COACHING

Preparation for ‘La Look’

Cycle No.2

By Jean-Baptiste WIROTH

With a few weeks left to the date, it is essential to do " specific " training in order to be in optimal form on the big day. Being on top form at the right time requires some personal experience. Be that as it may, achieving top form depends on a high level of training and a low level of fatigue. Therefore all depends on the capacity to accomplish an overload phase and then to assimilate it quickly. That is what we propose with this second cycle of specific preparation.

NB: Moreover, unless you are particularly lagging behind with your preparation, feel free to train "just a bit less than too much" during the last cycle.

Preparation programme for the 164 km 'La Look' event - Cycle 2
Duration: 5 weeks (from 11 April to 15 May)

Week 1 11 -> 17 April	Duration	Intensity	Session content
Objective of the week : restart after the recovery week
Session 1 (week)	2h30	Z1 Z2 Z3 Z4 Z5	Road Objective : Combined development of MAP / anaerobic threshold Warming-up : 45min zone Z1-Z2 Exercise : Make 3 efforts of 12min in progressive acceleration (7 min Z3 pace / 4 min Z4 pace / 1 min Z5 pace) at the cadence of > 70 rpm. Free recovery between the 3 efforts Cool-down : 15 min in zone Z1-Z2
Optional session 2 (week)	1h	Z1 Z2	Road Objective : Active recovery Warming-up : 10 min zone Z1 Exercise : Flat course without exceeding zone Z2. Do not apply any force to the pedals
Session 3 (week-end)	3h30	Z1 - Z7	Road Objective : Simulation Course Warming-up : 1h zone Z1-Z2-Z3 Exercise : Group session at a free pace Cool-down : 30 min in zone Z1-Z2
Session 4 (week-end)	3h	Z1 Z2 Z3	Road Objective : Endurance Warming-up : 30min zone Z1-Z2-Z3 Exercise : slightly hilly course without exceeding zone Z3. Include 5 x (30 sec left leg / 30 sec right leg / 1 min normal pedalling at 90 rpm) on an uphill false flat (4%) Cool-down : 30 min in zone Z1-Z2

Total: 10h

Week 2 18 -> 24 April	Duration	Intensity	Session content
Objective of the week : perform a " volume " overload and accomplish a " shock " weekend 3 weeks ahead of target
Session 1 (week)	3h	Z1 Z2 Z3 Z4 Z5	Road Objective : Combined development of MAP / anaerobic threshold Warming-up : 45min zone Z1-Z2 Exercise : Make 3 efforts of 15min in progressive acceleration (8 min Z3 pace / 6 min Z4 pace / 1 min Z5 pace) at the cadence of > 70 rpm. Free recovery between the 3 efforts Cool-down : 15 min in zone Z1-Z2
Optional session 2 (week)	1h	Z1 Z2	Road Objective : Active recovery Warming-up : 10 min zone Z1 Exercise : Flat course without exceeding zone Z2. Do not apply any force to the pedals
Session 3 (week-end)	5h	Z1 - Z7	Road Objective : Simulation Course Warming-up : 1h zone Z1-Z2-Z3 Exercise : Group session at a free pace Cool-down : 30 min in zone Z1-Z2
Session 4 (week-end)	3h	Z1 Z2 Z3	Road Objective : Endurance Warming-up : 30min zone Z1-Z2-Z3 Exercise : slightly hilly course without exceeding zone Z3. Include 6 x (30 sec left leg / 30 sec right leg / 1 min normal pedalling at 90 rpm) on an uphill false flat (4%) Cool-down : 30 min in zone Z1-Z2

Total: 12h

Week 3 25 April -> 1 May	Duration	Intensity	Session content
Objective of the week : finish the overload in the " intensity " mode
Session 1 (week)	3h	Z1 Z2 Z3 Z4 Z5	Road Objective : Combined development of MAP / anaerobic threshold Warming-up : 45min zone Z1-Z2 Exercise : Make 3 efforts of 20min in progressive acceleration (10 min Z3 pace / 9 min Z4 pace / 1 min Z5 pace) at the cadence of > 70 rpm. Free recovery between the 3 efforts Cool-down : 15 min in zone Z1-Z2
Optional session 2 (week)	1h	Z1 Z2	Road Objective : Active recovery Exercise : Flat course without exceeding zone Z2. Do not apply any force to the pedals
Session 3 (week-end)	4h	Z1 - Z7	Road Objective : Simulation Course Warming-up : 1h zone Z1-Z2-Z3 Exercise : Group session at a free pace Cool-down : 30 min in zone Z1-Z2
Session 4 (week-end)	2h	Z1 Z2 Z3	Road Objective : Endurance Warming-up : 30min zone Z1-Z2-Z3 Exercise : slightly hilly course without exceeding zone Z3. Include 8 x (30 sec left leg / 30 sec right leg / 1 min normal pedalling at 90 rpm) on an uphill false flat (4%) Cool-down : 30 min in zone Z1-Z2

