February 16, 2006 – Last month we talked about training and how it can mean different things to different people. The key was consistency — keep at it, no matter what level you are at. That’s how you will improve.

Let’s talk about heart rate (HR) and how that effects your “˜training’ or what I’d prefer to call “˜conditioning’. It is very helpful to use HR zones for any kind of riding that you do. One key HR zone is your Lactate Threshold (LT) – when your body begins to produce lactic acid — the stuff that makes your legs hurt! Knowing where your LT zone is can allow you to be much more precise with your efforts, thus providing greater improvement over a shorter time period. There are many labs (try your local university or college) that offer this kind of test. Once you have your LT, then you can precisely calculate your training zones and build a solid program.

Here are the HR zones of a 19 year old elite racer that I am coaching. His LT is 172 Beat Per Minute (BPM):

– Zone 1:112-139
– Zone 2:140-151
– Zone 3:152-160
– Zone 4a:161-167
– Zone 4b:168-172
– Zone 5a:172-175
– Zone 5b:176-180
– Zone 6:181+

One of his hard weeks in February would look like this:

– Monday: 2 hr recovery ride (zone 2)
– Tuesday: 2 hr small group ride with intensity – do some pace line work at zone 4a if possible.
– Wednesday: 4-5 hrs min, zone 2-3, with zone 4 intensities on climbs
– Thursday: 2 hr w/hill repeats: .5 hr warm up, 1 hr hill repeats (6 x 5′ climb, w/4′ recovery, alternate sitting on climb @ 90 rpm, then sit on climb @ 50– Friday: 60rpm, HR zone 4b), .5 hr cool down spin.
2 hr recovery ride – zone 2
– Saturday: Tempo ride – 3 hr w/tempo ride: 1 hr warm-up, 45′ (flat to rolling terrain) at zone 4b/5a, 1 hr cool down spin
Sunday: training race

If you would like more information about individualized training/conditioning programs, please feel free to contact me directly. Oh, and don’t forget, it’s OK to ride without your HR monitor once in a while — riding for the pure enjoyment of turning the pedals is a good thing!

Deadlines Approaching

Tour de France 2006
REGISTRATION DEADLINE FEBRUARY 28th is the deadline for our spectacular “˜Pyrenees’ (July 8-15) and “˜Alps to Paris’ (July 15-24) trips.
Details at: http://www.stiedacycling.com/tours_06tdf1.html and http://www.stiedacycling.com/tours_06tdf2.html

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Northern Italy Cycling Vacation and Gran Fondo (August 27 to September 4)

REGISTRATION DEADLINE MARCH 31st

Cycling Enthusiast’s Dream Vacation and Gran Fondo
Bassano del Grappa, Italy

Take advantage of your season’s fitness and ride in some of the most enjoyable cycling terrain that you could imagine. From beautiful, undulating rides to the legendary Dolomiti climbs of the Giro d’Italia, you are guaranteed to test yourself to your heart’s content. Finish off the trip with an entry into the Gran Fondo Monte Grappa, a mass-start citizen’s event where you can choose between 2 riding distances. Take a 1 hour train ride to Venice for a day trip!
Details at: http://www.stiedacycling.com/tours_bc_gfondo.html

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We are also currently booking private groups for 2006 at this time. I hope that you can join us for a memorable cycling experience this year.

www.stiedacycling.com