Leadville 100 MTB Training
Fascat Coaching
The Leadville 100 MTB race features 3 major climbs on the out & back course: Columbine, Powerline, and St. Kevins. The St. Kevins climb is your first chance to rev your engine but you'll need to play it smart and hold yourself back to Tempo, you've got a lot of riding and even more altitude yet to come. From the top of St. Kevins, you'll get to catch your breath and let your HR come down again as you go into Turquoise Lake.
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The 10 mile climb to the Columbine Mine is steady forest access road for the first 8 miles. You'll want to settle into your Tempo or Sweet Spot climbing effort and make sure you're fueling well. The last 2 miles go from service road to steep doubletrack or even singletrack and depending on your home elevation, you may find it easier to hike-a-bike to the top as the altitude gets over 12,000 feet! Grab a bite to eat and refill your water at the top because you've only got 50 miles left and the first 10 are all downhill!
High Altitude
If you're lucky enough to live high in the Rockies, you'll have a big advantage with the altitude of this race! If not, you're going to need to pace yourself by heart rate on those climbs. As the elevation increases, your effective FTP decreases. On the Columbine climb alone, your FTP could drop 6% from bottom to top. And if you are from sea level, your FTP could be 18% lower than what you've been training with at home. But your threshold heart rate will remain the same no matter the altitude, your aerobic system just has to work harder as you get higher. So while it's great to train with watts, it's better to pace the Leadville 100 via heart rate. If you want to read more about how altitude affects your racing, check out Coach Jake's in-depth article here.
Gear Considerations
With a starting elevation over 9000', the weather can be unpredictable for Leadville! Expect cool to cold morning temps down to freezing, even in August, and midday temps in around 60-70 degrees F. Mountain weather can change quickly that high and winds and rain are not unheard of in the afternoon so make sure you dress in layers!
I recommend starting with a mid-weight sleeveless base layer that will help keep your core warm in the morning and dry in the heat of the afternoon. Arm warmers are essential and black ones will soak up the heat from the early morning sun to feel even warmer. If you aren't acclimated to the cooler mountain temps, knee warmers are also essential. And speaking of the sun, you're closer to it at 9-12,000 feet so bring sunscreen and sunglasses! A vest is handy for the cool mornings and helps keep you dry in the case of a passing afternoon shower. I prefer it to a full rain jacket because it keeps your core warm without turning you into a sauna, but if you aren't comfortable with wet arm warmers in the rain, grab that rain jacket just in case.
While many riders will opt for a hat or beanie at the start of the race, I prefer to use a piece of rip-stop nylon cut to the shape of the bug net of my helmet as a liner between the net & my lid. It blocks the wind and light rain and it's super easy to pull out and stash without having to remove the helmet. Plus it weighs almost nothing! And if you don't have enough hair to pull down over your ears, a Velcro ear band can be worn over helmet straps for faster removal when it gets warm. Lightweight shoes are great, but it's a good idea to have some that are comfortable for walking too as you may prefer to hike the top of the Columbine and Powerline climbs. Make sure your socks are up for a little hiking too, a 6-inch light wool cycling sock can help protect your calves from errant pedals if you have to hike and keep you warm at the start.
The Leadville 100 is a long day in the saddle so make sure you've got your most comfortable shorts or bibs and favorite chamois creme! Be sure to try out both in your long training rides so you know you and your shorts will still be friends at the end of the day. Stash some extra chamois creme in your pack too, you may need it. And ladies, don't use your guy's chamois creme, go with one specific to women! Lightweight long finger gloves are a must but if your fingers take a long time to warm up, consider layering up with a cheap pair of knit gloves over your mtb gloves. You don't want numb fingers off the start!
It goes without saying that you'll want an awesome hydration pack for this race. Make sure you use one that is comfortable to wear all day and fits well, you don't need it sliding up on the Powerline descent! And make sure it's easy for you to use. Side pockets aren't any good if you can't reach them from the saddle.
Tires are also a big thing to consider. The trails are mostly dirt or eroding granite so leave your sticky rubber at home. Choose a tire that's got sturdy sidewalls because the granite's not very gneiss (that one's for you geologists!). Better to have a slightly heavier tire than to have to stop and patch a sidewall!
Nutritional Considerations
The high altitude means you're going to dehydrate faster than usual, on and off the bike, so make sure you are constantly hydrating before, during, and after the race. It can also mean headaches from altitude sickness so bring along some of your favorite headache remedy, just in case. Caffeine can also help but it will depend in part on your daily intake & personal tolerance. If you lose more sodium in your sweat than you can replace with your favorite sports drink, bring some salt pills. You can pre-hydrate a day or 2 before the race with extra sodium too.
