This Fall,  for those of your with big goals and aspirations, NOW is the time to develop a game plan and start training.  Right now cyclists have a huge opportunity to begin the work that will take their performance to the next level in 2013.

As coaches we look forward to the off season because it is a time when we can work on athletes' weaknesses without having to worry about their performance in upcoming races.   As a result we can start with the basics and methodically take athletes thru a 3-6 month training block that elevates their performance.  There's a saying "the off season is where you can make the greatest gains" and we couldn't agree more.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                    1. Annual Training Program (ATP)
The image above is an example of an Annual Training Plan worksheet that we develop for our athletes.  This is the 10,000 foot aerial view that outlines goals,  when the 5 phases will occur, specifies testing, "A" races, a big picture race program, & conceptual view the athlete's periodization during "base".  Notice how all 5 phases are color coded to the week and month they'll occur.

We call this a worksheet because it is a work in progress. Goal setting is a process, Often times an athlete's race program is ironed out by late February.  We use this sheet to stay focused as the coach & athlete design training programs in 4 week blocks.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                    2. Fall Foundation, Aerobic Endurance
The Fall time frame is an opportunity to work on one's weaknesses and carry a level of fitness into the winter months.  It may be a time to start losing weight, ride a fixed gear or get in some big rides before the winter forces many of us indoors.   We also use this time for muscle endurance work in the form of Muscle Tension Intervals aka MTi's.

If an athlete's climate dictates short rides over the winter, we will use the Fall as a time to 'get fit' so as to carry a significant amount of adaptations into the winter months.   For those familiar with TSTWKT we will raise the athlete's Chronic Training Load (CTL), prescribe a regeneration block and test at the end of the block to set an off season power at threshold benchmark.  

For our athletes that are severly affected by daylight savings (Sunday November 6th, 2011) we will often schedule the Fall Foundation to end just prior to daylight savings so that the next block of training (Resistance Training) occurs in the gym where daylight is not a factor.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                     3. Resistance Training, 10 weeks & 4 Phases - Cycling Specifc
Adaptation > Hypertrophy > Strength > Power with the last two phases coupled to on the bike neuromuscular work.  Anyone can lift weights but this program is speed specific and therefore effective for improving power output on the bike.  We also use this time to work on muscle imbalances, core strength and flexibility.

We work with our athletes to time the resistance training program to overlap with the worst weather riding months.  Furthermore, resistance training is not for everyone and we interview our athletes carefully before recommending the training. 

If you want to improve your sprint, climbing, ability to attack & counterattack - to be explosive, then our resistance training program is the place to start.  

                                                                                                                                                                                                                    4. Advanced Aerobic Endurance: "Base"- build a "Hemi-Powered Aerobic Engine"
We take the traditional 'piles of miles' and use power based training & metrics to help you make the most out of your time to train.  After all, who's got 12  hours or more a week to train like the pro's?  Our training approach uses Tempo & Sweet Spot methodologies to raise CTL (Chronic Training Load) within the athletes time limits.  We spend a significant amount of time determining the athlete's work & family schedules to create a balanced and productive training plan. 

Monday thru Fridays (for those of us with traditional 9 to 5 careers) we focus on shorter, highly focused advanced aerobic endurance workouts.  On the weekends, we work with our athletes to find group & team rides for endurance work.  During the "Base" Phase we use every creative trick in the book to plan out the best custom training program for each athlete we work with.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                    5. Pre-Season Interval Work to Increase Race Specific Power Output
This is the final phase of the off season where we dot the "i"s and cross the "t"s.   By this time frame we have identified what kind of races and events the athlete will compete in and we prescribe intervals to increase their ability to make power for the durations specific to performing well in those events.  We employ a race specific interval training program to take athletes to their next level.  For those with powermeters, these are the workouts we'll monitor closely to measure improvement and stay on top of fatigue.

As an example, for athletes who's goals involve criteriums we'll work heavily on their anaerobic power outputs.  For time trialists, we'll concentrate on threshold intervals down in the athlete's aerodynamic position on the time trial bike.

Lastly, this is the phase where we'll prescribe a field test or have athletes come into the lab to determine their maximal lactate steady state (MLSS).  In our experience we are used to seeing improvements in power at threshold any where between 3 and 20%.