Phil from Toronto, Canada writes:It's been a long time since I talked to you (about a year..maybe more). Last year I modified your program to to fit my time constraints (about 7-10 hrs per week) and by April I was feeling great. Unfortunately, between April 1 and August 10 I raced about 30 times (not including weekly time trials). I was completely burned out by the middle of August and just put the bike away. I have had to reassess my racing volume for the coming year and cut back on the time I devote during the summer to this sport.Bill responds:Phil, you raced a lot really - around twice every week, as well as a weekly time trial. That is a heavy load, especially when you are working.Phil asks:I am also 15 lbs over the weight I raced at last year and boy did I feel out of shape when I went on my first group ride last Saturday.So where do I start and what can I skip? Bill responds:(1) Lose the excess weight as soon as possible. Carrying that much extra places too much stress on your heart, back, and legs. Also it means you cannot really start hard training for some weeks. (2) You have been off the bike now for nearly 6 months. So go back to square one. Check out the questions page on my site for the answer to the question: Is there a Macro 0? While you raced well last year and obviously benefitted from a structured approach to training, you have all but lost that by now. So until you can do 200 kms per week easily you should not try any heart rate training. (3) Do work on your rollers to get your leg speed up. High cadence low stress pedalling. (4) When you are up to 200 km per week easily, start out on the modified Macro 1 as you did last year. (5) Perhaps to lengthen your season and avoid burnout, reduce your racing program. |