Season Pacing

>>>I was wondering if you would mind sharing your thoughts on using your
>>>philosophy for mountain bike races around 2 to 2h20?

I'd train very much the same as what I think is appropriate for IM. The
major change that I would make is that I'd leave out the Big Day Training as
that isn't key for their event.

There would be a temptation to do a lot of hard stuff earlier in the
season -- there always is! I'd skip that. Especially because the racing
season is so long.

I'd also have the guys race less than they normally do. Two hours all-out 3
out of 4 weekends will have the guys flat in no time. So you really need to
think about when the athlete needs to be fast as well as what's required
when it is time to be fast.

With an event that is so hard in the first 30 minutes -- a deep, deep
fitness platform is required. So that points to quite a bit of work on the
road bike -- even steady load.

My general approach to the year working backwards:

Key End of Season Event
2.5 Months of Specific Prep, last month holding back (always)
Transition
2.5 Months which includes 3 week race cycle; 3 week base cycle; 3 week race
cycle
Transition
4 month Base Period
Month off

So there's not alot of racing in there. However, when the athlete is racing
it will be lifting their fitness and they will be fast.

This is an ideal model -- for athletes that have to qualify for their end of
season race, that complicates it. Not so much with a two-hour event.

Your athletes that peak in April -- they are doing more intensity than you
think over the winter. I see it with my guys all the time. Some people
have an inability to hold back. This stunts their ultimate achievement.

Within that year above -- probably 8-10 events with 3 being important and 1
being very important.

If I was training for a mountain bike race, I'd hire Lynda Wallenfels as my
coach. I have a lot of trust in her.