A lot of people write in asking for free training plans. I give everyone just about the same answer, so if you’re looking for a training plan, please read this. I’ll go through the various types of questions I get…
Table of Contents
The Vague Request
I want to do a race this summer, how do I train for it? Can you give me a training plan?
How do you train for a race? It depends. It depends on the type of race, race distance, your previous experience, your existing fitness levels, history of injury, time available, short and long-term goals, and much more.
So, to prepare a training plan, I would need to know all of that information I just listed. It’s very difficult to give you any sort of training plan without that data. And even if you had sent me all that data, designing a training plan is a long, detailed process.
Much like a doctor isn’t going to diagnose you through email, I’m not going to send out a training plan based on email. I simply cannot give out free, customized training plans to everyone that asks.
If you write in with a vague question, I will probably just tell you to read The Cyclist’s Training Bible by Joe Friel.
The Race-Specific Request:
I am new to road racing, Crits particularly. Can you give me a training plan for preparing for a Crit.
If you’re new to racing, just about any training is going to help you improve. You don’t need to get into anything too fancy. So go out and ride. Ride slow, ride fast, and ride moderately. Then ride fast some more, like you would in a race.
You will also benefit greatly from going out and practicing cornering!
If you are really interested in learning the principles behind a good training plan, as a new racer, it is very worthwhile to pick up of a copy of The Cyclist’s Training Bible. It will take a while to read, but the result is worth it!
The Last Minute Request:
I am new to mountain bike raceing and I have a mountain bike race in two weeks. What do you suggest I do over the next two weeks. I would like to come up with a 4 week and 2 week pre-race training plan.
Umm… it really depends on what your current training plan is, your fitness level, and the actual race you have coming up. If you’re serious about racing, I’d suggest getting more serious about your planning – a 2 week training plan isn’t going to change much and would probably leave you worn out on race day.
So, if you want to come up with a good 4 month training plan and know how to adapt it to the days right before a race, take a look at Joe Friel’s The Cyclist’s Training Bible. It’s pretty cheap and the time spent reading it is a great investment in your cycling career.
As you can see, writing in asking for a training plan won’t get you any further than if you just did a search for “training” on my website. I try to provide as much advice as I can on my website, 100% free. Please take a look at that!
For example, I have an analysis of a generalized training week: An Example Training Week.
If you still need a training plan though, my semi-custom training plans are just the ticket!
Levi Bloom is an experienced endurance athlete who has been training and competing for over 17 years. A former Cat 1 road and mountain bike racer (professional class on the regional circuit), he is now a cycling coach (USA Cycling Level 3 Certified) and sports nutrition coach (Precision Nutrition Level 1 Certified).
Leave a Reply