Photography by CyclingTips

Starting From Scratch - Phase 2

Just over a month ago I began my journey back to fitness. I had a few months with next to no exercise, was feeling sluggish and overweight, and something needed to be done before it all slipped away from me. Reviving my aerobic base was the first order of importance. I was able to get in about 13-15hrs of training a week which was about 85% of what I was shooting for. This was the most difficult part of the process simply because it was all about time on the bike. Now the fun begins...

Greg LeMond is always quoted, “It never gets easier, you just go faster.” I get the sentiment, but I don’t completely agree. When you’re out of shape everything is laborious. Your lungs burn, your muscles and joints ache, and it’s a chore just to turn the pedals over. After a while you begin to find form. It still hurts, but the pain is welcome. It becomes highly addictive. I think everyone in the world should experience, at least once in their lives, the luxury of being “in form”. It’s a sensation that is well worth the hard work.

You can read all about the aerobic phase of my training plan here. I did this for six weeks and I’m beginning to feel excellent, I’m maintaining a routine, and finding motivation. Up until this weekend I hadn’t thrown in the slightest amount of intensity. Despite this, I gave the legs a good nudge this weekend and it’s amazing how the strength and power will begin to come back with only aerobic conditioning. This feeling is extremely motivating and it hasn’t hurt in the slightest.

Note: It is recommended that the base period last 8-12 weeks. There are various segments to base training which work on different areas of endurance, speed and force. Taking into consideration my starting point and for the purposes of my own goals, I’ve cut this short.

The next phase of my training will start to include some moderate intensity. Endurance will be reduced but still be trained, and anaerobic endurance will be introduced.

Monday - easy aerobic ~ 90mins.

Tuesday – 3hrs – No need for a huge amount of structure, but ride the first hour easy aerobic, then 90mins in the hills (if you live in Melbourne: Kew Blvd, or Eltham is good – short rolling hills), riding a good tempo and pressing fairly hard up the climbs. You might call this an “aerobic-fartlek” session – fast efforts as you feel good, float the recoveries. Ride the last hour of this session quite hard. This will be a two-session set combined with Wednesday.

Wednesday – 3hrs - If in Melbourne the 2Bays ride is good. 3 reps of 2Bays road while seated in a big gear. Ride hard when returning back to Melbourne but keep controlled.

Thursday – Easy café ride – 60mins. This is a rest day.

Friday – 2 hrs. Warm up for 30mins. If on a fast bunch ride, sit on the back and put it into the 53”11 for ~6-8mins, then spin at 110rpm for 3-4mins, then repeat the cycle. If you do North Road, then the fast group back would be perfect – drive the big gear during the efforts, then switch to high cadence mode in the small ring for the “recovery” sections. You should be able to get in 3 of these efforts. The aim here is to mix the stimulus of the big gear with the neuromuscular contrast in the fast spinning. Today is the start of a 3-day loading phase.

Saturday – 4-5 hours – ride the first hour easy, then ride the next 2hrs at a solid temp (~250-280 watts for me). Next hit a good 15 minute climb 3 times. I’ll be going to the Dandenongs and doing the Wall and the 1/20. Even 3x Arthurs Seat will be find. The first two reps will be sustained in a big gear (60-70rpm) and the final rep will be a hard effort at race pace at a regular cadence. This is a hard ride. If there’s a race on, I’ll probably do it instead of this workout. This weekend I’m pumped to be doing Amy’s Gran Fondo (there are still a few spots left if you haven’t signed up). Read about last year here.

Sunday - Easy aerobic 3-4hrs. I’ll be tired after Saturday’s effort so this is all about time in the saddle and turning the pedals in zone 2. This might seem unimportant, but it’s the 3 day sets that will get the training stimulus that I’m after.

Repeat for 3 weeks.

Please note that this is a training program for me and my goals. It’s not highly technical (which these things can often be) but it incorporates the necessary elements to get me to where I want to be in December. The purpose of this example is to show you much and what type of work needs to be done to be competitive at the club level. Variations of this type of workout has been given to me by numerous coaches, but this one in particular was given to me by Dr. Stuart Morgan which I responded very well to and enjoyed.

Tags: training

Notso Swift

And I am even further behind than I was from your last post!!!
Amy’s this weekend and I’ve only been on the bike for a week and a half and I haven’t done a climb bigger than the Boullie… I doubt I will crack 4.30
jules

i just don’t have the time to do this type of structured training. the bulk of my riding is commuting. i try to ride 30 km in each direction daily, mostly at a moderate level (~230w according to Strava’s power estimate) but if i’m feeling good i’ll stretch the legs. on the weekend i may do more but if i get a full week of commuting in that’s 300km.

it strikes me that this is an inefficient means of gaining form but i just don’t have the time to mix it up - particularly longer rides during the week. i’m also terrible at planning my training - i just tend to get out and ride.
- http://www.cyclingTipsBlog.com cyclingTips
  
  There’s absolutely nothing wrong with that Jules. I think when a person releases all expectations on their riding, it then becomes zen.
  
