Basic Week Structure

This question is coming up a lot recently. Here is a basic week structure that you can use as a starting point for your training. Remember that the overall plan should be simple and straight forward. You don't need a lot of "flash" when you are going long.

Sample Week Structure

Key Workouts

M — weights

T — SBR Day, shorter

W — strength bike

Th — long run

F — weights, endurance swim

Sa — long ride

Su — SBR Day, longer

SBR Day — not in order, sessions usually broken, aerobic maintenance and/or skills work in all sports.

Key workouts show the emphasis for the day — in order to achieve frequency targets (see Part Three, Four Pillars) insert additional workouts.

Serious athletes should be looking at training twice a day six out of seven days per week. Flexibility and massage are on top of this target.

One very, very light day every 10-14 days based on personal needs.

One lower volume week every third or fourth week — seek to maintain frequency.

Strength Bike — this is the BIG gear work discussed elsewhere. 20-40 mins of low cadence work, TT or climbing position based on personal limiters, AeT+15 bpm HR cap, 2-8 intervals splitting the work, RI equal to 25-33% for WI. Goal is a strength workout on the bike — not high HR cardio training.

RI = rest interval
WI = work interval

Probably a little different that what I was recommending a year ago — the main change would be a greater focus on strength as well as the Strength Bike being used close to year round for most my athletes.

Cheers,
gordo