DC Midweek Training Program

Here is a training schedule to get your legs ready for the double century. The program is based upon a 4 or 5 days per week riding schedule with long miles being ridden on the weekends. Midweek laps are the minimum recommended.

You can modify the schedule to fit your needs, but try to keep a balanced program of relatively easy and rest days between the long hard rides. Remember to eat and drink according to your training needs.

If you plan to ride 200 km in a day you will need to be comfortable on your bike. Neck, back, or knee pain, saddle sores, or hand or foot numbness will ruin your ride. They are also signs that your bicycle probably doesn't fit you properly. Good bike fit can also improve your pedaling efficiency and aerodynamics and actually make you faster.

Midweek Training Program

We will start our midweek training program from Tuesday 12^th of October at 5.30h Waterstone Village. This short 6 week training program will give you more climbing power for the DC. It is based on the Polar Training Zones and will focus on Lactate Tolerance and Aerobic Stamina training.

For the WE rides we should ride LSD in our Aerobic Endurance zone and include when possible a long climb (Hellshoogte or the Waterstation in Gordonsbay) while staying below 80% of our MaxHR. This will simulate the long climb up the Tradouw Pass.

The polar zones are based on heart rate.

Week 1

12-10 Lactate Tolerance Westridge circuit, 8 x 2 min @ 85-95%

13-10 45 to 60 min recovery ride, small blade and high cadence, route weather depended

14-10 Aerobic Stamina Faure waterworks hill, 4 x 5 min @ 78-85%

Week 2

19-10 Lactate Tolerance Westridge circuit, 9 x 2 min @ 85-95%

20-10 45 to 60 min recovery ride, small blade and high cadence, route weather depended

21-10 Aerobic Stamina Faure waterworks hill, 5 x 5 min @ 78-85%

Week 3

26-10 Lactate Tolerance Westridge circuit, 10 x 2 min @ 85-95%

27-10 45 to 60 min recovery ride, small blade and high cadence, route weather depended

28-10 Aerobic Stamina Faure waterworks hill, 6 x 5 min @ 78-85%

Week 4

02-11 Lactate Tolerance Westridge circuit, 8 x 2 min @ 85-95%

03-11 45 to 60 min recovery ride, small blade and high cadence, route weather depended

04-11 Aerobic Stamina Faure waterworks hill, 4 x 5 min @ 78-85%

Week5

09-11 Lactate Tolerance Westridge circuit, 9 x 2 min @ 85-95%

10-11 45 to 60 min recovery ride, small blade and high cadence, route weather depended

11-11 Aerobic Stamina Faure waterworks hill, 5 x 5 min @ 78-85%

Week 6

16-11 Lactate Tolerance Westridge circuit, 10 x 2 min @ 85-95%

17-11 45 to 60 min recovery ride, small blade and high cadence, route weather depended

18-11 Aerobic Stamina Faure waterworks hill, 6 x 5 min @ 78-85%

Aerobic Stamina Workout Faure Waterworks Hill

• Warm-up 10-15 min @ 50-70% of MaxHR

• 4 x 5 min @ 78-85% of MaxHR. Recovery to 60% of MaxHR

• Cool down 10 min @ 50-70% of MaxHR

It’s important to warm up! Ride from Waterstone Village to Faure Waterworks Hill and do one climb on a small blade to warm up. Next climb push it till you reach 78to 85% of your Maximum Heart Rate and keep it there for the all climb. Don’t go flat out but rather control your heart rate. Try to do at least 3 climbs.

Lactate Tolerance Workout Westridge circuit

• Warm-up 10-15 min @ 50-70% of MaxHR

• 8 x 2 min @ 85-95% of MaxHR. Recovery to 50% of MaxHR

• Cool down 10 min @ 50-70% of MaxHR

It’s very important to warm up! This work out will put a lot of strength onto your joins and tendons. Ride from Waterstone Village to Westridge and do one circuit on a small blade to warm up. Next lap you should start pushing at the bottom of the circuit after turning left into the long uphill. Push it till you reach 85% of your Maximum Heart Rate and keep it there for the all climb. Don’t go flat out but rather control your heart rate. Try to do at least 6 laps.

Estimation of MaxHR
Male Athlete 205 – (0.5 x age)
Female Athlete 211 – (0.5 x age)

Training Target Zones

Target Zone	% of MaxHR	Benefit / Training Effect
Recovery	50-64%	Speed up recovery
Aerobic Endurance	65-77%	Increases metabolism Improves endurance Base work for high intensity workouts Strengthens muscles, tendons & ligaments
Aerobic Stamina	78-85%	Enhances aerobic power Base work for high intensity workouts Increases blood volume
Lactate Tolerance	86-93%	Increased tolerance to lactic acid Improves race specific endurance

Winter Cross Training

Cross training for cyclists
The success of triathlon, duathlon, and adventure racing has been largely due to athletes 'crossing over' from different sports and becoming involved in new or different sports activities.
Traditionally, cyclists have been very shy of practicing anything other than riding a bike, but triathletes (and their ilk) have found that rather than inhibit performance in their primary sport, training in others has enhanced it. Many successful runners now use cycling, water running, or swimming in their weekly training schedule.

What is cross training?

Cross training is exercising in several sports or activities to achieve a training goal.
Good sports and activities to complement cycling include:

• Weight training
• Running (especially if you are a mountain biker or cyclo-cross rider)
• Swimming
• Roller blading or speed skating
• Rowing
• Weight training
• Circuit training and aerobics.
• Cross country skiing is excellent too.
• Even alternative cycling disciplines can be beneficial.

Running, cycling, swimming, canoeing, rowing, weight training, circuits and aerobics add variety and help increase the amount of exercise that can be done, while minimizing the amount of stress on an athlete's body.

