In search of lost punch
For many, returning to indoor training is an opportunity to reconnect with good practices. At Vélo Cartel, our personalized method takes into account your strengths and weaknesses, allowing you to level up so you can perform better next summer.
Even if you rack up thousands of kilometers during the summer, you sometimes tend to neglect the short, demanding efforts needed to more effectively manage the difficulties you encounter on the road, trail, or gravel paths.
Coach Bru shares his recipe for regaining our springtime energy and keeping it going throughout the summer.
Hi coach. After a season of riding in a somewhat unstructured way, mainly long rides , I realize that my VO2max has declined significantly. My average power over 20 minutes has remained similar. Is this normal?
Yes. There is an age factor: VO2 max tends to decrease with age. But you can slow down this process by making targeted efforts to maintain your fitness for longer.
The other thing is that if you're a cyclist who has given up racing, you may have had fewer opportunities to ride very hard this year, which means that your FTP (average power over one hour) hasn't changed much, but everything that stresses your system slightly below your VO2max, and beyond, has stabilized.
It is this punch that is lost most quickly if it is not maintained.
I often saw clients who returned to the gym at the end of the summer and, when they started their first workouts, were unable to pick up where they left off in the spring. Sometimes I had to lower some of their target values by 15 or 20%. They had cycled 10,000 or 15,000 kilometers during the summer, but they had always done so at an endurance pace.
If I'm no longer running, why should I start working out again in areas at the limits of my aerobic and anaerobic capacity?
To sum it up simply: even though we talk about zones (VO2max, VLamax, aerobic capacity, etc.) as if they were completely independent of each other, they do influence each other. A higher VO2max also pushes your FTP up.
By increasing your VO2 max, you are boosting your engine. If your pace is 75% of your VO2 max, when the latter increases, so does the rest. That's not insignificant.
Then, on a practical level, it helps you keep up when you're riding in the summer with people who are stronger than you: you then have the ability to give a little push to close a gap and keep up when the pace is fast.
Otherwise, it also allows you to be stronger, more consistent, and recover more quickly when climbing hills. If you encounter several hills during a Ride you push yourself to the limit every time you find yourself in this situation, you will tire more quickly. So even during rides , it is useful.
If I prefer riding outdoors in the summer and no longer do races, what can I do to avoid losing too much fitness?
As I mentioned earlier, anaerobic capacity and VO2 max are what we lose most quickly when we don't maintain them, and this also affects endurance. It is therefore important to incorporate exercises that target these areas throughout the year.
In summer, find people to do rides with regularly. In just a few weeks, you lose your VO2 max and anaerobic fitness. Going all out, pushing yourself, doing sprints from signs—this allows you to engage the parts of your system that are neglected if you always ride at a steady pace.
Okay, now what do we do to get back on track before spring?
We start by reintroducing specific training for two weeks, reducing the load by about 15-20% compared to the previous spring, just to get used to this type of effort again. Then we do a 5-minute test to assess your current fitness level, but without you seeing your numbers, just based on how you feel. Let's say you maintain 400 watts during this time. We'll take 80-85% of that figure and temporarily set your FTP at around 320-340 watts. We'll adjust it if it's too hard or too easy.
After three weeks of targeted training, we will repeat CP5, but also do CP1 and CP20. This is what we call the power profile.
The idea is to maximize your gains by relying on figures that reflect your abilities in the three main areas. Training methods are often based on FTP, and everything else follows from that. But if you have a very high anaerobic capacity and I base my sprint training on your maximum effort over 20 minutes, you'll find it so easy that you'll be able to do it endlessly.
Our training software takes into account your abilities over 1 minute, 5 minutes, and 20 minutes. Each effort during a workout is customized accordingly.
OK, but more broadly, let's say I'm a sprinter or puncher, but my goal for next year is to do raids or long gravel races. How are you going to help me?
The important thing in this case is to work on your endurance, which may be weaker. At the start of each mesocycle, we publish a calendar with the upcoming training sessions. Every week, there are VO2max and tempo training sessions, among others. You can choose the ones that suit you best to address your weaknesses. I will guide you through this process and suggest which sessions to choose and when.
And what's the advantage of coming to do this at Cartel?
The group effect. And the coach. When you're in a group, with people around you, it's much more motivating to give it your all. It's by pushing yourself to the limit in training that you improve. So for once, social pressure is a good thing.
Otherwise, I swear that when I sit next to you and yell at you to keep going and finish what you're doing, you're much more likely to succeed than if you're alone in your basement in front of your computer or TV. I promise that if I'm there, you'll do 10% better in your CP5.