With the solstice and the arrival of summer, the cycling scene could literally not be hotter. Group rides are rolling out almost every night of the week, centuries and charity events are plentiful and of course the racing scene is full speed ahead. However, many cyclists, from weekend warriors to racers are often missing something. Something that could be the difference between being dropped from the group ride or peloton and being the one pushing the pace and shelling other riders.
That something is an understanding of the importance of VO2 max (Zone 5 or Z5) training. This season, much like every other one before it, I see lots of riders who are plenty strong and tactically fit. However, they lack that one last skill that would turn them from a “one-speed rider” into a group shattering monster. They lack the punch to match accelerations on climbs, make it over short, sharp pitches and surge with the group. More than that, they lack the ability to repeat these surges over and over again, and they invariably find themselves off the back asking “what happened?”
Today's podcast will deal with the how and why of VO2 max training, including:
- Describing what VO2 max is
- Why VO2 max is important to train
- How to train Zone 5 properly
- Indoor trainer workouts for Zone 5 power and repeatability
- Outdoor examples of how to incorporate Zone 5 work into your rides
As always, if you have questions or comments about today's podcast, feel free to contact me. And always remember to rate the Tailwind Coaching Podcast on iTunes!
And for my podcast listeners, you can take 15% off everything in my downloadable training plans section by using the code “spower”. This code will expire on July 4th, so act fast!
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 43:21 — 39.7MB)
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