How can cross training improve my cycling?

• Reduce injury - When we exercise we place stress on our muscles, which damages the fibers. During rest, the muscles are regenerated and become stronger. If you cycling your only exercise, the same muscles are always stressed and in the same fashion. This increases the likelihood of the muscle actually being 'pushed' too hard and picking up an injury. By exercising with other activities, the stress on the muscles used in cycling is reduced and this reduces the likelihood of injury.
• Flexibility training such as pilates, yoga or a good stretching routine also reduces the chances of injury, as you develop a wider range of motion and such exercises can improve the blood flow to the muscles.
• Balanced fitness - By combining a variety of activities, different muscles are used and a more balanced overall fitness can be achieved. Cyclists are notorious for having very strong leg muscles (though often short, or tight hamstrings) but relatively weak upper body strength. For example instead of doing a long cycle ride, it may be better to do a shorter, more intense ride (perhaps on a turbo trainer) and spend more time weight training. Mountain bikers, cyclo-cross riders and anyone who has to ride up hill, will certainly benefit from more strength in their arms.
• Other activities such as aerobics or circuit training can be very useful to develop improved cardiovascular fitness in quite short sessions. Weight training too will show greater benefits as you can easily isolate particular muscle groups, control the exercises and adjust the load more easily than you can if you just ride a bike.
• Such exercises can also help to balance muscle usage to prevent problems. Since cycling is a very repetitive action, the big quadriceps muscles can become overdeveloped and may actually cause problems with the knee (or hamstrings sic). Alternative exercises off the bike can help to keep the opposing muscles in good condition and prevent many injury problems.
• Add variety - Training with more than one sport not only reduces stress and gives more rounded fitness but is great for motivation. With more variety in your program there is less of a routine to training, which is great to alleviate boredom and keep you motivated. Each time you come back to an activity it will feel 'fresh' and you'll be keen to work hard at it, rather than feeling you're stuck in a regular groove of repetitive activity.
• If you're a road rider, even just going mountain biking can be beneficial for variety, improved leg strength (because off road riding involves higher rolling resistance) and more upper body strength. Similarly, mountain bikers can benefit from road riding to improve their cadence and speed, and allow their bodies a bit of respite from the regular battering received from off road riding. Longer rides are also possible, which will help improve stamina.
• In addition, when training for longer distance events, adding variety to training by incorporating shorter, more intense sessions, you will keep and edge to your speed.

How should I choose my additional activities?

It is important to choose a sport that complements your cycling training. There is some debate that suggests less well-trained athletes have more to gain from cross training than elite riders and that elite riders should only concentrate their training on cycling. However, for reasons of variety, overall body balance and more efficient training, there is a great deal in favor of cross training. It's worth keeping to activities which prioritize cycling muscle usage though. Speed skating or roller blading are excellent, as is cross-country skiing (if you're in the right place at the right time). Out of season you can spend a bit more time on alternative activities such as weight training, aerobics and circuit training, but during the season it's best to concentrate your time on exercise which is more directly related to cycling. Track riders may spend some time weight training during the season, as might mountain bikers and cyclo-cross riders who would also benefit from some running training too. Swimming is a very good recovery exercise for cycling as it rests the usual cycling muscles, works the upper body and provides good cardiovascular benefits without having to be highly competitive or overly strenuous.

Some sports, contact sports like soccer and rugby, and those which involve a lot of twisting and turning like squash can pose a high risk of injury. You don't necessarily need to totally avoid them but you should be aware that if an injury occurs while participating in them, it could set back any progress you are making with your cycling.

Cross training and injury

While some injuries require a total break from any exercise, others require total rest from cycling only - particularly high intensity, strenuous or endurance riding. Research has proved the benefit of staying active even when injured. The injury heals more quickly (through improved blood flow) and you do not lose too much fitness - so you can regain your level of fitness more rapidly once the injury has healed.

For example, with a broken wrist or collarbone, you may be able to use a turbo trainer on which to exercise, or do some lower limb exercises in a gym.

Slice Through Wind

We all know what last year's Cape Argus Pick n Pay Cycle Tour was like. It wasn't called the Tour of Storms for nothing! Riding in the wind doesn't have to be torture. We give you a few tricks to thrive in the wind.

The wind is an equal-opportunity element: It batters everyone, from tough old pros to weekend warriors. Consider a rider pedaling along at a brisk, 32-kmph pace in calm conditions. If a headwind of only 16 kmph kicks up, the rider's speed drops to 25.6 kmph for the same effort.

Forces of nature may be beyond our control, but there are ways to minimize the breeze's smackdown. Here are a few pointers for punching through the wind.

Get Aero

It sounds obvious enough: If you duck down on the bike, you're less exposed to the wind. But there's more to it than just improved aerodynamics. By crouching, you get more compact on the bike and with your hands on the drops you also have more control when a gust blows at you.

Some tips on getting aero:


- Keep your back flat. For a straight back, float your chin above the stem.


- Bend your elbows almost 90 degrees and hold them close to your sides.


- Roll your shoulders forward and drop them down so that when seen from a head-on perspective, they have a nice crescent shape.


- For more aerodynamic pedalling, don't flare your knees out. Keep them under your elbows. A good way to keep them close: Brush the inside of your leg on the top tube.


- Look forward so you can see at least 15 metres down the road. Let your eyes follow obstacles so you can choose a line around them. But don't stare. Not only is it rude, it'll draw your focus away from down the road, where it should be.


- On flat to slightly rolling terrain, perch on the front of your saddle so your weight is over the bottom bracket or just slightly in front of it. On hills, scoot your butt back to the rear of the saddle.


- Thinking you're fast is as much a part of being aero as having a flat back. Imagine that you're as thin as a razor blade, slicing through the air.

