The Brianhead race which I finished 3rd in the sport class in 1997, the year I started some serious mountain bike training.In March 1997, I spent some time reading a cycling training book I bought at a bookstore in Provo right after I finished benching in the Manti High School basketball team which I hated more than I ever did in the world. I decided from day 2 of basketball practice, I would quit once the season's over and not ever come back to tryouts the next year. I decided to do something else, something I enjoyed on the summer before, mountain biking. I thought I could use some kind of goals to work on and get some competition out of it because I like "competition". Like mountain bike racing. I decided to race a couple times that year and needed to start thinking about getting in shape for it. I planned out a training schedule that consists of Vo2 Max training, aneraorobic threshold, endurance, and recovery. Vo2 Max training should be sprints on the bike going as fast as you can for 15-30 seconds and recover for a few minutes and repeat 5-6 times. Aneraorobic threshold is an interval training at 85-90% of max heart rate for 3-20 minutes, recover 2-10 minutes and repeat. Endurance should be long rides at 65-75% of maximum heart rate for one to five hours. Recovery should be done the day after a hard ride or race and should just spin easily at 55-65% of max heart rate.
This is the schedule I do for spring and summer:
Mon. rest
Tues. Vo2 Max training
Wed. Aneraorobic threshold training(on climbs)
Thurs. recovery
Fri. rest
Sat. climb that lasts 45-90 min.
Sun. Endurance ride on the road bike on flat roads(nice Sunday rides after church)
When I train, I train in 3 week blocks and rest all week on every 4th week. The first week I just start out small, like do two intervals and climb for 30 min. Then the second week, I do a little more, like do 3 intervals and climb for 40 min. The third week, a little more(4 intervals and climb for 50 min. Then the next 3 week block, on the first week, I do the same as I did on the second week in the first 3 week block and just build up. In June and July, is when it peaks up to where I get up to 6-7 intervals during the week and a 90 minute climb on Saturday. Then after that, you should do a lot more recovery rides and still do a lot of climbing.
In the fall, I like to just do long endurance rides with friends every Saturday. Nov. is reserved for active rest. Middle of Dec. is when I start do winter training like ride the stationary trainer once in the middle of the week for 60 minutes with intervals and snowshoeing in the mountains on Saturday, like a climb that last 45 minutes. Also do strength training(especially for the legs) once or twice a week. Then plyometrics twice a week instead of strength training during the last 6-8 weeks of the winter.
Well, that's what I have been doing.
