On-Line Training Manual for the Veteran Riders

The Philosophy

Although the principles of preparing an racing cyclist are the same at any age, the problems faced by a Veteran rider are quite different to those faced by a young rider, at any level of performance. The On-Line Training Manual is the result of work done by the Head Cycling Coach at the Hunter Sport's Academy which is located in Newcastle, NSW and is about 140 kms north of Sydney on the East Coast of Australia.

We have been working on developing these plans to accommodate the constraints faced by Veteran cyclists. These include family obligations, work obligations, increased recovery times, and the likelihood of some wear and tear injuries if the cyclist has had a long racing career already. Our task is to prepare optimising plans for the rider subject to an average perception of the constraints faced. The plans will obviously not suit every Veteran rider. For a start, we have more data on the 40-45 year old than other categories. But we will develop more comprehensive plans for more particular groups as time goes by.

If anyone out there needs more specific guidance I will be prepared to give it subject to time constraints. Just email me with your own goals and constraints.

The plan assumes you have worked out your maximum heart rate. Mine currently is 184, so my aerobic threshold is 127, my E1 aerobic level (75 per cent) is 138, and so on. It is best to have a maximal exertion test to establish your maximum HR. You should do this in conjunction with a lactate test to really nail the thresholds. One can get tricked by less formal methods. However, the best informal method I know from experience is the following. Ride out to a hill which is around 8-15 per cent gradient and 4 kms long. Stay in the saddle and ride at a constant pace up the hill in the highest gear you can manage. As you reach the last km get off the saddle and sprint for as long as you can. That should get you close the maximum.

Please establish a basic fitness level before you try this or any of the plan.

This guide assumes the following:

• You work at least 40 hours a week
• You have undertaken a maximal exertion test and your maximum heart rate is 184
• You have a heart rate monitor
• You have an ergo or other stationary bike which can measure output
• You have access to weight training facilities
• You are motivated to race seriously in lower grades

Macro Phase 1

This phase begins 14 weeks before you wish to be racing seriously. It does not mean you should not race before the 14 weeks. Any racing up to then must be considered on top of the program and not to be taken seriously. It is really the first off-season phase you follow after a few weeks of steady riding at the end of the season. For Australian riders who want to be flying by April, they should start this around mid December. Extrapolate for your own season.

Codes are as follows

• HR = heart rate
• RE = recovery HR (120)
• E1-5 = HR 133
• E1 = HR 138 (first aerobic threshold = 75 per cent of maximum)
• EV = evaluation at laboratory. This assesses the progress of each macro phase.

Other Things to Note

• Every morning 20 minutes on ergo bike warming up to E1.
• Every evening 30 minutes stretching of major muscle groups.
• 1000 situps per week with back straight.
• Weights Monday, Wednesday, Friday - 15-20 reps strength-endurance for major leg muscles = 75 per cent effort.
• Ergo Bike, evenings before stretching - flat road low gear at 115 revs per minutes as below.
• All Road work assumes a 10 kms RE+10 warm-up and warm-down.
• Intensity in Week 3 and 4 should be accompanied by rolling hills.
• All distances are in kilometres.

Macro Phase 1 - Weeks 1 to 5

Week 1:
Sunday: 80 kms at E1-5
Monday: REST
Tuesday: 50 kms at E1-5, 25 minutes on Ergo
Wednesday: 20 kms at E1-5
Thursday: 50 kms at E1-5, 25 minutes on Ergo
Friday: REST
Saturday: 40 kms at E1-5, 30 minutes on Ergo

Total distance for Week: 240.

Week 2:
Sunday: 100 kms at E1
Monday: REST
Tuesday: 60 kms at E1, 30 minutes on Ergo
Wednesday: 20 kms at E1-5
Thursday: 60 kms at E1, 30 minutes on Ergo
Friday: REST
Saturday: 50 kms at E1, 35 minutes on Ergo

Total Distance for Week: 290

Week 3:
Sunday: 110 kms at E1
Monday: REST
Tuesday: 70 kms at E1, 35 minutes on Ergo
Wednesday: 30 kms at E1-5
Thursday: 70 kms at E1, 35 minutes on Ergo
Friday: REST
Saturday: 60 kms at E1, 40 minutes on Ergo

Total Distance for Week: 340

Week 4:
Sunday: 120 kms at E1
Monday: REST
Tuesday: 100 kms at E1, 35 minutes on Ergo
Wednesday: 30 kms at E1-5
Thursday: 80 kms at E1, 35 minutes on Ergo
Friday: REST
Saturday: 60 kms at E1, 40 minutes on Ergo