Streamline yourself


The more formfitting your clothing, the less energy the wind will sap from you, which is why bike-specific clothing is a wiser choice than general outdoor garb. To prevent your jersey or jacket from filling up with air, pull zippers up to your chin.

Draft other riders


The stronger the headwind, the more it helps to tuck in behind another rider. Drafting and sticking as close as safely possible to the wheel in front of you dramatically cuts the number of watts required to maintain your speed. Energy savings of 10 to 30 percent are possible, depending on variables such as the size of each rider and the direction and magnitude of the wind. Of course, you need to share the work. Take a 30-second pull on the front before swinging off and letting the next rider in line move through. The quick turnover ensures that fresh legs are doing the grunt work.


Which way is the wind blowing?


Look for flags and weather vanes—they'll show you what direction the wind is blowing. Often, you're not pedaling straight into a headwind, but rather encountering a breeze from one side. In a group, use the wind direction to your advantage: When it's blowing from the right, position yourself behind and a little to the left of the rider in front of you. For maximum shelter, fine-tune your position by feel. Watch the pros in a spring Classic, and you might see a staggered row of riders spread gutter-to-gutter clear across the road (yes, closed to traffic)—that's an echelon, one of the sport's most beautiful sights.


Persevere


Just making the effort to suit up and head out into a whipping wind takes willpower, so start with something forgiving. Don't head straight into the wind—you'll just want to go home. Ride into the wind on your way out and head home with the wind on your back.


Smaller gearing


To stay efficient, use a smaller gear and spin the legs. Grinding bigger gears will just tire you out faster.

Argus 12 week Training Program: week 11

The program is designed for the average 35 - 40 year old, who has a maximum of 8 hours per week available for training. We are in week 11 now. Week 11 is not a training week but the start of the 2 weeks of tapering. A correct taper will increase your fitness dramatically. In the last 2 weeks before the Argus it is too late to significantly increase fitness, but it is not too late to increase fatigue. After a significant taper, you will store more fuel, deliver more oxygen to muscles, and maintain higher intensities than would have been possible before the taper. Reducing training for two weeks before the race will not reduce fitness. Rest! The WE club ride will be a short easy ride .

I trust that our midweek training made your stronger. This week we will focus on quality and intensity and not on volume. We will do only a couple of circuits and make sure we are in the right zone!
For the WE rides we should ride a short LSD in our Aerobic Endurance zone.
The polar zones are based on heart rate.

Week11

02-03 Lactate Tolerance Westridge circuit,  8 x 2 min @ 85-95%

03-03 45 to 60 min recovery ride, small blade and high cadence, route weather depended

04-03 Aerobic Stamina Faure waterworks hill,  4 x 5 min @ 78-85%


Week12

09-03 Lactate Tolerance Westridge circuit,  6 x 2 min @ 85-95%

10-03 45 to 60 min recovery ride, small blade and high cadence, route weather depended

11-03 Aerobic Stamina Faure waterworks hill,  3 x 5 min @ 78-85%

Aerobic Stamina Workout Faure Waterworks Hill

• Warm-up 10-15 min @ 50-70% of MaxHR
• 4 x 5 min @ 78-85% of MaxHR. Recovery to 60% of MaxHR
• Cool down 10 min @ 50-70% of MaxHR

It's important to warm up! Ride from Waterstone Village to Faure Waterworks Hill and do one climb on a small blade to warm up. Next climb push it till you reach 78to 85% of your Maximum Heart Rate and keep it there for the all climb. Don't go flat out but rather control your heart rate. Try to do at least 2 climbs.

Lactate Tolerance Workout Westridge circuit

• Warm-up 10-15 min @ 50-70% of MaxHR
• 8 x 2 min @ 85-95% of MaxHR. Recovery to 50% of MaxHR
• Cool down 10 min @ 50-70% of MaxHR

It's very important to warm up! This work out will put a lot of straight onto your joins and tendons. Ride from Waterstone Village to Westridge and do one circuit on a small blade to warm up. Next lap you should start pushing at the bottom of the circuit after turning left into the long uphill. Push it till you reach 85% of your Maximum Heart Rate and keep it there for the all climb. Don't go flat out but rather control your heart rate. Try to do at least 6 laps.

Estimation of MaxHR
Male Athlete 205 – (0.5 x age)
Female Athlete 211 – (0.5 x age)

Training Target Zones

Target Zone	% of MaxHR	Benefit / Training Effect
Recovery	50-64%	Speed up recovery
Aerobic Endurance	65-77%	Increases metabolism Improves endurance Base work for high intensity workouts Strengthens muscles, tendons & ligaments
Aerobic Stamina	78-85%	Enhances aerobic power Base work for high intensity workouts Increases blood volume
Lactate Tolerance	86-93%	Increased tolerance to lactic acid Improves race specific endurance

Argus 12 week Training Program: week 10

The program is designed for the average 35 - 40 year old, who has a maximum of 8 hours per week available for training. We are in week 10 now. Week 10 is the last training week before the start of the 2 weeks of tapering. A correct taper will increase your fitness dramatically. In the last 3 weeks before the Argus it is too late to significantly increase fitness, but it is not too late to increase fatigue. After a significant taper, you will store more fuel, deliver more oxygen to muscles, and maintain higher intensities than would have been possible before the taper. Reducing training for two to three weeks before the race will not reduce fitness. Rest! The club ride to Joostenberg should be your LAST long ride before the Argus.

I trust that our midweek training will make your stronger. It is based on the Polar Training Zones and will focus on Lactate Tolerance and Aerobic Stamina training.
For the WE rides we should ride LSD in our Aerobic Endurance zone and include when possible a long climb (Hellshoogte or the Waterstation in Gordonsbay) while staying below 80% of our MaxHR. This will simulate the long climb up Suikerbossie.
The polar zones are based on heart rate.

