CAPE ARGUS TRAINING PROGRAM

We are now in Week 7 of our 12 week Argus training program. The program is based on the assumption that you have a maximum of 9 hours that you can spend on training per week. This week sees the start of the 2nd-last cycle of 3 weeks, and is a load week. Next week will be an overload week, where-as week 9 will be a recovery week. Week 10 will be a load week again, followed by 2 taper weeks towards race day.

For the new-comers, what are the heart rate zones everyone talks about? Here we go:

Green zone : 50 - 70% of max HR (heart rate) This is the aerobic endurance, or fat-burning zone. You should spend about 75 - 80% of your time on the bike in this zone.

Blue Zone : 70 -80% of max HR. At this heart rate you should be just under your lactate threshold, i.e. the HR at which your muscle cells start producing lactic acid as it goes from aerobic to an-aerobic functioning. This is also called the aerobic stamina zone, because you will help lift your lactate threshold if you spend about 15 - 20% of your time on the bike at this HR.

Yellow Zone : 80 - 90% of Max HR. The lactate threshold (LT) of most people lie in this zone, so by training in this zone, your HR will fluctuate to just under and just over your LT. This zone is most effective in raising your LT, and is therefor aptly called the lactate tolerance zone. You should spend between 5 - 10% of your training time here.

Red Zone: 90% + of max HR. You will not gain much benefit from training in this zone, and spending a significant amount of time in this zone is not good for your body. In racing, however, your HR will often go here as you try and stay with the bunch up hills etc.

Max Heart Rate: To find your max heart rate, go and ride a long steep hill, like Spook Hill from the Parelvallei side, or ride up to the Steenbras pump station. Push as hard as you can toward the last half of the hill. When it feels like you want to fall off your bike from exhaustion, look at your heart rate on your heart rate monitor - that should be your max. That is the most accurate way of determining your max HR.

This Week (Week 7)

Total time 8h15
Time in green 5:45 50 - 70%
Time in blue 1:30 70 - 80%
Time in yellow 1:00 80 - 90%

Monday Rest day
Tuesday Warm-up 10min; 20min Yellow Z ; 10min Blue Z; 10 min cool-down (Intervals West road or S/West hill course, depending on numbers)
Wednesday Active recovery ride: Warm-up 10 min; Green zone small blade 40 min; cool-down 10min
Thursday Warm-up 10min; 30min Blue Zone; 10 min cool-down (Intervals W/works)
Friday Rest
Saturday Warm-up 10 min; Green zone 2:30; Blue Z 30min; cool-down 10 min (Long Slow Distance (LSD) ride)
Sunday Club ride to Franschoek and back (LSD). Use hills and Helshoogte to complete the 1 hour in yellow and the 1h30 in blue. Warm-up 10 min; Green zone 2h30; Blue Zone 20 min; Yellow Zone 40 min; cool-down 10 min (LSD)

The Franschoek ride will see the bunch split in the 3 different groups, with the fast group able to go ahead and ride up Franschoek Pass (those who feel like they need the hillwork). The ride will be most beneficial for your Argus preparation!