SoCal Race Season: Are you ready?
While most of the country is still stuck in Zone 2, January marks the beginning of SoCal race season. If you're still riding base miles, it means you’re behind and it's time to spice up your training with some higher intensity crit-specific workouts. I’ll share some of my favorites that are great once or twice a week while ramping up for the first few SoCal Crits, or just something to spice up your routine during the week.
Workout #1: Acceleration!
2x 12x (30/15) with 6 minutes of recovery in between each set.
I like this workout personally because it reminds me of the variable speeds of a SoCal race, in particular a criterium and I’ll have to “wake my legs up” for each 30 second interval. The 30 seconds should be done below your absolute maximum power, but high in Z5/Z6. The 15 seconds should be used as recovery, but keep your legs turning over because muscle action assists blood return. The exact pacing can vary from rider to rider, but if you're working REALLY hard for each 30 seconds, you will definitely have a great workout.
Workout #2: Bridging
4x (20 sec hard out of the saddle, 20 sec hard in the saddle, 4 minutes steady in the saddle, 20 second sprint) with 5 minutes recovery between each.
We're all about preparing for SoCal racing this time of the year and bridging to the break (or creating a break) is a race scenario a lot of riders dream of. Here we want to snap that elastic band (20 sec out of saddle sprint), make it too hard for anyone to follow our wheel (20 seconds hard in the saddle), get up to the front group (4 minutes steady), and just for fun (or because the finish line is around the corner) we empty the tank for the last 20 seconds of each interval.
Pacing always varies from rider to rider but I like to do this workout based on my effort rather than power numbers. The first 20 second sprint I want to feel strong and then maintain that as I come into the saddle. At that point, the accumulated workload will have me breathing pretty heavy with a high heart rate and I try to carry that feeling through the next four minutes regardless of power ie. I don’t let myself recover. In the last 20 seconds it's everything I have in the tank. I recommend this one once a week because it takes a lot out of you.
January 21 kicks off the SoCal race season with the first CBR of the season! Time to weave those high intensity workouts into your regime.
An excerpt from the summer of cycling in Adelaide Australia, also happening at this time of year!
Sofia Schugar is a multifaceted professional with a rich background in fitness, boasting a career that spans back to 2016. Not only does she excel in teaching and coaching individuals, but she also stands out as an accomplished professional cyclist specializing in road and gravel disciplines. As an All-American triathlete, Sofia has achieved notable recognition, and her expertise extends to coaching state-qualifying high school cross country teams, showcasing her commitment to fostering athletic excellence in various domains.