# block training



## nousername (May 19, 2009)

Hello,
I typically race on Sat and/or Sun and would like to get in 2 additional short but hard workouts in during the week. It is usually recommended to do these workouts on Tue/Thu but I find that I cannot recover enuf to race on Saturday if I do a hard workout on Thu.

My solution has been to do a higher intensity workout on Tue - today I plan to do Carmichael's "over-unders" => 8min/3min x 4 at ~LT/>LT followed the next day by either 2x20s or 2 sets of 10 of 30sec/30sec .

My question is: am I getting the full training effect/benefits of both workouts if I do not take a day of rest in between?

My strengths are TTs and easier grade climbs. My weaknesses are changing paces (like in crits) and very steep grade hills.

Thanks in advance.


----------



## Creakyknees (Sep 21, 2003)

I also do block training Tu-We for the same reasons. Just be sure to practice good recovery on Tuesday after your ride, get lots of hydration and antioxidants, sleep, etc.

Tuesdays are training crits, so Wednesday I either hit a small fast group ride, or do structured work like 2x20s.


----------



## race fast (May 5, 2009)

I do a lot of block training, especially during the pre-season to get ready for the hard races. 

Block training is useful because it teaches your body to recover faster, so in addition to getting the benefit of doing intensity work, you are improving your recovery rate.


----------



## iliveonnitro (Feb 19, 2006)

4 days of intensity/wk?

Hmm...


----------



## Raceoftruth (Oct 6, 2007)

Have to agree with nitro. 2 races back to back on a weekly basis is definitely a bit hardcore and probably more than enough intensity. Given you've got Carmichael's book, I'd say take a look at the advanced training plan. Compare your number of intense days to that.

Secondly, do some reading on periodisation and when to do different types of intervals. Those over/under intervals should have your legs fried the next day. Doing LT intervals then anaerobic the next day seems a little counter-productive. 

Also, what kind of races are you doing?


----------



## nousername (May 19, 2009)

I am doing pretty much everything - focusing on RRs but there are not that many here. Many weekends there is a hill climb or TT one day and a crit the other. I am also going to be doing 2 two day stage races.

I actually was too tired to do the OU workout yday so will do it today and skip the LT ints.

I have been roughly periodicizing - I did a bunch of LT work throughout the early winter/spring and, for the past 5-6 weeks, have been throwing in some workouts to increase my anaerobic capacity and lactate tolerance, which I perceive to be my weaknesses (I come from a MTB background, so LT efforts are my strength). I was going to throw in an extra LT workout during the week to prepare for the State TT championships, which iare in 2.5 weeks.


----------