Week10

23-02 Lactate Tolerance Westridge circuit, 10 x 2 min @ 85-95%

24-02 45 to 60 min recovery ride, small blade and high cadence, route weather depended

25-02 Aerobic Stamina Faure waterworks hill, 6 x 5 min @ 78-85%

Week11

02-03 Lactate Tolerance Westridge circuit,  8 x 2 min @ 85-95%

03-03 45 to 60 min recovery ride, small blade and high cadence, route weather depended

04-03 Aerobic Stamina Faure waterworks hill,  4 x 5 min @ 78-85%

Aerobic Stamina Workout Faure Waterworks Hill

• Warm-up 10-15 min @ 50-70% of MaxHR
• 4 x 5 min @ 78-85% of MaxHR. Recovery to 60% of MaxHR
• Cool down 10 min @ 50-70% of MaxHR

It's important to warm up! Ride from Waterstone Village to Faure Waterworks Hill and do one climb on a small blade to warm up. Next climb push it till you reach 78to 85% of your Maximum Heart Rate and keep it there for the all climb. Don't go flat out but rather control your heart rate. Try to do at least 2 climbs.

Lactate Tolerance Workout Westridge circuit

• Warm-up 10-15 min @ 50-70% of MaxHR
• 8 x 2 min @ 85-95% of MaxHR. Recovery to 50% of MaxHR
• Cool down 10 min @ 50-70% of MaxHR

It's very important to warm up! This work out will put a lot of straight onto your joins and tendons. Ride from Waterstone Village to Westridge and do one circuit on a small blade to warm up. Next lap you should start pushing at the bottom of the circuit after turning left into the long uphill. Push it till you reach 85% of your Maximum Heart Rate and keep it there for the all climb. Don't go flat out but rather control your heart rate. Try to do at least 6 laps.

Estimation of MaxHR
Male Athlete 205 – (0.5 x age)
Female Athlete 211 – (0.5 x age)

Training Target Zones

Target Zone	% of MaxHR	Benefit / Training Effect
Recovery	50-64%	Speed up recovery
Aerobic Endurance	65-77%	Increases metabolism Improves endurance Base work for high intensity workouts Strengthens muscles, tendons & ligaments
Aerobic Stamina	78-85%	Enhances aerobic power Base work for high intensity workouts Increases blood volume
Lactate Tolerance	86-93%	Increased tolerance to lactic acid Improves race specific endurance

Argus Nutrition

Posted by Ian Craig


Are you doing the Argus - it seems like half of the town is! Well, Michael and I are giving 3 workshops next week on the final preparations of it: Cape Town on Tues 23rd, Somerset West on Wed 24th & Stellenbosch on Thur 25th. As usual, Michael will be covering training and I will be seeing to the nutrition.


Just to whet your appetite (pardon the pun), here's a few dietary things to consider in the weeks before:
In the weeks before, you need to get the basics right - eat for optimal health to support your immune system, your energy, muscle strength etc - yes, in a way you are what you eat, so if you prepare for a race with hotdogs, don't be surprised if you perform like a bun, I mean bum!


Eat to support the amount of training that you're doing - I often find cyclists that eat nowhere near what the training should determine - are they going to have bundles of energy if the body is downregulating?
Get enough protein - the average cyclist will need 100g+ of good quality protein per day to make hormones, turn over muscle tissue, balance the immune system, make neurotransmitters to keep you focused and relaxed ....... So my previous posts that focus more on protein.


Eat your veggies - 5 portions per day where 1 portion = size of your fist. Its easy to fit these in if you start at Breakfast with a tomato or some salad with your eggs on toast.


During the Argus ride, about 50% of our energy is likely to come from fat and most of the rest from carbs (small amount from protein). In preparation for your event, fat burning will be important and if you don't stint on the fat in your diet (as many cyclist do in the false hope that it will keep them trim), you can become more proficient at burning fat. Take some meat, dairy, fish, eggs, olive oil, nut, seeds, avocado etc in the diet - they are good for you!!


You will also need a carb load and this starts about 3 days before the race (so Thurs, Frid, Sat). If you take a look at my DC prep blog, it will give you a couple of good examples of a really high proportion carb diet that you can use for this period.


I would love to go on and talk about race day nutrition but oh dear, I'm run out of time. You will just have to come along and see us talk in person to hear the rest! On a serious note, even if you think you know all there is to know, I'll bet you lots of money that you can gain some fresh knowledge. Also, I find in SA that many cyclists tend to do their own thing (compared to Europe where the club scene is bigger). I'm always a fan of collective knowledge that you can get from great discussions, like the Bike Max workshops always create.


I've put some blurb on my website about the talks www.craigcoaching.com or talk to Michael or I if you have any questions.


See you next week! Ian

Overtraining Syndrome

It is no secret among cyclists that in order to improve performance you've got to work hard. However, hard training breaks you down and makes you weaker. It is rest that makes you stronger. Physiologic improvement in sports only occurs during the rest period following hard training. This adaptation is in response to maximal loading of the cardiovascular and muscular systems and is accomplished by improving efficiency of the heart, increasing capillaries in the muscles, and increasing glycogen stores and mitochondrial enzyme systems within the muscle cells. During recovery periods these systems build to greater levels to compensate for the stress that you have applied. The result is that you are now at a higher level of performance.

If sufficient rest is not included in a training program then regeneration cannot occur and performance plateaus. If this imbalance between excess training and inadequate rest persists then performance will decline. Overtraining can best be defined as the state where the athlete has been repeatedly stressed by training to the point where rest is no longer adequate to allow for recovery. The "overtraining syndrome" is the name given to the collection of emotional, behavioral, and physical symptoms due to overtraining that has persisted for weeks to months. Athletes and coaches also know it as "burnout" or "staleness." This is different from the day to day variation in performance and post exercise tiredness that is common in conditioned athletes. Overtraining is marked by cumulative exhaustion that persists even after recovery periods.


