I’m on the 4th week of the Resistance+ SS training and feeling super excited about the progress I’ve seen (a bit sore by now, but that’s good).
When this plan ends (by end of April) I’ll have 6 weeks to my first A race (Lost and Found) and plan to do the Gravel racing place (exactly 6 weeks).
Not sure if you recommend any modification to the current plan given that I won’t have SS 2 or 3 in-between? (I’m 44 in Northern CA, using the basic version as my job and family life is busy).
My biggest challenge is that 16 weeks after Lost and Found I have my 2nd A race: Mountains & Meadows (Formerly named Grinduro California).
This is a different concept as the race is broken in stages, so I was planning on doing more of a XC or Criterium plan.
Given the lengthy periods between races… should I have a resting phase ? not sure what plan will be the best and can use recommendations.
Thanks for the great plans and podcasts, I find them super useful.
Between your two A races you would be a good time to do SS2 and the first 4 weeks of SS3. Make that first week of the SS2 plan a rest week by not doing the FTP test, making that 2 off days, then reduce the time on the weekends rides.
Depending on the duration of each event you could also do our road race plan. But I would lean towards the XC interval plan or the road race plan. Both will give you some good Vo2 max and threshold work. The XC interval plan will have al little bit more intensity with Tabatas and race starts. Really focusing on races that would be in the duration of 1 - 2 hours.
Not sure if you are familiar with the Mountains to Meadows event (formerly Grinduro) since it’s in California … but it’s a long-day race with only 4 timed stages (a climb, a long descent, a rolling hill segment and a rowdy single track descent). Each segment averages 8-15 mins. So we ride in Z2 for most of the day and push super hard only on ~45 minutes in total.
I can see how the XC program would be better in between those 2, but since the total ride is ~55 miles and 8K elevation I worry if I need to prepare more for longer rides… any thoughts?
May I also suggest a segment-race- podcast? kind of an Enduro race…
You could try our road race plan then. That would have a few longer interval sessions and longer rides on the weekends. But its also good as your efforts or timed segments are still only 8 - 15 minutes
But also focus on doing your efforts on similar terrain as your race if you can. Spend the weekends on the mountain bike even if it says zone 2. Just trying to get in efforts that simulate what you will be doing come race day.
Also in our workout builder most of the time efforts are early on in the rides. I would recommend you doing some efforts later on in the ride. You really can do this on the weekends! Finish the weekend rides off with some efforts.