Peaks Challenge Training Guide – Bike Magazine Australia

Week 7 and 8 of this program include a progressive overload, Week 9 is a little easier, and then Week 10 and 11 again increase in volume and/or intensity. The phase finishes with a massive weekend of training, as you will be starting on a Taper the following week and so can look forward to full recovery then! 

The two key sessions each week, during this Specific Preparation Phase, are the Threshold Power and the Threshold Hills sessions. Try to schedule these when you are not fatigued, to get the most out of them.

Endurance rides remain part of the training plan each week as this is the main component of fitness required to get through an event like the Peaks Challenge! It will be of benefit to do these endurance rides the day after doing Threshold Hill efforts as this gets the body used to riding while fatigued. If you do these longer rides with fatigue during training, you will find it so much easier on the day of the event when you are fully tapered.

  Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday
Week 7 Rest day Threshold 1 Cycle-specific/Core Sustained Tempo 1 Recovery Sub-Threshold Hills 1 Endurance
Week 8 Rest day Threshold 2 Cycle-specific/Core Sustained Tempo 1 Rest day Sub-Threshold Hills 2 Endurance
Week 9 Rest day Recovery Cycle-specific/Core Recovery Rest day Unstructured bunch ride Endurance
Week 10 Rest day Threshold 2 Cycle-specific/Core Sustained Tempo 2 Rest day Sub-Threshold Hills 3 Endurance
Week 11 Rest day Threshold 3 Cycle-specific/Core Sustained Tempo 2 Rest day Sub-Threshold Hills 4 Endurance

THRESHOLD POWER SESSION ONE

Ideally complete these Threshold Power intervals up a hill climb of moderate gradient.  

WARM UP 

15-40mins Endurance Pace (time dependent)

MAIN 

2x8mins Hill Climb efforts @ 95% Threshold power / 100% Threshold heart rate 

4-5mins recovery in between each

2x7mins Hill Climb efforts @ 100% Threshold power / 100% Threshold heart rate 

4-5mins recovery in between each

2x6mins Hill Climb efforts @ 105% Threshold power / 100% Threshold heart rate 

4-5mins recovery in between each

WARM DOWN 

15-40mins Endurance Pace (time dependent)

THRESHOLD POWER SESSION TWO

WARM UP 

15-40mins Endurance Pace (time dependent)

MAIN 

2x9mins Hill Climb efforts @ 95% Threshold power / 100% Threshold heart rate 

4-5mins recovery in between each

2x8mins Hill Climb efforts @ 100% Threshold power / 100% Threshold heart rate 

4-5mins recovery in between each

2x7mins Hill Climb efforts @ 105% Threshold power / 100% Threshold heart rate 

4-5mins recovery in between each

WARM DOWN 

15-40mins Endurance Pace (time dependent)

THRESHOLD POWER SESSION THREE

WARM UP 

15-40mins Endurance Pace (time dependent)

MAIN 

2x10mins Hill Climb efforts @ 95% Threshold power / 100% Threshold heart rate 

4-5mins recovery in between each

2x9mins Hill Climb efforts @ 100% Threshold power / 100% Threshold heart rate 

4-5mins recovery in between each

2x8mins Hill Climb efforts @ 105% Threshold power / 100% Threshold heart rate 

4-5mins recovery in between each

WARM DOWN 

15-40mins Endurance Pace (time dependent)