Cycling and Triathlon Specific Workouts:
In light of yesterday’s discussion on brick workouts (below),
I received some e-mails asking for an brick workout example and how one might go about
executing it. Thus, I will
provide two workouts. First, you will find a brick workout for triathletes/duathletes.
Second, I will provide a bike specific workout for those who focus on cycling
races.
Triathlon Workout
Brick Workout: 2 hours in duration @ the track
Warm up for 30 minutes biking: Ride slowly and do some fast
cadence drills; work to increase your heart rate.
Warm up for 15 minutes running: start running at a slow to
moderate pace; do some drills like skipping and side stepping, shift into some
75-100 meter pickups.
Main set: 3x(10 minute bike + 5 minute run) (10 min) @ race
pace. That is, 3 sets of 10 minutes biking at race pace effort (cadence 90-100)
transitioning—as if in a race—to a 5 minute run at race pace on the track. Take
10 minutes of easy rest (jogging or biking) before doing the next set.
This workout is designed to help athletes maintain fitness built
over the winter. Workouts can be executed in an infinite number of ways. Although
one way to approach this brick is to go all out, another way to complete it is
to work on race pace precision. The athlete who takes the latter approach looks
for the opportunity to feel race pace. When transitioning to the run, he/she puts
in just the right amount of effort to run on pace. As every 400 passes by,
he/she is right on pace or only a second off. During this time, the athlete is
changing his/her form to make the effort as easy as possible. The athlete
carries this form through to the end of each effort and recovers as quickly as
possible.
Cool Down: Take the
rest of the time to cool down and flush out the lactic acid built up during the
workout. Recover as quickly as possible and take in some calories/ protein within
30 minutes post-workout. Hydrate!
Cycling Workout:
Micro Intervals: 2
hours in duration
Warm up: for 10 minutes
Drills: 3x3(2) fast cadence; That is, 3 sets of 3 minutes of
fast cadence (110 rpm+) with 2 minutes of rest.
Rest: 5 minutes of easy biking
Main set: 3x10 (10) micro intervals; That is, 3 x 10 minutes
of alternating between 15 seconds of bursting power (cadence 100+) to 15
seconds of easy peddling (Cadence 80-100) with little to no resistance.
This workout is designed to help with the surges encountered
during a draft legal race. The goal is
to go as hard as possible during the surges. Recover hard and SURGE again… and
again… and again. This workout will help maintain the strength you have built
over the winter time.
Cool down: Take the rest of the time to cool down. Recover
as quickly as possible and take in some calories/protein within 30 minutes
after your workout. Hydrate!
IN ADDITION>>>
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For those of you who don’t know about the Transylvania Epic,
check it out here: http://www.tsepic.com/abouttse. This
is a weeklong mountain bike stage race (May 27th-June 2nd)
in State College, PA. The race is put on by Power On Coach Mike Kuhn! Pro’s, amateurs,
and weekend warriors are welcome to race. This is the kind of race where you invest
in a mountain bike because the race is JUST
THAT EPIC (as you can see from Jeremiah Bishop's face as he grimaces through the pain... he goes on to win the prologue by an astounding four minutes last year). For those of you who just want to watch from the sideline, or your
computer, I’ll keep you updated with video and other forms of race
coverage. Triathletes and road cyclists
can learn a lot, just by watching how the pros handle their bikes! More soon! Jon Fecik
USAT Coach
jafecik@gmail.com
Image: Runner: http://www.sportsmed.net.nz/services/orthopaedics/
Image Cycling: http://www.sportsmed.net.nz/services/orthopaedics/
Image: http://bicycling.com/blogs/mbword/2011/05/30/jeremiah-bishop-blog-transylvania-epic-prologue/