Total Distance for Week: 390

Week 5 - EASY WEEK:
Sunday: 110 kms at E1
Monday: REST
Tuesday: 70 kms at E1, 35 minutes on Ergo
Wednesday: 30 kms at E1-5
Thursday: 70 kms at E1, 35 minutes on Ergo
Friday: EV at Sports Laboratory
Saturday: 60 kms at E1, 40 minutes on Ergo

Total Distance for Week: 340

Macro Phase 2 - Weeks 6 to 11

Please read the instructions accompanying Macro Phase 1. In particular the definitions and assumptions. This phase is 6 weeks long. It follows a 5 week Phase 1 strength-endurance phase. On the Friday of the fifth week you should undertake a re-evaluation (maximal exertion test with lactate preferably) to recalculate your HR thresholds. They change as you get fitter. In particular, you should be able to work longer at lower HR and lactate levels for the same power output that was revealed in the first test. At this stage of your program your max HR should also be lower (at higher lactate levels) than your first test revealed. Later Macro Phases work on the upper HR levels.

Codes are as follows

• HR = heart rate.
• RE = recovery HR.
• E1-5 = 75 per cent of maximum minus 5.
• E1 = 75 per cent of maximum.
• SEHR = Strength-endurance HR is in the range immediately below IAT2 - I suggest you train around a mid-range SEHR of 88 per cent of max HR.
• IAT1 - Individual Aerobic Threshold One - taken from a lactate test, but approximately 65 per cent of max HR.
• IAT2 - Individual Aerobic Threshold Two - taken from a lactate test, but approximately 90 per cent of max HR.
• EV = evaluation at laboratory. This assesses the progress of each macro phase.
• Week 6 means the sixth week of the program and so on.

Other Things to Note

• Every morning 20 minutes on ergo bike warming up to E1.
• Every evening 30 minutes stretching of major muscle groups.
• 1000 situps per week with back straight.
• Ergo Bike, evenings before stretching - as specified but at 110 revs per minutes irrespective of intensity.
• All Road work assumes a 10 kms IAT1 warm-up and warm-down unless otherwise specified.
• All distances are in kilometres.

Week 6:
terrain intensity = rolling hills
Sunday: 120 kms at E1
Monday: REST
Tuesday: 100 kms at E1, 25 minutes on Ergo
Wednesday: 30 kms at E1-5
Thursday: 80 kms at E1, 25 minutes on Ergo
Friday: REST
Saturday: 70 kms at E1, 30 minutes on Ergo

Total distance for Week: 400.

Week 7:
terrain intensity = rolling hills
Sunday: 100 kms at E1
Monday: REST
Tuesday: 100 kms at E1, 25 minutes on Ergo - flat road low gear simulation
Wednesday: 30 kms at E1-5
Thursday: 70 kms at E1, 25 minutes on Ergo - flat road low gear simulation
Friday: REST
Saturday: 70 kms at E1, 30 minutes on Ergo - flat road low gear simulation

Total Distance for Week: 370

Week 8:
terrain intensity = sequence of long steep hills = on all hills maintain revs at 60-70 in saddle
Sunday: 100 kms at SEHR
Monday: REST
Tuesday: 100 kms at SEHR, 25 minutes on Ergo - flat road low gear simulation
Wednesday: 30 kms at IAT1
Thursday: 70 kms at SEHR, 25 minutes on Ergo - flat road low gear simulation
Friday: REST
Saturday: 70 kms at SEHR, 30 minutes on Ergo - flat road low gear simulation

Total Distance for Week: 370

Week 9:
terrain intensity = sequence of long steep hills = on all hills maintain revs at 60-70 in saddle
Sunday: 100 kms at SEHR
Monday: REST
Tuesday: 100 kms - 3 x 15 minutes at SEHR, in between 15 minutes at E1, 25 minutes on Ergo - flat road low gear simulation
Wednesday: 30 kms at IAT1
Thursday: 70 kms - 3 x 15 minutes at SEHR, in between 15 minutes at E1, 25 minutes on Ergo - flat road low gear simulation
Friday: REST
Saturday: 70 kms - 3 x 15 minutes at SEHR, in between 15 minutes at E1, 30 minutes on Ergo - flat road low gear simulation

Total Distance for Week: 370

Week 10
terrain intensity = sequence of long steep hills = on all hills maintain revs at 60-70 in saddle
Sunday: 100 kms at SEHR
Monday: REST
Tuesday: 100 kms - 3 x 20 minutes at SEHR, then 15 minutes at E1, 20 minutes on Ergo - IAT2
Wednesday: 30 kms at IAT1
Thursday: 70 kms - 3 x 20 minutes at SEHR, in between 15 minutes at E1, 20 minutes on Ergo - IAT2
Friday: REST
Saturday: 70 kms - 3 x 20 minutes at SEHR, in between 15 minutes at E1, 20 minutes on Ergo - IAT2

