A simple training plan for the rest of us.

I've done okay at a couple races this year, and I'm confident enough to say that I can hang in there in a cat 1/2 race. "Hanging in there" shouldn't be any one's idea of success, but it is a stepping stone. Start celebrating stepping stones, or you won't last long in this sport.

It took me a while to get to this level. I hacked it out for a few years in Cat 4 and a couple in Cat 3. Now I'm in Cat 2.

There aren't a ton of guys like me. Instead, in any given race, I'm surrounded by guys who either started the sport as a teen, have an elite sporting background, or have a naturally "big motor". These guys tore through Cat 5,4 & 3, while I struggled at every step, scraping out top tens, then top 5's, then top 3's (and not many of those), until I had enough points to start the process all over again in the next category.

This post is a training plan for riders like me. I'm not a coach. If you can justify the cost of one, get one, and ignore weird guys who post stuff on the internet. If you can't, and you can't be bothered to read all those books on training that are out there, this is what you can do:


1. Hours.

This is probably the most important part of any training plan. If you want to get fast, you need to put in the hours. Nothing fancy here: Ride 8-10 hours every weekend, and 3-8 hours during the week. Take Mondays off to recover from the weekend, and Fridays off to get ready for it. A day off is a day off. No bike. No weights. Just drink beer and entertain your girl. Make up for the fact that you aren't going to see her before 2pm on weekends for a long, long time.

2. Weights

Everyone always talks about power to weight ratio in cycling. Don't worry about the weight part, you won't be racing in the Alps.

But you do need more power, I guarantee it.

Once or twice a week, go to the gym and use the leg press. Work your way up to doing 3 or 4 sets of 8 repetitions of big weights. While you're at the gym, you can do other weights and stuff, but if you don't feel like it, go sit in the sauna instead.

You can stop weights during race season, but you don't have to. Try riding up Cypress in your big ring. Yes, really.

3. Eating

Eat lots. Stay away from fatty crap. Eat steaks. Beer is good. If you're fat, eat less than you do now. If your not, don't worry about it.

4. Specifics

Sometime During your 11-18 hours a week, make sure you do these intervals:

2 X 30 minutes
5 X 5 minutes
10 X 3 minutes

Do them hard in the winter and harder in the summer.

5. Get bike fit.

This one is new to me. After five years of fiddling with adjustments myself, I got fit professionally. What a difference. Don't spend money on lightweight crap for your bike if you haven't had a bike fit. Mine was done at La Bicicletta, and they blew me away.

6. You don't need a watt meter.

If you have one, great, but you don't need one. And for god sakes, don't race with one. Those things suck the fun out of cycling. Besides, all that time you spend downloading data, looking at data, and analyzing data is time you could be spending riding.

That's it really. If even that is too complicated, just do this: ride everyday but monday and Friday, do weights on Tuesdays, and eat lots, especially steak.

Thursday Night Rides

La Bicicletta is hosting training rides every thursday night at 6:00pm. I'll be there helping to lead the ride. You should be there to be the ride.

There might be confusion about when the ride leaves. I'll be ready for 6:00pm, but for all I know, we'll leave at 6:30. Come at 6 if you don't want to miss it. Come at 6:30 if you're a gambler.

If I have my way, we'll mix it up out to Horseshoe bay. I'm thinking crosswalk points race.

La Bicicletta is on Broadway a couple blocks east of Cambie, on the North side of the road.

See you there.