The general rule of thumb for ultra endurance events is to take in 300-400 calories per hour or roughly 75-100g of carbs. Note that female athletes tend to do better with 200-300 calories or 50-75g of carbs. The terrain at Leadville will make sticking to such a formula challenging so consider setting a nutritional alarm to remind you to bite & swallow some sports chews when you can't manage something more solid. It's also a great idea to pack a special treat that you will be looking forward to when you're 5, 6, 8 hours into the race. That could be a PB&J, Snicker's Bar, whatever food you know will motivate you! Use the long training rides to get all of your nutrition dialed, including that special treat!
Pack more fuel than you think you'll need because the aid stations will be crowded and you don't want to rely on them. If you have your own crew, you can carry a little less because you know they will seek you out & make sure you're taken care of.
When you're high up on the Columbine climb, listen closely and you'll hear the winds whisper of those who have come before you, from Baby Doe to Rebecca Rusch. Leadville brings out the fierce determination in all!
Between the gear & nutrition alone, there's a lot to consider for Leadville! You can make it easier on yourself with a training plan for only $49. You get a free TrainingPeaks Premium account with a mobile app so you can see your data and always know what to do each and every day for six weeks leading into Leadville.
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Join our *FREE* Athlete Forum to nerd out with FasCat coaches and athletes about your FTP, race data, power based training, or anything related to going fast on the bike!
Coach Nadia is a Colorado native and a Senior Coach at FasCat Coaching in Boulder, CO. She's raced and ridden her bike all over the state and loves to "earn her turns" on long climbs and descents. You can buy FasCat’s six week interval Leadville 100 training plans designed by Nadia here.
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I have worked with Sierra...
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Triple Bypass
- Features Sweet Spot, Tempo & Threshold Intervals to prepare you for the long sustained climbs!
- Group Rides & Simulation Rides on the Weekend
- Includes a Taper into the Race + Leg Openers
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100 Mile Mountain Bike Race
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16 Weeks Of Sweet Spot
- Builds a Big Aerobic Base
- Complete 4 month Training Plan with 3 Power Tests
- new Professional Level with 18 - 26 hours / week
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24 Week Off-Season Cyclocross Training
- Off-season cyclocross plan is a combination of weight lifting and sweet spot base
- 24-week plan is perfect to begin in January-March to prepare for the Spring/Summer season
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30 Week Weights + Sweet Spot Base
- Increase power and endurance
- Combines Weight Lifting then Sweet Spot Base Training
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40k Time Trial
- 12 wks of TT specific threshold intervals
- Raise your threshold power output with VO2's
- Includes, Course Recons, a Taper into the Race + Leg Openers!
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At Home Weight Lifting Plan: 10 Weeks (new for 2024)
- Increase your Power Output in 10 weeks
- This program is modified from our tried 'n true 10 week weight lifting plan
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Boulder Roubaix
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Breck Epic Sweet Spot Training Plan
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Climbing Intervals
- This plan will put you on the start line prepared to crush some massive climbs!
- Tempo, SS & Threshold intervals during the week + group rides and/or harder efforts on the weekend
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Crusher in the Tushar
- Prepares you to CRUSH the Tushar Crusher this upcoming July
- Includes Sweet Spot, Threshold, VO2 work, and Simulation Rides
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CX Race & Recover: In-Season
- Perfect for putting your speed & skills to the test
- Keeps your 'cross skills sharp so you are ready to race and balances recovery so you can continue to perform well
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Cyclocross Intervals
- Suitable for the cyclocross athlete that wants to get ready to race
- Includes a taper and leg openers to prepare you for your first race of the season
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Cyclocross Summer Sweet Spot
- Perfect for the CX athlete that likes to plan ahead and build a solid base
- Includes structured Sweet Spot intervals + skill work so no watts are left on the table!
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Foundation : 3 Weeks
- Perfect for all cyclists beginning off season training
- Raise your CTL and the all-important muscle tension intervals
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Gran Fondo Plan
- For the rider that has loftier goals than just finishing
- Includes longer rides and cycling specific nutrition guidance
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Gravel In-Season
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Gravel Training Plan
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Haute Route
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Iceman Cometh
- Start this six week plan Sept 25th
- XC MTB specific training for the IceMan
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Indoor / Outdoor for Zwift & Smart Trainers
- Perfect for winter indoors
- Sweet Spot, Tempo intervals, Threshold Intervals
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Indoor Cycling
- Indoor cycling training plan has advanced aerobic endurance
- Workouts are geared towards you riding indoors on the trainer
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Intervals for Cross Country MTB
- 6-week cross-country interval training plan
- Endurance mountain bike hammer rides, VO2's, threshold, diabolical tabatas, and race starts to prepare you to crush your goal race!