  I still enjoy competing but there will be a day when all I have time for is a daily commute. I’ll be satisfied if I can get in what you’re doing.
  - jules
    
    i agree, but i’m a slightly different situation of having gotten back into cycling a few years ago after having abandoned it in my youthful prime for bad living. i love the zen aspect of riding - a solo 200km loop around kinglake and whittlesea clears the mind. but i see some of the times you guys post on strava or turn up to a race and think “i wonder if i could do that?” for me, competing is definitely the cream on top though, it means nothing without the underlying enjoyment of riding.
    - lefthandside
      
      I don’t know if Strava helps or hinders in this respect. It is a great motivator but maybe with all the updates about other people’s riding it creates a sense of ‘I have to do this to keep up’ rather than ‘I want to do this’… though I do use and enjoy it.
      
      In either case as I’m planning training for the next 3 months I know that training isn’t sustainable if it isn’t also enjoyable. At the level I ride at, it’s got to fit in with my life, not the other way around (as much as possible at least!)
      
      Thanks Wade for posting about this journey back to form - it’s good to hear your bigger picture plans and whether you are meeting your goals or not, and also how you feel about your progress. You don’t get a sense of the thought behind a particular ride if you just view it in isolation.
    - Notso Swift
      
      Ignore Strava, especially other peoples…
      Racing caters for most levels, just do it!
      I have a mate who is in his 9th course of Chemo with Pancreatic cancer (which is basically 99.9% terminal) He is getting dropped in E grade Vets when we used to fight out B sprints together, but it is one of the last joys in his life to get out and ride
      He is past his time and knows his fate - and all I can say is DR, you are a true champion
      - jules
        
        that’s fantastic!
      - slhaydon
        
        I am very sorry to hear that but WOW. still racing! The joys is what it is all about mate and it is amazing that your friend DR has not lost sight of this. Respect.
        
        Notso Swift
        
        @jules
        Dave is a special bloke who is very popular and runs with both Northern and Eastern. Respect is the perfect word
  - tony fahkry
    
    Personally the best decision I ever made with respect to riding was to remove my speedo from my bike and not monitor any data. I enjoyed riding again - it was ‘living in the moment’ if you will, much akin to being a child again with no agendas or concerns.
    
    These days I’m not even concerned with how fast I go or how many kms I’ve done. In doing so, I get out on more often and have found renewed passion for cycling for what it offers. That could be an idea for an upcoming post Wade - “The Zen of Cycling - How to Meditate on Two Wheels!”
    - jules
      
      it’s a bit of a balance, i reckon. i enjoy strava as it’s fun to track your ride and see how you did compared to previous ones, etc. there is a risk of putting pressure on yourself though, i agree. these days i tell myself that i’m going on an easy ride, with no expectations, then if i’m feeling good i’ll wind it up a bit. that way i’m always relaxed and have less reasons to talk myself out going for a spin.
      
      i did buy a HR monitor a while ago and have stopped using it for anything other than competition - i found that the worst, i would feel guilty as soon as it dropped below a certain level.
Anonymous

Love these posts. Thanks
Anonymous

Love these posts. Thanks
http://profiles.google.com/aglogan Andy Logan

Biggest issue I am having at the moment is that when the hammer comes down, I just dont seem to have the legs really. Think I need to get back to doing some SE work and really work on my big gear stuff. Any recommendations for this?

I have got my motivation back recently though and am into my 3rd week of solid really solid training.
As for Strava, I definitely think it can be a negative at times, especially if you have skipped a training session cause your tired/cba/whatever and then you see your mates out riding, certainly it guilt trips me into thinking I should do more K’s when really I probably needed the rest.
- Daniel
  
  Read training and racing with a power meter (2nd edition), by Hunter Allen and Andrew Coggan, PhD. Best book i’ve come across in terms of doing the correct training to match your specific strengths and weaknesses.
  - http://profiles.google.com/aglogan Andy Logan
    
    Got it, need to go back and re-read clearly. Got a new coach from Saturday of this week anyway.
  - http://profiles.google.com/aglogan Andy Logan
    
    Got it, need to go back and re-read clearly. Got a new coach from Saturday of this week anyway.
http://twitter.com/ankush83 Ankush Agarwal

With the monsoon at it’s tail end in Mumbai, I’m trying to follow a toned down version of your routine. I’ve been two weeks into it and can already feel my legs coming back. Thanks for these posts, very helpful as a basic guideline.
- Mark
  
  Ankush, how do you go riding in Mumbai? I’ve been there a couple of times and have the opportunity to relocate there for a few years but couldn’t imagine riding a roadie in those traffic conditions. A solid hardtail mountain bike would be needed to navigate the myriad pot holes, Autos and other obstacles and even then you’d be taking your life into your own hands, surely?
Anth73

Commuting makes excellent training and it is possible to put a plan around it to address the various facets of strength, speed and endurance.

