Help choosing my first training plan

What Training Plan Should I Do?
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Hello FasCat community,
I am new to FasCat and will be starting my first plan in Optimize on January 1 after we get back from a holiday trip. I want to get all my ducks in a row to hit the ground rolling and need help choosing my first plan.

A little background, I am a fit 46 year old male and realitively new to cycling. Really just bitten by the bug last year. I have been doing a general strength and conditioning program. I want to continue some strength training alonside cycling, even if that is just a maintaince day during the summer. My A race will be a rather hilly century in August (week 34 of the year).

Now to the meat of the question, I have sketched out a couple ideas. a) I could start with the “16 week off season - weights and base”, then transition to the “Gran Fondo Training Plan.” Assuming the gran fondo plan is 16 weeks that would leave a two week taper. b) I could start with the shorter “Optimized at home weight lifting” for 10 weeks, then a shorter plan like the 6 week “Climbing Intervals” and then the “Gran Fondo.” c) something else I haven’t thought of.

Sorry for the long post. I am obviously a planner!

Gabe

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Planning is good, Gabe!!

You are thinking along the right track. Coach @suziesny has anew training plan coming out next week in Optimize that is the best of both worlds with regards to continuing strength training alongside your cycling training.

I recommend that for the first 16 weeks of the year. Then switch from base building to working on your threshold power with our Climbing Intervals plan - this is six weeks and will work on your threshold climbing for your hilly century. That is 22 weeks, total, so far.

Then I’d do 2-3 weeks of our sweet spot part 4 to work on your VO2 Max power to increase your threshold power even more and work on your LONG ride.

Follow that with our Fondo Training Plan (6 weeks) and then our 2 week Taper. That is close to 34 weeks! You can have some wiggle room for life and such in there.

Hope that helps - thanks for subscribing!

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Frank,
This is great. I appreciate the advice.

Gabe

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