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Intervals for Time Trials
- 6-week Intervals for Time Trials training plan
- Use your training zones to ride just hard enough to get faster & stronger
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Leadville 100 MTB
- Leadville 100 MTB Training Plan, starts Monday July 1st for the August 10, 2024 race
- Preps you for the grueling alpine climbs in Leadville
- Include simulation rides and nutrition guidance
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Phil Gaimon's FONDO
- Complete similar workouts to what Phil does to prepare for all his KOM's
- Sweet Spot training, threshold intervals, and some anaerobic work
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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
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Road & Crit Intervals
- Get race ready for the road season with our Intervals
- Includes VO2's, anaerobic intervals, diabolical tabatas
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Road Race In-Season
- Weekend racing and group rides with weekday training and recovery
- anaerobic efforts like criss cross, Over/Unders Sweet Spot, Threshold
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Road Racing Intervals
- Increase your functional and race-specific power output
- Includes Sweet Spot, VO2, Anaerobic, Threshold
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Six Weeks Till Cyclocross
- This plan begins before the season starts so you have time to get faster
- Rock this plan and move onto the Cyclocross Intervals plan before the season starts
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Six Weeks to Peak for CX Nationals
- Raises your CTL to peak for Cyclocross Nationals
- Strategically timed training block around Thanksgiving
- Includes an age-based taper
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Stage Race Intervals
- Incorporates training races along with the weekend group rides
- For stage racers combines plenty of threshold work in the aero position
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Steamboat Gravel
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Sweet Spot + Resistance Training
- 16 Weeks of training perfect for building your aerobic base in the off season
- Four Phases of resistance training with neuromuscular sprint work
- Combines our 10 weeks of weight & Sweet Spot Part 2
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Sweet Spot Marathon MTB Plan
- This plan gets you ready to climb a ride a 50-100-mile event
- This Plan was featured in Outside Magazine, click view details to learn what they had to say!
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Sweet Spot Part 1 for the Triathlete
- Increase aerobic fitness and power output
- Perfect starting point for the foundation of your training
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Sweet Spot Part 1: Build Your Base
- Begin to Build Your Base
- Increase FTP by 5 - 20% !
- Home of Sweet Spot training
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Sweet Spot Part 2: Boost Your Base
- Boost Your Base
- Increase aerobic fitness and power output
- Perfect continuation from Sweet Spot part 1
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Sweet Spot Part 3: Base to Race
- The transition from base to race
- Increase aerobic fitness and power output
- Perfect continuation from Sweet Spot part 2
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Sweet Spot Part 4: Fresh and Fast
- ideal for summer training
- Increases FTP & Improves Endurance
- Balance of Sweet Spot and VO2 Max work
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Triple Bypass
- Features Sweet Spot, Tempo & Threshold Intervals to prepare you for the long sustained climbs!
- Group Rides & Simulation Rides on the Weekend
- Includes a Taper into the Race + Leg Openers
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100 Mile Mountain Bike Race
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16 Weeks Of Sweet Spot
- Builds a Big Aerobic Base
- Complete 4 month Training Plan with 3 Power Tests
- new Professional Level with 18 - 26 hours / week
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24 Week Off-Season Cyclocross Training
- Off-season cyclocross plan is a combination of weight lifting and sweet spot base
- 24-week plan is perfect to begin in January-March to prepare for the Spring/Summer season
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30 Week Weights + Sweet Spot Base
- Increase power and endurance
- Combines Weight Lifting then Sweet Spot Base Training
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40k Time Trial
- 12 wks of TT specific threshold intervals
- Raise your threshold power output with VO2's
- Includes, Course Recons, a Taper into the Race + Leg Openers!

At Home Weight Lifting Plan: 10 Weeks (new for 2024)
- Increase your Power Output in 10 weeks
- This program is modified from our tried 'n true 10 week weight lifting plan
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Boulder Roubaix
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Breck Epic Sweet Spot Training Plan
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Climbing Intervals
- This plan will put you on the start line prepared to crush some massive climbs!