Some down time is also great to avoid burnout and don’t worry about anyone else’s strava apart from your own.
- Tim
  
  I disagree. Commuting leads to lazy riding and interrupts quality training (traffic lights etc).
  - http://www.facebook.com/aggiodavo Dave Coultas
    
    Depends on the commute and the other training. Did the NRR yesterday and my usual commute is harder (I go round the beach and treat it as a TT)
    - Tim
      
      All true. If you commute with a NRR, yes.
      If it’s just a spin up Chapel St/Beach Rd etc, junk.
      My commute is 50km with 4 x 2km@10% hills, so that’s reasonable training.
      
      Brevity is my enemy.
      Sorry bout that.
  - MartinH
    
    I disagree - sorry - heres my example: If there is a good circuit opportunity on the way to work - take it. In my own case, Kew Blvd is half way to my office so: 20min v easy warm up to the Blvd, Laps using intervals for half an hour to an hour depending upon the plan then 15-20mins easy to work warmdown. The evening 45min ride home is at tempo and counts as endurance training because I havent recovered from the morning yet. End result is one extra hour out of the house compared to just taking the train but I get a 2hour ridein the morning for the cost of that one hour - and around 3 hours for the full day
  - Anth73
    
    Each to their own but happy to share what works for me. I trained for and successfully completed the Audax ACE250 in January this year using commuting as an integral part of my training plan. The same focus also saw me go up to B grade with the cycling club I race with. Prior to gaining more knowledge about how to train properly I would use my commutes as either “whackey races” or just plod along clocking up junk k’s.
PaulM

Im sure this is bound to come up - but with a 9-5er ….thats more like an ‘at desk at 7am and leaving office at6pm’ …these hours are (unfortunatley) unattainable ….i am currently doing early tue/thursday 36klm loops with a bunch and then a decent 60-70 kay ride sat morning …and thats kin dof capacity for me ….offcourse id LOVE to do more, but freaking life just serves up time sapping stuff ….the spin bike gets a work out some nights to keep the legs rolling ….
- Tim
  
  There are ways around this for sure. Even for those with busy lifestyles. I only do about the same km as you each week now but still am getting fitter. Drop me an email for deets.
http://twitter.com/doefiets DoeFiets

I like this schedule way better than you aerobic phase schedule. It’s seems to have more balance and structure to it. Eitherway, I enjoy reading about it. Any plans for cross training?
http://twitter.com/doefiets DoeFiets

I like this schedule way better than you aerobic phase schedule. It’s seems to have more balance and structure to it. Eitherway, I enjoy reading about it. Any plans for cross training?
Greg mc

Ta for this post. My back from scratch base build is on the same timing as you. (doing ToB as well! Coming fromWA)Like you I’m starting to feel excited about the ‘fun’ bit and how my body has responded to 6 weeks of easy riding.Although I wish I could fit the hrs in you’re doing wade.
PaulS

When you say “show you how much and what type of work needs to be done to be competitive at the club level”, I’m assuming you mean to be competitive in A grade? You wouldn’t need that amount of training for B or C grade. If you don’t have the time or motivation to do this sort of training you find a grade that matches your training and still have fun racing.
- Tim
  
  It depends what you want, don’t you think?
  If you need to lose weight, well, you need to create a calorie deficit (notwithstanding that I don’t reckon achieving that all on the bike is the ideal way to do that).
  
  Also depends if you want to race for the social aspect, or race to win. I’d rather win, otherwise it’s a waste of money. Plenty of time for socialising in group rides.
  - PaulS
    
    If your doing 15+ hours a week training you’de be worried about losing too much weight!
    Your other post implies that you’re doing about 150km a week. Your doing really well to be competitive in A grade with this limited training. I’m doing about the same and am competitive in C grade and will need to increase my training when I move to B grade.
http://msedwick.tumblr.com/ Matt

Wade, I would love to see a post on how to keep motivation up when starting to long arduous process of getting back into form. I’m in the same position you are, and sometimes I feel like it’s not worth the effort and it can be hard to will myself into the saddle.
scano

CT, where was that photo taken? Looks stunning.