Professional cyclo-cross racer Helen Wyman is a 10x British National champion, 2x European champion and World Championship medallist. Simply put, she knows how to race a bike at the highest level. So what does she do to get ready for a season of racing? Lots of pre-season strength. You can easily add this workout to your training plan on Stages Link.
Note from Helen: At first this session feels like its quite easy, I mean how hard can it be to ride a big gear effort up a hill, then 90 cadence up a hill right? Wrong. Each interval creeps up on you and suddenly 90 cadence out of the saddle in zone 4 seems almost impossible, however, you should still be able to go out the next day and do a speed session. This workout is more of a leg achy work out than a lie down and crawl home effort day. It might just be me—you could find it a breeze—if you do then I’m always on the look out for training partners!
Being a cyclo-cross racer I am able to get all my good base miles and strength work done in the summer in the foothills of Pyrenees where I live in France. However during the winter I live in Belgium and quite often have to revert to the home trainer for those brutal top end sessions that can easily make you ill if you try to do them outside.
This training session is a specific strength session although it does go into higher zones than a traditional strength workout at the end. Strength training is as important as every other phase of training. Without a good base you can not build strength, without strength you can not go into top end effectively and without top end you don’t go fast. To me, this is a good session as you find you can get higher numbers within the zones easier as you get closer to the season and that’s always good for morale.
In your annual training plan this would fit weekly, into the phase of training after initial strength has been done and before you are reaching the final build for your season. It can then be slotted into the season less frequently.
During the season this workout is best done as far away from racing as possible, as it does make your legs ache a bit, so shoot for a Tuesday if you are racing weekends. It can be used once every 10 days as a maintenance session during your racing season. I have the luxury of being able to do this outside as I have hills long enough, however, with the right resistance on a home trainer it is possible to be done inside also.