Welcome to TheRoadExplorer! If you’re new here, you can learn more about me and my cycling journey on my about me page.
How I Started My Periodization Journey
When I first started road cycling, the day after I got my first road bike, I just rode… and then I rode some more, and then some more. I rode without intention, without goals. Pretty soon, I got really good at just riding. But then I joined my first group ride. When the pace surged, I couldn’t hold on and got dropped. I was disheartened, and I so I hired my first cycling coach, Peter Cummings at Plan2Peak in Buffalo, NY. I can credit Peter with opening my eyes to the world of periodization.
So what is periodization, you may ask? Well, before we dive into definitions, take a look at the chart below, and that’s what one of my 6-month periodized training blocks looks like on a chart.
Understanding Periodization in Training
Periodization is a method of physical training that involves structured phases of increasing training stress, followed by periods of rest. This approach is designed to enhance athletic performance and fitness, while reducing the risks of injury and overtraining. Training plans using periodization typically include three levels of cycles: macro, meso, and micro.
Explaining Training Cycles in Periodization
– Macrocycle: This is the overarching training and competition period, usually spanning a year or a season. It consists of several mesocycles, each lasting four to six weeks. A macrocycle includes phases of progressive training stress followed by a week of lighter, active-recovery exercises.
– Mesocycle: Each mesocycle, forming part of a macrocycle, focuses on a specific fitness goal such as endurance, power, or sprinting. It includes several weeks of increasing training load, culminating in a recovery week.
– Microcycle: This is a weekly training segment within a mesocycle, featuring key workouts, lighter sessions, and possibly rest days. Microcycles build upon each other in terms of duration and intensity.
Why Periodized Training is Effective
The effectiveness of periodized training lies in the balance between hard training and adequate rest. Hard training stresses the muscles, leading to micro-tears. Rest and recovery allow these muscles to heal and grow stronger, preparing the body for future stresses. The process of adaptation, where the body gets stronger through this cycle of stress and recovery, is central to periodized training. It requires careful management of training intensity and rest periods, often under the guidance of a coach.
Periodization in Action
When starting periodized training, you’ll notice a distinction between hard training days and easy days. Unlike medium-paced training without structure, periodized training involves intense workouts followed by significant recovery, leading to better performance gains. The training often includes intervals – periods of intense work followed by rest. While these may differ from traditional training methods, they are more efficient and effective in achieving fitness goals.
Periodized training also recognizes that stress isn’t limited to physical training. Other life stresses impact the body similarly. Athletes are encouraged to communicate these stresses to their coaches, who can then adjust the training accordingly.
Finally, metrics like Training Stress Score and Chronic Training Load, often seen in apps like TrainingPeaks, provide insights into an athlete’s fitness and recovery needs. However, they don’t capture life’s other stresses, which are also crucial in planning an effective training regimen. You can learn more about TSS, CTL, ATL, and TSB and why they matter here. I’ll also be creating more details posts about these individual components of periodization in future posts here at TheBikeExplorer.
Until next time…
-Brandon