The most common symptom is fatigue. This may limit workouts and may be present at rest. The athlete may also become moody, easily irritated, have altered sleep patterns, become depressed, or lose the competitive desire and enthusiasm for the sport. Some will report decreased appetite and weight loss. Physical symptoms include persistent muscular soreness, increased frequency of viral illnesses, and increased incidence of injuries.

There have been several clinical studies done on athletes with the overtraining syndrome. Exercise physiologic, psychological, and biochemical laboratory testing have been done. Findings in these studies have shown decreased performance in exercise testing, decreased mood state, and, in some, increased cortisol levels -- the body's "stress" hormone. A decrease in testosterone, altered immune status, and an increase in muscular break down products have also been identified. Medically, the overtraining syndrome is classified as a neuro-endocrine disorder. The normal fine balance in the interaction between the autonomic nervous system and the hormonal system is disturbed and athletic "jet lag" results. The body now has a decreased ability to repair itself during rest. Heaping more workouts onto this unbalanced system only worsens the situation. Additional stress in the form of difficulties at work or personal life also contributes.


It appears that there are two forms of the syndrome. The sympathetic form is more common in sprint type sports and the parasympathetic form is more common in endurance sports. The results from various measurements taken during exercise physiologic testing differ between the two forms, but decreased overall performance and increased perceived fatigue are similar. In the parasympathetic form there may be a lower heart rate for a given workload. Athletes training with a heart rate monitor may notice that they cannot sustain the workout at their usual "set point." Fatigue takes over and prematurely terminates the workout. Regulation of glucose can become altered and the athlete may experience symptoms of hypoglycemia during exercise.


I won't comment on all of the differences between the two forms, but one example is resting heart rate. In the sympathetic form, the resting heart rate is elevated. In the parasympathetic form, however, the resting heart rate is decreased. If this sounds confusing, then you are not alone. There is very little agreement in the literature about abnormal laboratory findings. Additionally, it is possible to have the overtraining syndrome, but have completely normal physical findings and biochemical tests. At this point, there is no single test that will confirm the presence of overtraining. The overtraining syndrome should be considered in any athlete who manifests symptoms of prolonged fatigue and performance that has leveled off or decreased. It is important to exclude any underlying illness that may be responsible for the fatigue.

The treatment for the overtraining syndrome is rest. The longer the overtraining has occurred, the more rest required. Therefore, early detection is very important. If the overtraining has only occurred for a short period of time (e.g., 3 - 4 weeks) then interrupting training for 3 - 5 days is usually sufficient rest. After this, workouts can be resumed on an alternate day basis. The intensity of the training can be maintained but the total volume must be lower. It is important that the factors that lead to overtraining be identified and corrected. Otherwise, the overtraining syndrome is likely to recur. The alternate day recovery period is continued for a few weeks and then an increase in volume is permitted. In more severe cases, the training program may have to be interrupted for weeks, and it may take months to recover. An alternate form of exercise can be substituted to help prevent the exercise withdrawal syndrome.

All of the medical studies and advice on overtraining have involved single sport athletes. For triathletes and other multi-sport athletes the recovery process may be different depending on the circumstances. If it can be identified that the overtraining has occurred in only one discipline, then resting that discipline along with significant decreases in the other sports can bring about full recovery. It is vitally important not to suddenly substitute more workouts in one sport in an attempt to compensate for rest in another. The athlete that does this will not heal the overtraining, but will drive him or herself deeper into a hole. Overtraining affects both peripheral and central mechanisms in the body. Resting from overtraining on the bicycle by swimming more will help a pair of fatigued quadriceps, but to the heart, pituitary, and adrenals, stress is stress.


As with almost everything else health related, prevention is the key. Well-balanced gradual increases in training are recommended. A training schedule design called periodisation varies the training load in cycles with built in mandatory rest phases. During the high workload phase, the athlete alternates between high intensity interval work and low intensity endurance work . This approach is used by a number of elite athletes in many sports.


A training log is the best method to monitor progress. In addition to keeping track of distance and intensity, the athlete can record the resting morning heart rate, weight, general health, how the workout felt, and levels of muscular soreness and fatigue. The latter two can be scored on a 10 point scale. Significant, progressive changes in any of these parameters may signal overtraining. Avoiding monotonous training and maintaining adequate nutrition are other recommendations for prevention. Vigorous exercise during the incubation period of a viral illness may increase the duration and severity of that illness. Athletes who feel as if they are developing a cold should rest or reduce the training schedule for a few days.


In conclusion, the prevailing wisdom is that it is better to be undertrained than overtrained. Rest is a vital part of any athlete's training. There is considerable evidence that reduced training (same intensity, lower volume) for up to 21 days will not decrease performance. A well-planned training program involves as much art as science and should allow for flexibility. Early warning signs of overtraining should be heeded and schedule adjustments made accordingly. Smart training is the path to faster times and good health.


Copyright©1998 Mark Jenkins, MD

Argus 12 week Training Program: week 9

The program is designed for the average 35 - 40 year old, who has a maximum of 8 hours per week available for training. We are in week 8 now. Week 9 is a RECOVERY training week so we give our body the time to recover from last weeks hard training. You can include Die Wingerd Funride on Saturday to keep the speed in the legs but that's it! NO other race or you will get overtrained!
The club rides are structured to incorporate the program, therefor members shouldn't have to worry about their training if they keep training with the club's outrides.