Total: 10h

Week 4 2 -> 8 May	Duration	Intensity	Session content
Objective of the week : start the tapering phase without yielding to the temptation to continue the overload!
Session 1 (Wednesday or Thursday)	2h30	Z1 Z2 Z3 Z5 Z5	Road Objective : To develop MAP Warming-up : 1h zone Z1-Z2-Z3 Exercise 1 : do 8 x (1min Z5 pace / 4min Z3 pace) at the cadence of > 70 rpm. Cool-down : 15 min in zone Z1-Z2
Optional weekday session	1h	Z1 Z2	Road Objective : Active recovery Exercise : Flat course without exceeding zone Z2. Do not apply any force to the pedals
Session 2 (week-end)	3h	Z1 - Z7	Road Objective : Simulation Course Warming-up : 1h zone Z1-Z2-Z3 Exercise : Group session at a free pace Cool-down : 30 min in zone Z1-Z2

Total: 6h30

Week 5 9 -> 15 May	Duration	Intensity	Session content
Objective of the week : finalise recovery and store as much physical and mental energy as possible for the big day
Optional session 1 (Monday or Tuesday)	1h	Z1 Z2	Road Objective : Active recovery Exercise : Flat course without exceeding zone Z2. Do not apply any force to the pedals
Session 2 (Wednesday)	2h	Z1 - Z7	Road Objective : Tapering Warming-up : 30min zone Z1-Z2-Z3 Exercise : Hilly course at a free pace Remember to breathe and pedal at a specific cadence (60-80 rpm) on each climb Cool-down : 15 min in zone Z1-Z2
Session 3 (Saturday)	1h	Z1 Z2 Z3 Z7	Road Objective : Muscle activation Warming-up : 30min zone Z1-Z2-Z3 Exercise : perform in zone Z7 5 accelerations of 10sec/15sec/20sec/30sec/10sec separated by 1min of active recuperation in zone Z1. Once the exercise is completed, finish the session with endurance Cool-down : 15 min in zone Z1-Z2
La Look

Total: 4h not counting the race

Training Intensities
The intensity of a training session should be determined on the basis of the heart rate, power and/or sensations. Training intensities are ideally set using the results of an exercise test performed in a sports and health laboratory. In the absence of such results, two equations provide an estimate of the maximum heart rate (MHR):

Man : MHR = 220 - age in years
Woman : MHR = 226 - age in years

Zone	% MHR	% MAP	Associated sensations
Z7 (Short Sprint)	Not significant	180 - 300	- tingling in the muscles just after the effort - hyperventilation after the effort - conversation impossible
Z6 (Long Sprint)	Not significant	100 – 180	- maximum muscle pain during the effort - extreme pain during the exercise - hyperventilation during the exercise - conversation impossible
Z5 MAP (Maximal Aerobic Power)	95 – 100	80 – 100	- rapid increase of muscular pain - rapid increase in ventilation - conversation very difficult
Z4 (Anaerobic Threshold)	90 – 95	75 – 80	- progressive increase of muscular pain - progressive increase in ventilation - conversation difficult
Z3 (Tempo)	85 - 90	65 - 75	- appearance of a slight muscle pain during effort - ventilation high but stable and controllable - conversation possible
Z2 (Basic Endurance)	75 - 85	50 - 65	- no muscular pain - intensity easily maintained - conversation easy
Z1 (Recovery)	< 75	40 - 50	- no muscular pain - intensity easily maintained - conversation very easy

By Jean-Baptiste WIROTH

Doctor of Sports Science Founder of the WTS sports coaching company – The Coaching Company®

Website : http://www.wts.fr

E-mail : jb.wiroth@wts.fr

COACHING

Preparation for ‘La Look’

Cycle No.2

Not significant

180 - 300