"The goal of speed training is to develop and sharpen your fitness, form and skills for peak performance. Training intervals aim to improve your reaction time, acceleration, maximum speed, speed endurance and economy," says Dr. Carol Austin, who's been the Director of Health and Performance for Team MTN-Qhubeka for the past five years.
Originally, Austin was a medical doctor, but she's always had an interest in physiology, sport and exercise. She developed herself as a coach in the early 2000s in the U.S., and now runs her own company, where she focuses on bringing first-world coaching technology to African cyclists. Here, she shares her tips on developing your speed training.
Do it if...
...you want to be able to react better in events that require you to change your pace frequency, rides or races with sprint finishes and short, sharp hills, or technical trails that need a boost of acceleration. Speed training suits all riders with a competitive side to them, as it will improve your ability to initiate and respond to attacks.
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All you need is...
...a bike (stationary or normal). You can do speed training anywhere: indoors, on the road, or on trails. Austin suggests that as you approach your goal event, you train in an environment that simulates the ride.
Aside from the psychological training, you need to hone mental concentration, focus and reaction time. Austin suggests training in a group to fine-tune your skills.
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Commit to...
...at least six weeks of speed training to see significant improvements.
Spend...
...one to three sessions a week, depending on your phase of training. These focused sessions are relatively short in duration and generally include a warm-up (45 minutes), intervals as prescribed, and a 20- to 30-minute cool down.
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In a session...
...focus on things like cadence drills, high-intensity interval training, speed intervals or hill attacks and flat sprints. At least one session a week should focus on longer intervals of three to five minutes.
Progress by...
...progressively increasing the volume of intervals by increasing the number of sets or reps. You should increase the volume in the one to two weeks building up to the event.
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Taper by...
...maintaining load up to two weeks before the event. Then reduce the volume of training by up to 60 percent, but maintain training frequency and intensity.
You're overtraining if...
...you feel fatigued, lethargic, lack enthusiasm and are often irritable. You might also experience insomnia, appetite changes or muscle soreness, says Austin. You're doing it right if you feel like you're getting faster.
Read the original article published on Bicycling.com.
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