I trust that our midweek training will make your stronger. It is based on the Polar Training Zones and will focus on Lactate Tolerance and Aerobic Stamina training.
For the WE rides we should ride LSD in our Aerobic Endurance zone and include when possible a long climb (Hellshoogte or the Waterstation in Gordonsbay) while staying below 80% of our MaxHR. This will simulate the long climb up Suikerbossie.
The polar zones are based on heart rate.

Week9

16-02 Lactate Tolerance Westridge circuit, 8 x 2 min @ 85-95%

17-02 45 to 60 min recovery ride, small blade and high cadence, route weather depended

18-02 Aerobic Stamina Faure waterworks hill, 4 x 5 min @ 78-85%

Week10

23-02 Lactate Tolerance Westridge circuit, 10 x 2 min @ 85-95%

24-02 45 to 60 min recovery ride, small blade and high cadence, route weather depended

25-02 Aerobic Stamina Faure waterworks hill, 6 x 5 min @ 78-85%

Aerobic Stamina Workout Faure Waterworks Hill

• Warm-up 10-15 min @ 50-70% of MaxHR
• 4 x 5 min @ 78-85% of MaxHR. Recovery to 60% of MaxHR
• Cool down 10 min @ 50-70% of MaxHR

It's important to warm up! Ride from Waterstone Village to Faure Waterworks Hill and do one climb on a small blade to warm up. Next climb push it till you reach 78to 85% of your Maximum Heart Rate and keep it there for the all climb. Don't go flat out but rather control your heart rate. Try to do at least 2 climbs.

Lactate Tolerance Workout Westridge circuit

• Warm-up 10-15 min @ 50-70% of MaxHR
• 8 x 2 min @ 85-95% of MaxHR. Recovery to 50% of MaxHR
• Cool down 10 min @ 50-70% of MaxHR

It's very important to warm up! This work out will put a lot of straight onto your joins and tendons. Ride from Waterstone Village to Westridge and do one circuit on a small blade to warm up. Next lap you should start pushing at the bottom of the circuit after turning left into the long uphill. Push it till you reach 85% of your Maximum Heart Rate and keep it there for the all climb. Don't go flat out but rather control your heart rate. Try to do at least 6 laps.

Estimation of MaxHR
Male Athlete 205 – (0.5 x age)
Female Athlete 211 – (0.5 x age)

Training Target Zones

Target Zone	% of MaxHR	Benefit / Training Effect
Recovery	50-64%	Speed up recovery
Aerobic Endurance	65-77%	Increases metabolism Improves endurance Base work for high intensity workouts Strengthens muscles, tendons & ligaments
Aerobic Stamina	78-85%	Enhances aerobic power Base work for high intensity workouts Increases blood volume
Lactate Tolerance	86-93%	Increased tolerance to lactic acid Improves race specific endurance

Peak For Argus

Training and Nutrition

Wed 24th Feb 2010

BikeMaxPower in conjunction with Craig Coaching is pleased to present an Argus preparation evening at Helderberg Cycle World. The workshop will focus on training and nutritional strategies for optimal conditioning in the 3-wk period before the race and race-day performance tips for pacing, racing and fueling.

• Training – key sessions in the weeks before; tapering; race-day preparation; route preview; pacing strategies; racing tips. 
• Nutrition – eating for health in the weeks before; carb loading; fluid loading; fueling strategies; picking your drink; anti-cramp measures; recovery.

Your Presenters

Michael van Staden is a qualified level 2 power coach accredited by Training Peaks. Michael also has a certificate in the AB and C of Sport Science and Psychology. He rides for a professional Cape Town based cycling Team and finished in 13th place in the 2008 Cape Argus cycle Tour at the age of 19. He is also the current U/23 Road and Time Trial champion as well as the recent Tour de Mauritius white jersey winner.

Ian Craig is an exercise scientist, nutritional therapist and NLP practitioner. He initially qualified as an Exercise Physiologist (MSc) and Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS), a knowledge-base that he applied into his own middle-distance running career. His current focus, Nutritional Therapy (BSc), joined with Sports Nutrition allows Ian to address the health and performance needs of cyclists. Considerations include weight management, digestive health, blood sugar regulation, overtraining and ultimately sporting performance. He runs three nutrition & exercise clinics, regular workshops on sports nutrition plus is a columnist for the ‘Go Multi’ multisport magazine.

Venue: Helderberg Cycle World

Meltz Centre, Somerset West

Time: 18:30 – 20:30

Cost: R100 per person

Argus 12 week Training Program: week 8

The program is designed for the average 35 - 40 year old, who has a maximum of 8 hours per week available for training. We are in week 8 now. Week 8 is the hardest training week and we push it to the maximum. Therefore it's good to include a funride this week to get some speed in the legs. If you didn't do the Medallion try to do the Ninety Niner 99er on 14/02 but don't do both.
The club rides are structured to incorporate the program, therefor members shouldn't have to worry about their training if they keep training with the club's outrides.

I trust that our midweek training will make your stronger. It is based on the Polar Training Zones and will focus on Lactate Tolerance and Aerobic Stamina training.
For the WE rides we should ride LSD in our Aerobic Endurance zone and include when possible a long climb (Hellshoogte or the Waterstation in Gordonsbay) while staying below 80% of our MaxHR. This will simulate the long climb up Suikerbossie.
The polar zones are based on heart rate.

