Feel like you never have enough time? Join the club.
Today, our coach-in-residence, Jacob Fetty, talks about being reasonable about training. And if you want to read even more about recovery, check out our Issue 19 article on the Six Secrets of Rider Recovery.
by Jacob Fetty
Most cyclists training tend to be motivated to a fault. This deep-seeded motivation, combined with real world responsibilities, can be a frustrating cocktail. What we need to keep in mind is that with proper planning and reasonable goal setting, you can get it all done and be successful.Many athletes that compete in age and category classes can be competitive on less than 10 hours/week. We have seen individuals have great success at Nationals over the past while riding less than eight hours per week. The resolution we must adopt when realizing that our time is limited is that we need to focus on what counts most. In the case of the ’cross racer, that is intensity. Go hard, then harder, then call it a day and start recovering.
Four Ways You Can Do It
- Set aside 2-3 times during the work week where you can focus on your ride. Carve out 45 minutes that are yours. Consider these minutes golden and as your investment portfolio.
- Use your weekends for endurance efforts or longer training sessions. Nothing outlandish. Two hours per day is great.
- Don’t be shy about recovery. It is only when we rest that we get stronger.
- Riding a trainer doesn’t have to be a death sentence. With a structured workout infused with proper intervals and an ipod loaded with motivational beats, you can crank out an amazingly beneficial ride in less time and less boredom than you would expect.
Example of a working person’s training week:
Monday: off
Tuesday: Intervals. Short duration intervals. Anaerobic Capacity intervals for example.
Wednesday: Depends on the weight of real life. This can be a follow up day to expand on your training block or a recovery day. Honest, objective communication with yourself and a coach can help you make this call.
Thursday: Get back to work day. Today is a good day to get in a longer type interval, e.g, Threshold or Tempo.
Friday: Generally, most people that participate in real world, real stress challenges do better with having Friday off. Some exceptions apply (racing on Saturday, as one example). This can be a good day to get some rest and get caught up at home. Resting on Friday can help you maximize your training efforts on Saturday and Sunday.
Weekend: Ideally, a proper time to address your volume needs for the week. Some types of intervals are appropriate here and can be combined with volume.
You have cycling goals and a real life. Sometimes stepping back and evaluating the situation can be intimidating, and you might not think that you can get it all done. But, you can. Incorporating the above methods into your time-crunched life can assist you in accomplishing your cycling goals.
You can do it!
Check out Fetty’s other column and get even more training advice here.
