your ClimbingRepeat heart rate range, then maintain this effort for the prescribed time. As you approach the top of the climb, attack out of the saddle with a hard but controlled effort, increasing your acceleration the closer you get to the top of the hill. Normally, these accelerations are performed during the last 500 meters of the climb. With every 100 meters of this effort, your intensity should be growing until you are nearly at your maximum heart rate during the last few meters of the hill. 6. MuscleTension (MT) Goal: To develop cycling-specific strength. High muscle tension during these intervals assists in the recruitment of fast twitch muscle fibers, which are important during intense efforts. How to do it: This workout should be performed on a long, moderate (5-8%) climb or on a trainer with your front wheel set on a slight incline (4-6 inches above the normal horizontal plane) to simulate your climbing position. Pedal cadence must be low (50-55 rpm) and the heart rate is not important; because your legs are moving slowly, your heart rate may also be low. Large gears (such as 53x12-15) are required to produce the low cadence and high muscle tension. Correct form must be strictly maintained during these intervals. Strong concentration is needed to keep your upper body absolutely smooth and relaxed while concentrating on correct pedaling form (pushing over the top and pulling through the bottom of the pedal stroke). 7. OneLegged Pedaling (OLP) Goal: Better pedaling mechanics are developed with this interval. Expect increased power over top dead center and through bottom dead center of the pedal stroke. How to do it: This workout is best performed on an indoor trainer. You can place the non-working leg on a block or the down tube of your bike. The length of each interval is the amount of time spent pedaling per leg. This workout should be performed at a moderate intensity level - don't try to pedal too hard while doing this interval because injury could occur. While pedaling, visualize scraping your toes through the bottom of the pedal stroke, like you are trying to rub mud off your shoes. As you come over the top of the pedal stroke, push your pedal forward just before you reach top dead center. Improving your pedaling technique takes time, and with practice your body will achieve the necessary neuromuscular adaptations to maximize this. 8. OverUnder (OU) Goal: To develop lactate tolerance and buffering capability in order to build power at intensities just above lactate threshold. How to do it: This workout should be performed on a relatively flat section road or on an indoor trainer. The gearing should be moderate and pedal cadence should be relatively high (95 rpm or higher). Bring your intensity up to SteadyState heart rate for the "Under" portion of the workout. Hold this intensity for the prescribed time, then increase your intensity to ClimbingRepeat range for the "Over" portion of the interval. You will continue this pattern of riding near your lactate threshold, increasing the effort slightly, and returning to near lactate threshold. This workout builds up high levels of lactic acid. Working in this way trains your body to dissipate and buffer lactate, also known as increasing your lactate tolerance. Lactate threshold training is very stressful on the body and needs to be performed with great care. 9. PowerIntervals (PI) Goal: To increase power output during short, intense efforts. How to do it: This workout should be done on a relatively flat section of road. The gearing should be moderate, but pedal cadence must be high (110 rpm or higher). Take one minute to build up to the desired training zone, and then maintain this intensity for the remainder of the interval. Keeping the intensity high is vital in developing your maximum aerobic capacity. If you have to, shift into a lighter gear to maintain the cadence, but don't let the intensity of the interval drop. With a high cadence, your heart rate will remain extremely high and you will train your body's ability to deliver oxygen to the muscles. Recovery between intervals is easy spinning. Lance Armstrong and George Hincapie are among the athletes who use this interval session. Since the addition of this workout to their training programs, CTS has seen them further develop their extraordinary ability to attack on steep hills late in races when everyone else is gasping for air. 10. Stomps (S) Goal: To increase muscular power while riding in the saddle. How to do it: This workout should be performed on a relatively flat section of road. The gearing should be large, i.e. 53x12 (depending on your level of physical development). The effort should begin at a moderate speed (typically 12-15mph), then while seated in the saddle begin STOMPING the pedals as hard as possible! Concentrate on pulling through the bottom of the pedal stroke and smoothly stomping down during the down stroke. Keep your upper body as still as possible and let your legs drive the pedals. The Stomps should last 15-20 seconds, with at least 5 minutes recovery between efforts. This is a muscular workout and heart rate may not have time to respond. 11. Tempo (T) Goal: Strategically placing Tempo workouts into your training program has many advantages: * Greater comfort while cruising on rolling terrain. * Better fuel utilization during long races or rides. * Increased capacity for more intense workouts. * Better power at moderate intensities. * Increased muscle glycogen storage capacity. * Improved free fatty acid oxidation, which spares muscle glycogen. * Increased mitochondrial development. * Improved aerobic efficiency. How to Do It: Pedal speed should be low. Try a 70-75 rpm range while staying at the prescribed heart rate intensity. This helps increase pedal resistance and strengthens leg muscles. Also try to stay in the saddle when you hit hills during your Tempo workouts. This adds more pedal resistance and readies the connective tissues and supporting muscle groups before training heads into more explosive workouts. It is important that you try to ride the entire length of the Tempo workout with as few interruptions as possible.