- Tempo, SS & Threshold intervals during the week + group rides and/or harder efforts on the weekend
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Crusher in the Tushar
- Prepares you to CRUSH the Tushar Crusher this upcoming July
- Includes Sweet Spot, Threshold, VO2 work, and Simulation Rides
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CX Race & Recover: In-Season
- Perfect for putting your speed & skills to the test
- Keeps your 'cross skills sharp so you are ready to race and balances recovery so you can continue to perform well
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Cyclocross Intervals
- Suitable for the cyclocross athlete that wants to get ready to race
- Includes a taper and leg openers to prepare you for your first race of the season
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Cyclocross Summer Sweet Spot
- Perfect for the CX athlete that likes to plan ahead and build a solid base
- Includes structured Sweet Spot intervals + skill work so no watts are left on the table!
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Foundation : 3 Weeks
- Perfect for all cyclists beginning off season training
- Raise your CTL and the all-important muscle tension intervals
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Gran Fondo Plan
- For the rider that has loftier goals than just finishing
- Includes longer rides and cycling specific nutrition guidance
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Gravel In-Season
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Gravel Training Plan
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Haute Route
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Iceman Cometh
- Start this six week plan Sept 25th
- XC MTB specific training for the IceMan
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Indoor / Outdoor for Zwift & Smart Trainers
- Perfect for winter indoors
- Sweet Spot, Tempo intervals, Threshold Intervals
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Indoor Cycling
- Indoor cycling training plan has advanced aerobic endurance
- Workouts are geared towards you riding indoors on the trainer
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Intervals for Cross Country MTB
- 6-week cross-country interval training plan
- Endurance mountain bike hammer rides, VO2's, threshold, diabolical tabatas, and race starts to prepare you to crush your goal race!
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Intervals for Time Trials
- 6-week Intervals for Time Trials training plan
- Use your training zones to ride just hard enough to get faster & stronger
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Leadville 100 MTB
- Leadville 100 MTB Training Plan, starts Monday July 1st for the August 10, 2024 race
- Preps you for the grueling alpine climbs in Leadville
- Include simulation rides and nutrition guidance
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Phil Gaimon's FONDO
- Complete similar workouts to what Phil does to prepare for all his KOM's
- Sweet Spot training, threshold intervals, and some anaerobic work
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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
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Road & Crit Intervals
- Get race ready for the road season with our Intervals
- Includes VO2's, anaerobic intervals, diabolical tabatas
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Road Race In-Season
- Weekend racing and group rides with weekday training and recovery
- anaerobic efforts like criss cross, Over/Unders Sweet Spot, Threshold
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Road Racing Intervals
- Increase your functional and race-specific power output
- Includes Sweet Spot, VO2, Anaerobic, Threshold
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Six Weeks Till Cyclocross
- This plan begins before the season starts so you have time to get faster
- Rock this plan and move onto the Cyclocross Intervals plan before the season starts
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Six Weeks to Peak for CX Nationals
- Raises your CTL to peak for Cyclocross Nationals
- Strategically timed training block around Thanksgiving
- Includes an age-based taper
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Stage Race Intervals
- Incorporates training races along with the weekend group rides
- For stage racers combines plenty of threshold work in the aero position
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Steamboat Gravel
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Sweet Spot + Resistance Training
- 16 Weeks of training perfect for building your aerobic base in the off season
- Four Phases of resistance training with neuromuscular sprint work
- Combines our 10 weeks of weight & Sweet Spot Part 2
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Sweet Spot Marathon MTB Plan
- This plan gets you ready to climb a ride a 50-100-mile event
- This Plan was featured in Outside Magazine, click view details to learn what they had to say!
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Sweet Spot Part 1 for the Triathlete
- Increase aerobic fitness and power output
- Perfect starting point for the foundation of your training
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Sweet Spot Part 1: Build Your Base
- Begin to Build Your Base
- Increase FTP by 5 - 20% !
- Home of Sweet Spot training
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Sweet Spot Part 2: Boost Your Base
- Boost Your Base
- Increase aerobic fitness and power output
- Perfect continuation from Sweet Spot part 1
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Sweet Spot Part 3: Base to Race
- The transition from base to race
- Increase aerobic fitness and power output
- Perfect continuation from Sweet Spot part 2
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Sweet Spot Part 4: Fresh and Fast
- ideal for summer training
- Increases FTP & Improves Endurance
- Balance of Sweet Spot and VO2 Max work
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Triple Bypass
- Features Sweet Spot, Tempo & Threshold Intervals to prepare you for the long sustained climbs!
- Group Rides & Simulation Rides on the Weekend
- Includes a Taper into the Race + Leg Openers