Week8

09-02 Lactate Tolerance Westridge circuit, 12 x 2 min @ 85-95%

10-02 45 to 60 min recovery ride, small blade and high cadence, route weather depended

11-02 Aerobic Stamina Faure waterworks hill, 8 x 5 min @ 78-85%

Week9

16-02 Lactate Tolerance Westridge circuit, 8 x 2 min @ 85-95%

17-02 45 to 60 min recovery ride, small blade and high cadence, route weather depended

18-02 Aerobic Stamina Faure waterworks hill, 4 x 5 min @ 78-85%

Aerobic Stamina Workout Faure Waterworks Hill

• Warm-up 10-15 min @ 50-70% of MaxHR
• 6 x 5 min @ 78-85% of MaxHR. Recovery to 60% of MaxHR
• Cool down 10 min @ 50-70% of MaxHR

It's important to warm up! Ride from Waterstone Village to Faure Waterworks Hill and do one climb on a small blade to warm up. Next climb push it till you reach 78to 85% of your Maximum Heart Rate and keep it there for the all climb. Don't go flat out but rather control your heart rate. Try to do at least 4 climbs.

Lactate Tolerance Workout Westridge circuit

• Warm-up 10-15 min @ 50-70% of MaxHR
• 10 x 2 min @ 85-95% of MaxHR. Recovery to 50% of MaxHR
• Cool down 10 min @ 50-70% of MaxHR

It's very important to warm up! This work out will put a lot of straight onto your joins and tendons. Ride from Waterstone Village to Westridge and do one circuit on a small blade to warm up. Next lap you should start pushing at the bottom of the circuit after turning left into the long uphill. Push it till you reach 85% of your Maximum Heart Rate and keep it there for the all climb. Don't go flat out but rather control your heart rate. Try to do at least 8 laps.

Estimation of MaxHR
Male Athlete 205 – (0.5 x age)
Female Athlete 211 – (0.5 x age)

Training Target Zones

Target Zone	% of MaxHR	Benefit / Training Effect
Recovery	50-64%	Speed up recovery
Aerobic Endurance	65-77%	Increases metabolism Improves endurance Base work for high intensity workouts Strengthens muscles, tendons & ligaments
Aerobic Stamina	78-85%	Enhances aerobic power Base work for high intensity workouts Increases blood volume
Lactate Tolerance	86-93%	Increased tolerance to lactic acid Improves race specific endurance

Argus 12 week Training Program: week 7


The program is designed for the average 35 - 40 year old, who has a maximum of 8 hours per week available for training. We are in week 7 now. Week 7 and 8 are the hardest training weeks and we push it to the maximum. Therefore it's good to include a funride during these weeks to get some speed in the legs. There are 2 funrides coming up, the Medallion Tour De Stellenbosch 7/02 and the Ninety Niner 99er 14/02. Don't do both but rather choose one of them.

The club rides are structured to incorporate the program, therefor members shouldn't have to worry about their training if they keep training with the club's outrides.

I trust that our midweek training will make your stronger. It is based on the Polar Training Zones and will focus on Lactate Tolerance and Aerobic Stamina training.
For the WE rides we should ride LSD in our Aerobic Endurance zone and include when possible a long climb (Hellshoogte or the Waterstation in Gordonsbay) while staying below 80% of our MaxHR. This will simulate the long climb up Suikerbossie.
The polar zones are based on heart rate.


Week7

02-02 Lactate Tolerance Westridge circuit, 10 x 2 min @ 85-95%

03-02 45 to 60 min recovery ride, small blade and high cadence, route weather depended

04-02 Aerobic Stamina Faure waterworks hill, 6 x 5 min @ 78-85%


Week8

09-02 Lactate Tolerance Westridge circuit, 12 x 2 min @ 85-95%

10-02 45 to 60 min recovery ride, small blade and high cadence, route weather depended

11-02 Aerobic Stamina Faure waterworks hill, 8 x 5 min @ 78-85%


Aerobic Stamina Workout Faure Waterworks Hill

• Warm-up 10-15 min @ 50-70% of MaxHR
• 6 x 5 min @ 78-85% of MaxHR. Recovery to 60% of MaxHR
• Cool down 10 min @ 50-70% of MaxHR

It's important to warm up! Ride from Waterstone Village to Faure Waterworks Hill and do one climb on a small blade to warm up. Next climb push it till you reach 78to 85% of your Maximum Heart Rate and keep it there for the all climb. Don't go flat out but rather control your heart rate. Try to do at least 4 climbs.


Lactate Tolerance Workout Westridge circuit

• Warm-up 10-15 min @ 50-70% of MaxHR
• 10 x 2 min @ 85-95% of MaxHR. Recovery to 50% of MaxHR
• Cool down 10 min @ 50-70% of MaxHR


It's very important to warm up! This work out will put a lot of straight onto your joins and tendons. Ride from Waterstone Village to Westridge and do one circuit on a small blade to warm up. Next lap you should start pushing at the bottom of the circuit after turning left into the long uphill. Push it till you reach 85% of your Maximum Heart Rate and keep it there for the all climb. Don't go flat out but rather control your heart rate. Try to do at least 8 laps.


Estimation of MaxHR
Male Athlete 205 – (0.5 x age)
Female Athlete 211 – (0.5 x age)

Training Target Zones

Target Zone	% of MaxHR	Benefit / Training Effect
Recovery	50-64%	Speed up recovery
Aerobic Endurance	65-77%	Increases metabolism Improves endurance Base work for high intensity workouts Strengthens muscles, tendons & ligaments
Aerobic Stamina	78-85%	Enhances aerobic power Base work for high intensity workouts Increases blood volume
Lactate Tolerance	86-93%	Increased tolerance to lactic acid Improves race specific endurance

Argus 12 week Training Program: week 6

The program is designed for the average 35 - 40 year old, who has a maximum of 8 hours per week available for training. We are in week 5 now.

The club rides are structured to incorporate the program, therefor members shouldn't have to worry about their training if they keep training with the club's outrides.

I trust that our midweek training will make your stronger. It is based on the Polar Training Zones and will focus on Lactate Tolerance and Aerobic Stamina training.

