Load reduction | Time spent on the bike: 3h45 to 4h45
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Week 11
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Monday
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Day off :
Rest days are when you recover from your training and get stronger. Try to eat and drink well today without overdoing it.
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Tuesday
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Outdoor/indoor: 1h00: VO2 intervals
Focus: Maintain a cadence of 95 rpm.
Work through Zones 3-4 for the first minute of each effort.
Don't try to increase your heart rate too quickly, as there is always some lag.
Warm-up 20 :
4 times :
· 3 mins. in Zone 5
· 5 min. active recovery
3 mins. in Zone 5
10 minutes. complete recovery.
Concentrate on a strong but regular pedal stroke, don't let your technique slip when the effort becomes difficult.
You will have a better idea of the effort required to reach Heart Rate Zone 5.
If you're in trouble on the penultimate effort, skip the last one and go straight to the Recovery Zone.
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Wednesday
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Day off
Your second day off of the week. Discover some techniques you can use to optimize your recovery.
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THURSDAY
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Outdoor/indoor: 45 min
Focus: Imagine that your pedals are made of glass and that if you push too hard, you will break them!
Warm-up n/a.
· Ride at a regular cadence of 90 to 100 rpm
· Keep resistance very low
· Stay in Zone 1
This is the typical outing for pro riders on the rest days of grand tours.
It may be easier to practice this exercise on a home trainer: the temptation to change pace or Zone is less than outside.
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Friday
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Cross-training or rest
Bonus Session: Bonus Session – This session is not essential, add it to your training week if you have time.
Choose an activity that will help you develop your fitness and flexibility. If you already do this type of physical activity then continue to incorporate it into your week. If not, try something new like a gym class, swimming, running, or other similar activities. Remember to start all new activities slowly, don't overdo it. You can opt for gentle and restorative activities such as Yoga or Pilates.
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SATURDAY
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Flexible day
You will probably need to adapt your training program according to your work and family life.
A flexible day like this serves to give you more flexibility to adapt.
So if you have to move the sessions, try to keep the following structure: 1 day of training on the bike followed by a day of rest or another activity.
Do not ride from one day to the next.
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Sunday
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2-hour bike ride: improving running endurance
Focus: One last chance to check, during the outing, your kits, your clothing, your equipment, your pace and your supplies (food + hydration). Stay on flat ground this week and ride slowly.
Warm-up #1:
Rhythm is key. Stay in Zone 1-2. This may seem very easy to achieve at first, but be disciplined and stick to your zones.
Don't be tempted to do too much during your Sunday walk: no gain in fitness will come from it, just an accumulation of fatigue.
Fine-tune your nutrition and hydration strategies during this outing.
There may come a time when you want to go out with friends or members of a cycling club. It's great and you'll learn techniques for riding in a peloton and/or group, but don't be pushed to ride at a pace that's too fast for you.
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And our nutrition advice to help you perform:
30 min before each session, take Stimium® PreWorkOut Max (2 spoons diluted in a shaker or a large glass of water). It will help you improve your muscle work and resistance to exercise capabilities.
During each outing, take Stimium® boost Powder (1 measuring spoon in 1 bottle, drink a sip every 30 min) or alternatively our Stimium® boost gummies or our Stimium® Pro-Nrj gummies (one gum every 30 min) to support the effort.
You can also add Stimium® ProBar (1 to 2 low-sugar protein bars to consume during the break), a moment of pleasure to support the effort.
For your long outing, Stimium® Pro-Nrj caps (up to 4 capsules 30 min before the race). A stimulating contribution.
Within 1 hour 30 minutes of your outing, take Stimium® Rgn3 Clean-Up (1 measuring spoon in 1 bottle, drink a sip every 30 minutes) to rebuild your immediate reserves of glycogen, vitamins and minerals. And for the long outing, Stimium® Iso Carb (2 pods in 400ml of water or milk) to rebuild muscle fibers and deep glycogen reserves in depth.
If you have some cramps, take 2 sticks of Stimium® Mc3 after your outings and 2 in the evening. Continue for 2, 3 days.
