Native Restoration Day and Periodization – BionicOldGuy

Tuesday’s experience was a protracted arduous one so yesterday was a straightforward restoration day, simply over 90 minutes close to residence. It was nice and my legs felt higher afterwards. The experience is here on Strava

Periodization

Periodization is various your coaching throughout the yr to emphasise various things. Now I’m coming into a section the place I’m rising my mileage, so it’s a good suggestion to compensate by reducing again on depth. On arduous biking days I used to be doing multiple sort of intervals, plus some sprints, plus “on-bike strength training“. I’m dropping the intervals for now and simply concentrating on cardio coaching with extra regular using. However this neglects the bigger fast-twitch muscle fibers in my legs, and at my age I can’t afford for them to atrophy. So I’m nonetheless doing the sprints and on-bike energy coaching, each of which goal fast-twitch muscle mass. After I’m accomplished in a few months or so with my longer distance challenges, I can change issues up once more by lowering quantity and including extra depth again in.

I observed one thing fascinating again after I was operating marathons. Main as much as the marathon I’d be closely centered on rising the size of my runs in coaching, and lower approach again on all the things else. After I’d run the race, I’d get well for a few weeks and after I’d resume coaching I’d emphasize velocity as an alternative of distance. Inside a couple of weeks I might at all times set a private document in a 10K race. So the several-month interval of excessive quantity, decrease depth acted as base, on which I may shortly add velocity. I didn’t invent any of this, it’s a basic periodization idea going again to Arthur Lydiard, however it’s good to know one thing works for me personally. I’m hoping the identical thought will for me in biking. That is referred to as base coaching adopted by race-specific coaching, however I’ve by no means construct as excessive of a base as I’ll be doing within the subsequent couple of months.