For the WE rides we should ride LSD in our Aerobic Endurance zone and include when possible a long climb (Hellshoogte or the Waterstation in Gordonsbay) while staying below 80% of our MaxHR. This will simulate the long climb up Suikerbossie.

The polar zones are based on heart rate.

Week6

25-01 Lactate Tolerance Westridge circuit, 8 x 2 min @ 85-95%

26-01 45 to 60 min recovery ride, small blade and high cadence, route weather depended

27-01 Aerobic Stamina Faure waterworks hill, 4 x 5 min @ 78-85%

Week7

02-02 Lactate Tolerance Westridge circuit, 10 x 2 min @ 85-95%

03-02 45 to 60 min recovery ride, small blade and high cadence, route weather depended

04-02 Aerobic Stamina Faure waterworks hill, 6 x 5 min @ 78-85%

Aerobic Stamina Workout Faure Waterworks Hill

• Warm-up 10-15 min @ 50-70% of MaxHR
• 4 x 5 min @ 78-85% of MaxHR. Recovery to 60% of MaxHR
• Cool down 10 min @ 50-70% of MaxHR

It's important to warm up! Ride from Waterstone Village to Faure Waterworks Hill and do one climb on a small blade to warm up. Next climb push it till you reach 78to 85% of your Maximum Heart Rate and keep it there for the all climb. Don't go flat out but rather control your heart rate. Try to do at least 3 climbs.

Lactate Tolerance Workout Westridge circuit

• Warm-up 10-15 min @ 50-70% of MaxHR
• 8 x 2 min @ 85-95% of MaxHR. Recovery to 50% of MaxHR
• Cool down 10 min @ 50-70% of MaxHR

It's very important to warm up! This work out will put a lot of straight onto your joins and tendons. Ride from Waterstone Village to Westridge and do one circuit on a small blade to warm up. Next lap you should start pushing at the bottom of the circuit after turning left into the long uphill. Push it till you reach 85% of your Maximum Heart Rate and keep it there for the all climb. Don't go flat out but rather control your heart rate. Try to do at least 6 laps.

Estimation of MaxHR

Male Athlete 205 – (0.5 x age)

Female Athlete 211 – (0.5 x age)

Training Target Zones

Target Zone	% of MaxHR	Benefit / Training Effect
Recovery	50-64%	Speed up recovery
Aerobic Endurance	65-77%	Increases metabolism Improves endurance Base work for high intensity workouts Strengthens muscles, tendons & ligaments
Aerobic Stamina	78-85%	Enhances aerobic power Base work for high intensity workouts Increases blood volume
Lactate Tolerance	86-93%	Increased tolerance to lactic acid Improves race specific endurance

Argus 12 week Training Program: week 5

The program is designed for the average 35 - 40 year old, who has a maximum of 8 hours per week available for training. The minimum program duration is 12 weeks, therefore the program started on Monday 21 December already. We are therefor in week 5 now.

The club rides are structured to incorporate the program, therefor members shouldn't have to worry about their training if they keep training with the club's outrides.

I trust that our midweek training will make your stronger. It is based on the Polar Training Zones and will focus on Lactate Tolerance and Aerobic Stamina training.

For the WE rides we should ride LSD in our Aerobic Endurance zone and include when possible a long climb (Hellshoogte or the Waterstation in Gordonsbay) while staying below 80% of our MaxHR. This will simulate the long climb up Suikerbossie.

The polar zones are based on heart rate.

Week5

18-01 Lactate Tolerance Westridge circuit, 10 x 2 min @ 85-95%

19-01 45 to 60 min recovery ride, small blade and high cadence, route weather depended

20-01 Aerobic Stamina
Faure waterworks hill, 6 x 5 min @ 78-85%

Week6

25-01 Lactate Tolerance Westridge circuit, 8 x 2 min @ 85-95%

26-01 45 to 60 min recovery ride, small blade and high cadence, route weather depended

27-01 Aerobic Stamina
Faure waterworks hill, 4 x 5 min @ 78-85%

Aerobic Stamina Workout
Faure Waterworks Hill

• Warm-up 10-15 min @ 50-70% of MaxHR
• 5 x 5 min @ 78-85% of MaxHR. Recovery to 60% of MaxHR
• Cool down 10 min @ 50-70% of MaxHR

It's important to warm up! Ride from Waterstone Village to Faure Waterworks Hill and do one climb on a small blade to warm up. Next climb push it till you reach 78to 85% of your Maximum Heart Rate and keep it there for the all climb. Don't go flat out but rather control your heart rate. Try to do at least 3 climbs.

Lactate Tolerance Workout Westridge circuit

• Warm-up 10-15 min @ 50-70% of MaxHR
• 9 x 2 min @ 85-95% of MaxHR. Recovery to 50% of MaxHR
• Cool down 10 min @ 50-70% of MaxHR

It's very important to warm up! This work out will put a lot of straight onto your joins and tendons. Ride from Waterstone Village to Westridge and do one circuit on a small blade to warm up. Next lap you should start pushing at the bottom of the circuit after turning left into the long uphill. Push it till you reach 85% of your Maximum Heart Rate and keep it there for the all climb. Don't go flat out but rather control your heart rate. Try to do at least 6 laps.

Estimation of MaxHR

Male Athlete 205 – (0.5 x age)

Female Athlete 211 – (0.5 x age)

Training Target Zones

Target Zone	% of MaxHR	Benefit / Training Effect
Recovery	50-64%	Speed up recovery
Aerobic Endurance	65-77%	Increases metabolism Improves endurance Base work for high intensity workouts Strengthens muscles, tendons & ligaments
Aerobic Stamina	78-85%	Enhances aerobic power Base work for high intensity workouts Increases blood volume
Lactate Tolerance	86-93%	Increased tolerance to lactic acid Improves race specific endurance