It is precisely this low-intensity training that will be the key to laying down the necessary adaptation for the those hard sessions later on, and the racing that is still months away.
In the Prep phase the key is a gradual re-introduction into training that will build toward higher volumes of aerobic training. It’s a time to get back on track with your nutrition (if it has gone in a direction you’re not happy with) and a time for setting goals for the new training & racing season. Yes, you should also set goals for your “training” season. Goals aren’t just for racing, they should also serve as motivation for the countless hours, early rises and cold wintery training you’ll endure in the weeks to come. I’ll talk about goals in another blog, but they are a necessary skill set.
The Prep and Base I, II & III will make up the first 15 weeks or so of your yearly training plan and will focus on these components:
Prep & Base I:
| Strength training | Injury prevention and force production |
| Neuromuscular System | Skill & efficiency drills (also strength training) |
| Aerobic endurance | Efficient use of Oxygen and fuel to create energy Increased capillary density around muscles Greater stroke volume (capacity for your heart to pump blood) Enhanced enzymatic conversion of fat to energy. |
Base II & III
All of the above plus
| Developing sport specific strength | Hills, low cadence etc. |
| Building muscular endurance | The ability to maintain high exertion levels for extended periods |
Aerobic Endurance: Training intensity needs to remain between the 40-55% range in order to elicit the desired physiological adaptations for this system. Skipping this type of training means you’ll always come up short on longer races, you may be able to go fast but you’ll burn out because your body won’t have the efficiency to keep going over longer durations. If you can manage to avoid the temptation of going hard during this phase you will reap the rewards later on when the intensity goes up.
Strength Training: The big focus during this phase is Strength. Not Strength training at the start of the your yearly training plan is like taking a Formula 1 car and sending it out on the track with bald tires.... Something is gonna blow! And for god’s sake make sure your strength sessions don’t just look like another endurance session, lift heavy and perform technical lifts such as deadlifts, deep squats, hip thrusts, pull ups, turkish get ups etc. And if you don’t know how and don’t know what half of these things are, then hire a strength coach who does and who can coach them well.
Early season is also the time to get rid of any lingering or nagging injuries from the previous season. This is a good time to get acquainted with people like RMT’s, Acupuncturists, physiotherapists etc.
Neuromuscular system: Training this system requires countless repetitions, and low intensity & impact. This type of training teaches the brain to pattern a desired movement, and in sport, it’s important to teach our brains and our muscles good communication skills! These take place in the forms of drills such as; over cadence & single drills in cycling, strides & ankle jumps in running and body rolling in swimming. During this phase these drills will encompass most of your session length, in the later phases you will still do them but they will serve as a warm up rather then be the main focus of your sessions.
Ideally your prep & base phase will start approximately 23-24 weeks before your A-race and gradually change from Base I to Base III as it progresses to what comes next: The Build Phase.
We’ll talk about that next, for now Enjoy your training and go get strong and fit :)
Email the coach at laporte.lynne@gmail.com
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