Vättern Rundan Training Schedule

Phase

Week

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Saturday

Sunday

RT

Aim

Ach

RT

Aim

Ach

RT

Aim

Ach.

RT

Aim

Ach

RT

Aim

Ach

RT

Aim

Ach

RT

Aim

Ach

Tot.

Build 1

1

Off E1 x

E1

20

F1

30

M1

20

Off E1

x

A1 E2

60

2

Off E1 x

E2

30

F1

30

M2

20

Off E1

x

A1 E2 F2

65

R&R

3

Off E1 x

E1

30

E2

40

S5

20

Off E1

x

E2

50

Build 2

4

Off E1 x

E1

30

F2

40

M3

20

Off E1

x

A1 E2

100

5

Off E1 x

E2

30

F2

50

M3

20

Off E1

x

A1 E2 F2

110

R&R

6

Off E1 x

E2

30

E2

50

S5

20

Off E1

x

A1 E2

80

Peak

7

Off E1 x

E2

30

F2

60

M5

20

Off E1

x

A1 E2 F2

130

8

Off E1 x

E2

30

F2

60

M6

20

Off E1

A1 E2 F2

140*

Race Week

9

eat

eat

eat

eat

travel

TUR

celebrate

NB the basic pace is E2 with periods of the suggested ride type added in during the ride. The higher intensity periods during rides are optional. If it seems complicated, at least make sure you do the weekly long ride at low E2 or E2, and the weekday rides at E2

* This one could be stretched to 162 km if you want to bag an imperial century RT = ride type  Aim = the distance in km to cover that day Ach = the distance in km actually achieved that day x = cross-train, e.g., rollerblading, swimming, ice-skating

The organisers recommend you have at least 1000 km in your legs. This schedule exceeds that to allow for the occasional missed day. Most of the rides are at the E1 or E2 level. Long Sunday rides are mainly at low E2. The event itself you will probably aim to ride at low E2. The final peak period is rather demanding and can be replaced by a similar intensity to the Build 2. If you drop behind the plan, do not try to keep pace with the ever-demanding schedule. Instead, repeat the week at which you dropped behind and carry on from there. It is not necessary to ride a distance equal to the event itself. If you can manage half the distance you will easily manage the event. Principles of training are here.

Ride Types

Symbol	Name	% of Max HR	%of AT*
A1	Group ride
X	Cross-train
E1	Recovery	60-77	65-80
E2	Aerobic	60-84	65-88
F1	Moderate hills	60–95	65-100
F2	Long hills	<= 97	100-102
M1	Tempo	80–89	85-93
M2	Cruise intervals	90–97	94-102
M3	Hill cruise intervals	90–97	94-102
M5	Criss-cross threshold	90–97	94-102
M6	Threshold	90–97	94-102
S5	Form sprints	98–100	103-105

* Anærobic threshold or lactate threshold is the point during exercise at which blood lactate begins to accumulate in muscles because it cannot be removed quickly enough. It generally corresponds to a perceived exertion of 'hard' to 'very hard'. Use this column if you know where your threshold is. It is better to use this as a guide to intensity rather than max HR. If you do use max HR it is important to determine this yourself, and not to rely on the rule of thumb relating to age (max HR=220 - age). Your threshold will probably be around 85 to 90% of max HR if you are trained for endurance. If you do not initially know your anærobic threshold, use the column showing the relationship to max HR.

HR percentages
  Fill this column in for your own max HR. You could even write the table on a label and stick it to your bike.

max HR (%)	My maxHR = ____	e.g. maxHR = 194
60		116
70		136
77		149
80		155
85		165
90		175
95		184
97		188
100		194

There is a good article on training levels by the British Cycling Federation  here. Unfortunately, it uses different names to the ones here (which are taken from Friel's 'Cyclist’s Training Bible') but the descriptions of intensity and durations should be useful. E2 and sub-threshold training is more effective at improving endurance performance than all-out intensity intervals. If you go stratospheric, thinking you need to suffer to improve, you may even not improve your endurance performance at all. 'No pain, no gain' is a myth.

