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)