Rules of training for the older cyclist

[jimoots]

Originally Posted by callmeishmael

I received this as part of of a (private) FB group I belong to. It was put together by a couple of coaches for their clients, and offered as some general guidance for cyclists over ~35 who still 'train' and have performance goals. I don't necessarily agree with all of it, but I thought there were some very good points, and good food for thought, so I'm posting it below. I'd be interested to know what you all think.

1. Most riding should be easy. Cycling is an endurance sport, and easy miles are the foundation on which everything should be built. Around 80% of your rides, and 90% of your time, should be no more than 4/10 effort/0.6-0.65 IF by power. It’s actually very rare for most experienced cyclists, riding solo, accidentally to go too easily. If in doubt, go easier, and if feeling good, go longer, not harder.
2. Intervals shouldn't be flat out. Intervals once a week, or 3 times a fortnight, can work very well, but aim for an RPE of 8 to 8.5/10, not 10/10! A HR ceiling of 95% of max for training is a good guide: save the flat-out efforts for important races or fitness tests (which shouldn’t be done more often than once a month at most). You should finish the vast majority of interval sessions feeling that you could probably have gone just a little bit harder if you’d had to.
3. Mix it up. Variety is a big part of keeping it fresh and developing your skills. Ride different routes, ride with different groups, ride different bikes, have different focus points (i.e. doing your turns perfectly, nailing your lines in the descents, etc). Also, most roadies should own a gravel bike or an mtb.
4. Limit turbo training. A Zwift race every now and again is fun, and the turbo is a good tool for building fitness, especially when the weather is bad or time is short. There are also rare situations where helps with a very specific issue or problem (a broken clavicle springs to mind). But too much turbo work often promotes bad habits in posture and pedalling, and doesn’t make you a better bike handler (obviously!). It can also lead to unhelpful number fixation. Use it sparingly and specifically. Oh, and learn to ride rollers if you spend lots of time riding indoors.
5. Resistance and mobility work are training, and crucial to support riding: don’t neglect them. The older you are, the more important this becomes. Many bike fit issues are really person fit issues, and can be solved through conditioning.
6. You shouldn’t just be training the engine: better body positioning and better bike handling skills are crucial parts of being a better cyclist. At least part of one session every week should be devoted to these things.
7. Ride and train mindfully. This lumps more than 1 thing together, but tune in to your body, tune in to your bike, really look at and appreciate your surroundings. Be present and attentive: don’t just go through the motions. You’ll get more from your sessions, and much more enjoyment, by deliberately staying in the moment.
8. Learn to ride by RPE. Once a fortnight, stick the computer in your back pocket and try to hit your numbers by feel. After the ride, look at how well you managed that. It’s hard at first, but you’ll get better at it quickly. Not only will these things make you a better cyclist, it will help to remove unhelpful number fixation.
9. Don’t train when sick or when very tired. At best, you’ll gain nothing from it. At worst, you’ll make things much worse. Lose the hero/no days off mentality. Rest. Sometimes that takes more discipline, not less.
10. You are not your FTP. There’s so much more to it than FTP. FTP is a very limited measure by which to judge both ability and progress. RPE over long rides, repeatability of near max efforts, and (dare one say it) enjoyment, are much more relevant measures for most cyclists.

Finally – and this is an extra one - whatever riding and training you do, pick something you enjoy. Remember that you’re not being paid to do this, nor will you be able to do it forever, so make the most of it.

None of those tips are specific to training as an "older" cyclist. Like seriously, none of them. They all seem like the foundation to a long term and sustainable training plan.

The only real bone in there is the 80% of rides / 90% of time should be easy. You should only be doing 2 (max 3) sessions a week that contain intensity. That intensity can take up to 80% of total ride time for that week.

Also, you need to have a rest week every 3-4 weeks. That is, entire week, easy riding all below 75% FTP. If you don't rest, you don't adapt, as in you get limited (if any) benefit from doing the hard work.

Also, 35 isn't what I'd call "older". At 35 you are limited by your history within the sport (and other sports), not by that age. As in, the longer you've been riding, the more volume you'd be able to handle. Certainly not on a downward trajectory and certainly shouldn't be doing less than what a polarized program would espouse (unless you want to do less, which is fine).

The limiting factor in a time hungry pursuit like cycling at age 35 will be life.