ON PERIODIZATION AND PROGRESS

You might be new to cycling, and, under duress and coercion from friends, family and fellow workmates, you have signed up to ride Shoppers Drug Mart's 60km Ride Don't Hide fun ride, a little over a month and a half away.   No need to panic (yet), all you need is a structured plan!

Following a periodized schedule, where training is broken into a specific time periods typically characterized by different forms of training, allows for the greatest chance of success, ensuring you arrive on event day in the best possible fitness.  A properly periodized plan is like a road map, outlining specific training prescriptions required on any given day, week, month, or in some cases, years.

Periodization includes six very distinct periods or phases of training; Preparation, Build or Base, Peak, Specificity or Competition (take your pick), Tapering, Peaking and Rest and/or Recovery.  Each of the six phases can be further broken down into macro and micro cycles of development.  For our purposes, we'll take a quick peek at three essential phases of training as you prepare to take on the 60km ride.  Base, Competition and Peak are mandatory visits for athletes preparing for an event.  What does each period entail, and how long does an athlete spend in each phase?  Let's take a 10,000ft view to see what each period could include. 

First, let's zoom in on the Aerobic base period.

Aerobic Period -- Base training is the bread and butter of any endurance-based training program. Typically, workouts are long and (reasonably) low in intensity, with a primary focus on developing the aerobic system for the harder work to come.  As cyclists that will ultimately spend a few hours in the saddle covering a 60km distance, a variety of activities can be included in this phase, including hiking, running, cross-country skiing and swimming - essentially anything that keeps you moving and the heart pumping at a moderately easy pace (RPE 5 - 7) over a prolonged time.  Weight training, in a circuit-like fashion is also an excellent option for athletes that specialize in one sport. 

Once our legs and heart are accustomed to working hard over two or three hours, we can shift to the Competitive period.

Competitive Period -- After a several weeks, or in some cases, months, spent building a strong aerobic engine, athletes transition into workouts that are much more specific in nature.  Athletes that included cross training in the program now orient themselves to sport-specific development (specificity); think leg speed (cadence), hill work, longer and faster rides.  During the Competitive Period,  workouts become increasingly difficult, mimicking the specific competition, or in our case, event (Ride, Don't Hide) that an athlete is training for.  Specificity can include a regular diet of fast rides that are growing in duration or intensity (introduction of hillier routes for example, RPE increases in this phase, to 7 - 9), or an increase in mileage on any one ride.  As the frequency and duration of mileage and fast rides increases, don't neglect the easy rides!  These ultra-easy efforts help hasten recovery by flushing any accumulated lactates out of your muscles, and serve to prepare your body for increased intensity later in the week.  Because the workload increases on a weekly basis, maintaining adequate rest (Off days) leading to a selected event is a large consideration of any successful training program and to ultimate game day performance.  As hard as it might be, Off days are just that, OFF!

You've followed an 8 week build program that's brought you to tip top shape, you are comfortable riding in a peloton of cyclists, and you have the sleek look of a brightly colored gazelle, replete with matching socks, shorts, jersey and gloves, what next?  It's time to Peak.

Peak Period - You have identified your goal; to ride 60km on June 23rd!  You've established the Ride, Don't Hide Bike Ride is your "A" priority event, everything else falls off the calendar, this is the day you will SHINE and be in the best possible shape!  After a brief rest period, cyclists following their 'road map' will find that their fitness has bumped up several notches, ensuring a successful day in the saddle!

With just under 8 weeks to go before the green flag drops for participants of the Ride, Don't Hide, there's plenty of time to notch up your fitness, and to have a PEAK performance on event day!

To learn more about the Ride, Don't Hide Campaign, click HERE.