Total Distance for Week: 370

Week 11 - EASY WEEK
terrain intensity = rolling hills
Sunday: 100 kms at E1
Monday: REST
Tuesday: 100 kms at E1, 20 minutes on Ergo - IAT2
Wednesday: 30 kms at IAT1
Thursday: 70 kms at E1, 20 minutes on Ergo - IAT2
Friday: EV
Saturday: 70 kms at E1, 20 minutes on Ergo - IAT2

Total Distance for Week: 370

Macro Phase 3 - Weeks 12 to 17

Please read the instructions accompanying Macro Phase 1. In particular the definitions and assumptions. This phase is 6 weeks long. It follows a 5 week Phase 1 strength-endurance phase. On the Friday of the fifth week you should undertake a re-evaluation (maximal exertion test with lactate preferably) to recalculate your HR thresholds. They change as you get fitter. In particular, you should be able to work longer at lower HR and lactate levels for the same power output that was revealed in the first test. At this stage of your program your max HR should also be lower (at higher lactate levels) than your first test revealed. Later Macro Phases work on the upper HR levels.

By now the racing season is in full swing. It is assumed you are now racing hard every Sunday - say 80-120 kms. You have had 11 weeks of strength-endurance training. This phase consolidates on that background and begins in the last weeks to work on speed specifically. It is assumed that the major races for which you aim to peak for are in the next 8 week period after this phase ends.

All codes are the same as in Macro Phase 2. It is assumed that you have also updated you thresholds using the information from the last test.

Codes are as follows

• HR = heart rate.
• RE = recovery HR.
• E1-5 = 75 per cent of maximum minus 5.
• E1 = 75 per cent of maximum.
• SEHR = Strength-endurance HR is in the range immediately below IAT2 - I suggest you train around a mid-range SEHR of 88 per cent of max HR.
• IAT1 - Individual Aerobic Threshold One - taken from a lactate test, but approximately 65 per cent of max HR.
• IAT2 - Individual Aerobic Threshold Two - taken from a lactate test, but approximately 90 per cent of max HR.
• EV = evaluation at laboratory. This assesses the progress of each macro phase.

Other Things to Note

• 1000 situps per week with back straight.
• All Road work assumes a 10 kms IAT1 warm-up and warm-down unless otherwise specified.
• All distances are in kilometres.

Week 12:
Terrain Intensity: Steep Hills for SEHR work. A steep hill refers to something over 10 per cent in gradient preferably 15 per cent which is at least 4 kms long. As a guide you should be doing the hills at 55 revs per minute in say 42 x 19 or 42 x 21.

If the Saturday p.m. Ergo session difficult for you before the racing, it can be dropped. It remains a non-intensity session and if the race is interfered with then it is better not done. By now you will have good leg speed - that is you will be comfortable spinning at 110 revs in races.

Sunday: Racing - around 100-120 kms
Monday: REST
Tuesday: 40 kms at SEHR over steep hills - if too difficult being with 3 x 15 minute intervals, with 3 X 10 kms at E1 in between. At night 25 minutes on Ergo - 10 mins warm up then 10 at IAT2 and then 5 to warm down at 110 revs.
Wednesday: 40 kms at Recovery
Thursday: Same as tuesday
Friday: 20 minutes on ERGO - RE
Saturday: 70 kms at E1 rolling to easy hills, 30 minutes on Ergo spinning at 110 revs

Total distance for Week: around 300.

Week 13:
Same as Week 12

Week 14:
Same as Week 12 except Thursday.

On Thursdays, ride 50 kms in total - not including 10 before and 10 after. We start doing ladders on a steep hill. After the first IAT2 interval up a steep hill, the second interval is performed as 10 revs as hard as you can go, 10 back right off, 20 hard as you an, 20 backed off, 25 hard, 25 off, 30 hard, 30 off, 35 hard, 35 off, 45 hard, 45 off, then a km at E1.

Start with 3 intervals of this pattern.

Do the ladders on a steep hill, do not hit each hard part with much bike speed. the aim is to build up the hard bits from slow speed and really work. Back off means exactly that - right off - this is where the hill really helps.

Interval 5 is a standard 15 minute SEHR. The remaining kms at E1 until warm-down.
Thursday night ergo session is the same.

Week 15:
Same as Week 14 except intervals should be 20 minutes long at SEHR and add the ladders to Tuesday as well as Thursday, adding 2 intervals to the Thursday session.

Week 16 - EASY WEEK
terrain intensity = rolling hills
Sunday: RACING
Monday: REST
Tuesday: 70 kms at E1, Ergo as in week 4
Wednesday: 30 kms at IAT1
Thursday: 70 kms at E1, Ergo as in week 4
Friday: EV
Saturday: 70 kms at E1, 30 minutes on Ergo spinnning