Ride Type Definitions

E1 Recovery—small chain ring on a flat course. Best done alone. Can be replaced by cross-training or rest. Also handy after a higher intensity workout, the same day.

E2 Aerobic—is for endurance training. Low E2 is used for long rides of 3 hours or more. Stay mainly below 80% max HR on a rolling course with small hills. Stay seated when uphill while maintaining a good cadence (80 to 85 rpm). e.g. rv22 south of Degernes.

 F1 Moderate hills—select a course with several <6% hills that take around 3 mins to ascend. Stay seated. Pedal from the hips. Keep a cadence of 70 or more. Stay below threshold. e.g. Rokke routes

F2 Long hills—select a course with <8% hills taking 6 or more mins. Remain mostly seated. Keep cadence up. Go no higher than 100-102% of lactate threshold. E.g. Prestebakke. Do the rest of the scheduled distance at low E2.

M1 tempo—on a flattish course ride continuously at tempo for 20-30 mins initially and building to 75–90 mins. Do the rest of the scheduled distance at low E2.

M2 Cruise intervals—flattish course, 3 to 5 intervals 6 to 12 mins long. Build to threshold during each. Recover 2–3 mins between. Do the rest of the scheduled distance at low E2.

M3 Hill Cruise intervals—same as M1 but on a slight hill (e.g. road back from Bakke, rv127 from Sarp). Try 6 to 12 min intervals building to threshold. Recover for 2–3 mins between. Good if power is a limiting factor.

M5 Criss-cross threshold—flattish course, 20 to 40 mins around threshold moving up and down around it every 4 mins. Don't do this before having done M2s and M3s a few times. Do the rest of the scheduled distance at low E2.

M6 Threshold—flattish course 20 to 40 mins non-stop at threshold. Don't attempt without at least four other M runs before. Do the rest of the scheduled distance at low E2

S5 Form sprints—for fun, do 6–10 sprints early in a ride with a slight downhill or tailwind, each one about 15 secs. Avoid competing, or agree beforehand and pick targets like sprint for road signs every time you see one. Do the rest of the scheduled distance at low E2

Suggested Rides
(These rides are for people who live around Halden, Østfold, Norway.) All distances approximate. Starting and finishing point Gimle krysset, Halden. Obviously, if you join a loop at some other point, the distance will be the same J

Asakvn, Asak kirke, Tistedal	Asak loop	9.5
Tistedal, R to Halden, Brødløs	Tistedal loop	14
Rokke, 1^st L, Sønstegård, rv104	Rokke 1	19
Rokke, 2^nd L, Nygård, rv127, rv104	Rokke 2	27
Rokke, 3^rd L, Ingedal, rv127, rv104	Rokke 3	35
Tistedal, cross to rv22, Bakke opptreningssenter and back	Bob's rest home	36
Asakvn, grusvei to Håkenby, R to Arbu, rv22 to Tistedal	Håkenby loop	46
rv22, L at Idd, R at Prestebakke, rv22 to Tistedal	Prestebakke loop	53
Degernes and back	Degernes	56
rv22 to Rakkestad and back	Rakkestad	72
Degernes, R on rv105, Linnekleppen, Strømsfoss, Aremark, Tistedal	Linnekleppen loop	82
As Linnekleppen but up to Ørje after	Ørje loop	120
rv22 to Prestebakke, Kornsjø, rv164 to Ed (Sweden), N to Björkebekk, rv106, rv21	Ed loop	125
rv22 to Rakkestad, Mysen, Ørje, Aremark, Tistedal	Mysen loop	140
Rakkestad, Mysen, Askim, rv114 to Sarp, rv127 to Skjeberg, rv104	Askim loop	140

Recipes

A high-carbohydrate diet is recommended during training. You may like to look at my Cycling Food Recipes page

Comments to Steve Last update 2000-03-09

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