Have you ever wondered what it takes
to prepare for a world class stage race? Check out this snapshot of Rally Pro
Cycling and DbD athlete Rob Britton’s altitude training camp in Boulder,
Colorado. It chronicles the methodical, structured and arduous training
required!
Due to the nature of the Tour of
Utah, our focus is on big climbing days. Since there is no Time Trial and there
are 2 stages that will be decisive, we’ve structured his training with 2 very
hard days, followed by an easy rest day.
July 15. 2016 - Day 5
This is the beginning of Rob’s second
block of altitude training here in Boulder, Colorado. He’s done one
moderate transition day and two tough days followed by a day of rest leading up
to this.
This initial block of training is
designed to rebuild Rob’s aerobic fitness, endurance and economy after a mid
season break. These are the elements of a solid foundation for the more intense
work to come. I like the “engine” analogy… we’re building a V12, later we’ll
add the “turbo” using more intense training.
Here’s the stats from the day:
And here’s the day’s power file.
On this ride, Rob descends from his
base in Nederland and completes two climbs shown below: 1x30 minutes on
Flagstaff mountain and 1x20 minutes on Sunshine canyon. These are both done
just below LT, or the point at which lactate accumulates in the muscles faster
than the body can process it. In Rob’s case, that is 375-380 watts. Note how
steady his output is; he finishes just as strong as he starts and there are
very few spikes in power above the target.
Here’s a close up of the 2 climbs:
After these climbs are completed, Rob
meets up with his coach for 90 minutes of motor pacing, or riding behind a
motorized scooter. This allows a rider to train at race pace, improves leg
speed and adds micro accelerations into the training. Rob averages a normalized
output of 310w and an impressive average cadence of 100 rpms for this portion
of training.
A pic with the stats from the Motor
Pacing:
Last intervals for the day are two
more climbing efforts done on Sugarloaf and Magnolia; two of the most brutal
climbs available. The efforts are 15 minutes each and done right at LT or
390-400 watts.
Here’s the last rep of the day!
Rob’s Comments: “Solid day. Getting back into the swing of things here now.
Altitude isn't affecting me nearly as much, I’m able to sit on the watts
relatively comfortably now. Biggest thing is really holding back and riding
easy between LT and MP efforts. Super hot out these days so have doubled up on
bottle refills, probably 10-12 big bottles today!”
The Takeaway:
-Riding VERY easy between intervals
is essential to maximizing the quality of each rep
-”10-12 bottles”!!! Hydration
is paramount to working near your personal limits. Even in less extreme circumstances,
ample fluid intake can make the difference between a failed workout and a
breakthrough!
July 16. 2016 - Day 6
For the second day of this training
block, we’re having Rob focus on a long, hard, steady ride. We want to
challenge his economy and fuel utilization, increasing his body’s ability to
use fat as opposed to carbohydrate to fuel efforts. Since he’s well under his
limits, this is also a great time to focus on his riding technique. Things such
as a smooth pedal stroke, momentum preservation and long out of the saddle
efforts are often overlooked, but very valuable skills.
As you can see, Rob covers 97 miles
with over 11,000 feet of climbing in just under 6 hours. During this ride, he
burns nearly 5 thousand Kilojoules, which roughly corresponds to calories.
Though, much less intense than the
previous day, Rob still climbs mostly in high Zone 2 and Zone 3. Here’s an
example towards the end of his day:
Rob’s Comments - “Was a little slow out of the blocks today and definitely not
sharp but really managed to ride into the day. Lots of new roads helped to keep
things exciting. Lots of dirt...good bike practice. Never really went too deep
but still managed to get on top of it pretty good for the last couple hours
home. Felt surprisingly solid in final hour, not my usual shattered self!”
The Takeway - As you can see, even top pros don’t feel “sharp” following a
tough day. While it is important to recover properly at regular points in a training
program, it is necessary to “push through” some fatigue to reach a high fitness
level.
Also, note the psychological aspect
Rob pointed out. “Lots of new roads helped to keep things exciting”. One
of the great aspects of cycling is covering new ground, and exploring our
backyards. Go ahead and see
where that new road goes!
REST DAY:
After two monster days of focused
training, it’s time for a rest day. The focus here is recovery. Without rest,
we don’t absorb the work, so it’s important to rest just as hard as we train!
Because he’s staying in Nederland
Colorado at 8228 feet for the altitude effect, Rob was a bit limited with his
options. So he was forced to climb when a completely flat route would be
preferable. Regardless, he keeps the pace very low, averaging 189 watts
normalized for the one hour ride. This yields a Training Stress Score (a
measure of ride difficulty) of 27.6. Compare this to the hard days he’s done,
which are in the 320-400 neighborhood! Hard days are hard, and easy days are
easy!
Rob’s Comments: “Bike hard, rest harder. Super chill today. was nice to have a
rest day even though we're doing 2 on instead of 3 the last 2 days were massive
and I was ready to have a bit of a recharge. Easy spin this am then Sauna/
Massage this aft. Should be good to go tomorrow.”
The Takeaway: This one is simple, easy means
EASY!! It’s necessary to have drastic “contrast” between your hard days and
rest days. While on your active recovery spin, be thinking about the difficult
days coming, that’ll keep you in check!
