Training Explained

Training needn’t be complicated and anyone from novice to a Professional can benefit. Athletes often like to have a basic understanding of training and what sessions they will be doing, which helps motivates them. It is important to remember we are all different depending upon.

Age
Experience
Time available
Goals
Genetics

Mistakes we have all made are:

Doing too many miles too soon
Doing high intensity too soon
Not resting properly
Not doing enough miles or intensity when it counts
Not working on our limiters. Limiters are training abilities that are limiting your performances. E.g. If you are good on hills and don’t work on flat speed

Training abilities that you can develop

Step 1a     Build your engine size with endurance, the bigger your aerobic engine the higher you can raise your power levels and speed. Lack endurance and you’ll get tired very quickly. Not doing 4 hrs your first ride but gradually increasing duration from say 1.5hrs-4hrs over the weeks of your plan.

Step 1b     Develop an economical speed with cadence and style. Teaching the muscles to work together efficiently at a range of cadences from 60-150. The more efficient you are the faster you will go. Lack speed and you can’t pedal down a hill fast or sprint.

Step 1c     Develop more force with weights or big gear. If you lack force you’ll suffer into a head wind!

Step 2       Develop muscular endurance. I’ve seen people with great potential power figures but they are UNABLE to maintain it for more than a few minutes! Train this and you can maintain your power for hours.

Step 3       Develop power with very short intense intervals of 15-30 secs and your body will tolerate acidosis and you’ll be able to suffer more

Step 5 Develop anaerobic endurance by doing 1min-6min lactate tolerance intervals. Raises the power that you can perform at from 10 miles to 100 miles.

Step1-5    Functional       How functional you are on the bike. Flexibility and core, this should be maintained throughout the entire year!

Step 6       Psychological       Our heads probably count for 70% of our performances. Get a better head and you’ll be focused and motivated.

Don’t understand power, force and cadence!

In simple terms power = force x cadence

Power corresponds with speed, gain 20watts and you will go approx 0.5mph faster
Example: If you use a gear size 53 x 13 at 90rpm normally

a.   increase the rpm ( speed) to 53 x 13 at 100rpm you GO FASTER
b.   increase gear size (force) to 53 x12 at 90rpm, you GO FASTER
c.   increase force and rpm to 53 x 12 at 100rpm you GO EVEN FASTER

I hope this helps you understand a little better the training that Koolstof prescribe.
Remember we all have different training limiters and goals so you may well need a different program from someone else. In addition we all respond at different rates to training, dependant on age, lifestyle, experience & genetics. Take two athletes the same age, experience, lifestyle etc and give them exactly the same training. They will progress at different rates. This doesn’t necessarily mean if you fall behind you won’t catch up, just it may take you longer to get there.

Authors Julius Jennings, John Bennett