Collegiate Road Nationals Training
Jake Rytlewski
My experience with collegiate racing is sometimes the races can be short, even if they aren’t short I would look to get more riding before or after the races. Early on this is a great way to build up your CTL, though when I was racing I didn’t know what CTL was. I remember riding back to school from races, or even doubling up the collegiate race with the category races. Racking up as much as two 80 mile races in a row. But that effort, with proper recover paid off to some great results come nationals and into my summer pro racing schedule.
Early on the plan works on some threshold work specific to the team time trial event. Which can also help for long breakaways. It also has a built in 3 day training weekend, that is race free, that is suppose to simulate the collegiate nationals weekend. You will work on some threshold, hills and sprints.
In the second half half of the plan you will work on more race specific efforts. You will do Vo2 max intervals and anaerobic efforts. Looking at the course by using Strava you can see that the climbs are short, especially the uphill to the finish. Along with these efforts you will do sweet spot burst. This has two functions. First sweet spot is the most advance aerobic activity you can to do. So by doing these we can keep up with your aerobic fitness. But by adding the burst we make them more race specific. Cycling is a very dynamic sport and power in a race is rarely constant. So by doing the burst we train your body to clear the lactic acid while on the go.
The week before nationals you will begin your taper. It is important not to over do it at this point. You are looking to be fresh. You won’t get better this close to the event. But you want the efforts to keep sharp and keep from going flat into nationals.
Jake Rytlewski
4 -Time MWCCC Conference Champion 2003 - 2006
2 - Time Marian University Track National Championship Team member 2002, 2003
2nd - 2005 Collegiate Road Race / Omnium
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Road Racing Intervals
- Increase your functional and race-specific power output
- Includes Sweet Spot, VO2, Anaerobic, Threshold
Road Race In-Season
- Weekend racing and group rides with weekday training and recovery
- anaerobic efforts like criss cross, Over/Unders Sweet Spot, Threshold
Foundation : 3 Weeks
- Perfect for all cyclists beginning off season training
- Raise your CTL and the all-important muscle tension intervals
Phil Gaimon's Strava PR Plan
- Perfect Plan for Those with Less Training Time, starts at 15 minutes per day
- VO2's, 1 minuters, Tabatas, threshold, suprathreshold, and even Sweet Spot
