Training/Racing Advice Needed

Originally Posted by daveryanwyoming

Fair enough question. When I started training with power I used a very Friel like yearly periodization plan in terms of leg speed before intensity, volume before intensity and preplanned periodic rest weeks. The deeper I got into power training and the better my understanding of the WKO+ Performance Manager became the more I deviated from that approach. The more SST work I did over the winter the less I worried about a traditional base build and started thinking of preseason base as building FTP and CTL with SST and L4 work. By tracking CTL, daily TSS and TSB and urged by more experienced members of this forum I moved away from preplanned rest and work weeks. Now I back off my training when; life forces me to with other obligations, my Tss/day/week ramp gets too steep, I'm overly worn out for some other reason or I'm tapering for an event. I no longer preplan my rest weeks and don't hesitate to keep building CTL with SST and L4 work when I'm feeling good. And I don't suppose I'll ever go back to early winter easy spin rides over building fitness with SST.

I find it strange that Friel gets recommended alongside Andy's work. From what I can tell Andy doesn't recommend weight training for road cyclists, doesn't recommend preplanned work/rest cycles, doesn't recommend starting each season with low intensity riding, doesn't recommend HR based training zones and doesn't recommend much less than L2+ work in a typical road racer's weekly schedule. IOW it doesn't seem like Andy recommends much of what Friel advocates.

IMHO the missing manual for race training puts all this SST/L4 FTP building, PMC based load management and neuvo base training into print. IOW a training guide based on the concepts you can find here and in the topica wattage forums which include a higher intensity definition of base than old school LSD and a rethinking of load management based on what you've actually done and the TRIMPS model of how that affects you instead of preplanned on and off cycles. Add to that some info on planning tapers based on CTL, ATL and TSB and a discussion of how SST can help to build CTL as well as help you avoid burnout during stressful periods of racing.

Anyway to directly answer your questions, my base training starts at tempo and usually involves SST and my training year is based on first building CTL and FTP with SST and L4 work. L5 and L6 work is added about 6 weeks before the first important races then taken away when racing is in full swing and replaced with more CTL rebuilding SST work. It definitely doesn't follow Friel's approach anymore but is based on the concept that FTP and CTL are the starting points for racing and that L5, L6 and L7 work is useful and necessary but only if the basic aerobic engine is working well.

-Dave

Originally Posted by jsirabella

Dave,

While my coach really wants me to do it but I think I may be setting myself for another fall, I wanted to know what type of strategy would you suggest for a 17 mile what I you would call a crit with other cat 5 riders? You seem to really know your stuff and used to race...any guidance so I can just hold on a little bit longer would be great.

In addition to racing strategy how about eating and waking up? I am an early bird as I gym and ride early in the morning like about 6am...but racing at 6:30am, my body is still in slow mode for the first half hour on the bike atleast and I do not know what to shove down my throat and how early and fast. I need help on this one also.

Just hoping for a better showing...

-js

Originally Posted by jsirabella

...I wanted to know what type of strategy would you suggest for a 17 mile what I you would call a crit with other cat 5 riders?

Originally Posted by daveryanwyoming

iliveonnitro's advice is really good, stay up near the front as much as possible to smooth out speed variations and to avoid crashes. Take clean smooth and predictable outside-inside-outside lines through the corners using the whole road and stay off your brakes as much as possible. Don't push huge gears out of the corners, especially if you're further back and forced to slow for the bends. Shift to an easier rear cog as you approach the corner, spin that up to close the gap leaving the corner and then shift back up into your straightaway gear. If you have to jump out of the saddle to acellerate out of every corner you won't last long. Don't dive underneath folks in corners, change your line mid turn or otherwise ride in dangerous and unpredictable ways.

Expect the first few laps to be ridiculously fast, get a good warmup including some hard one minute efforts so that you're ready to go top speed right from the gun. The pace will slow down and then you can collect your wits before the final few laps which are often faster than the first few. If you have any aspirations of placing in the top five riders you'd better be up at the front (within the first 4 or 5 riders) with one lap to go which probably means you need to be in the top 8 to 10 with two laps to go if the finish is fast. It's really tough to move up if the final laps are fast. If the field slows down on the final laps(distinct possibility in a Cat 5 race where no one wants to pull) then you need to move up immediately even if it means pulling the group. When the pack slows everyone at the back will come swelling up both sides and suddenly you'll find yourself twenty or thirty riders back. A fast finish is both safer and easier to ride so be ready to go hard if the pack slows with only a couple of laps to go.

Crits are all about micro-acellerations; coming out of corners, closing small gaps, getting around the rider in front of you who's blowing up, etc. Use your gears (don't mash huge gears in a crit) and close all those gaps as quickly as you can. A few quick high rpm pedal strokes is often all it takes to close a gap before it gets too big.

Shoot, I aint dead yet and still race
This one is fairly personal and you'll have to find out what works for you, but iliveonnitro's advice is a good starting point. Give yourself several hours to digest breakfast before your ride. I like oatmeal in the morning but YMMV. I also like a drink like Metabolol or Endurox up to half an hour before a crit or TT but again you need to test this prior to race day.

-Dave

Originally Posted by jsirabella

First thank you both for all the advice.

It seems that both of you are pretty much on the same page and iliveonnitro hit it on the head that I believe the race is about 45 minutes long. I believe I did the math correctly so you must be going an avg of 24 mph for the 17 miles. I have Cervelo R3 with a Dura Ace setup. When you keep speaking about straightaway gears and curve gears and hill gears, should I be looking to be more picking gears that I can spin at 100rpm or use harder gears that I get lower rpm. I amn always confused by this within a race...how do you decide what combo of chainring and cassette to be in?

-js

Originally Posted by jsirabella

...I amn always confused by this within a race...how do you decide what combo of chainring and cassette to be in?...

Originally Posted by daveryanwyoming

In the end it's by feel. You don't have time and shouldn't be looking down at your rear cluster to figure out what gear you're in. Just pay attention to how your legs feel.

Originally Posted by Frigo's Luggage

Workinguy and daveryan are correct about light gears. Crits are about repeated sudden accellerations. Big gears just take too long to get moving.

I don't really shift all that much in crits. I tend to find a comfortable gear and stay there. It is really infrequent that there is a hill or a decent that requires a gear change. And, if you get up to speed quickly after turns, you generally don't have to push a real big gear in the straights. Of course, I'm talking Cat 4 and it may be different in the faster categories.

Originally Posted by workingguy

There is that pesky upgrade requirement before I can do 123s. But hey, 25 field finishes and I'm there... There was a lot of backlash when that rule came out.

Originally Posted by iliveonnitro

Any reason for the rule change? What was it before and why was there backlash?

Originally Posted by iliveonnitro

Any reason for the rule change? What was it before and why was there backlash?

Originally Posted by daveryanwyoming

In the end it's by feel. You don't have time and shouldn't be looking down at your rear cluster to figure out what gear you're in. Just pay attention to how your legs feel. If you're straining to push the gears then they're too big, if you're spinning out and your legs feel like the Road Runner's then you're undergeared. Just avoid plugging away at big gears and slow cadence during a crit, it will really hurt your ability to respond quickly to speed changes and your ability to close gaps coming out of corners. As Workingguy points out you'll most likely stay in your big chainring for the entire crit even if it has a small rise but your choice of rear cog depends on how fast you're spinning or how hard you're pushing. It all comes down to feel and experience and you'll only get that with practice.