Normally I break my training down into four sections.

Section: 1
From end of racing, usually early to mid October to the end of November, I take a break from riding the bike apart from trying to get out at weekends. By taking my holidays at this time it not only gives me a physical rest it is also a mental break from cycling. The down side for me is that as soon as I stop riding the bike every day my weight begins to rise, but this is something I have become used to over the years and I feel that it helps somewhat in being able to withstand a consistent heavy training programme through the year. Well, that's my excuse.

Section 2: December
This is when it all starts again. As I now only work part time I am able to do all my training in the daytime and on the road. In the past all of my winter work, apart from weekends, were done in the gym. This consisted of general mobility exercises, multigym work, treadmill, the dreaded rowing machine and of course the turbo. For example, in the winter of 1998 - 1999 1 spent a total of 80 hours in the gym from end of October to end of January. This year I will still try to do some gym work but most of the time will be on the road. Normally this will be a 2 to 3 hour ride twice a week plus 3 hours on Saturday and 4 hours on a Sunday, all done at steady pace, usually averaging about seventeen and half miles per hour. If anyone in the group feels they have to have a blast, then I let them get on with it - I know my time will come later in the year.

Section 3: Pre-Racing Season
From 1st January to start of racing - 1st April. As I now only work minimal hours I have the perfect situation (perfect because I still get paid) so I'm able to train every day and build up my mileage/speed progressively throughout this time. This winter I will follow the same pattern as last: I will start to go out every day for between one and half hours and three hours so that I'm doing a total of 15 hours per week to begin and building up to about 20 hours per week by the end of March.

As most of my training during this period is done alone, I will also try to gradually increase my average speed for these sessions so that by the end of January, depending on the weather, I can hold about nineteen and half miles per hour for a two hour session and about nineteen miles per hour for a three hour ride. The weekend rides are done on the Stourbridge CC training runs. As these contain several 1st cat 'kids' they can get very hard, especially the last hour or so when the 'selections' are made, usually on big hills when they can get their own back on this big old man.

The last two weeks of March I'll be going on the Ideal Travel training camp to Mallorca for the fourth year running. I would recommend it to anyone. The benefit I find is that as long as you go there with a reasonable level of fitness you can take full advantage of two weeks of full-time training in warm, usually dry, weather where you can mix it with riders of all ages and levels.

But most important is that you're also able to get the correct type of rest. I use this training camp to put the finishing touches to my winter training so that I do between 850 and 1000 miles in the fortnight but increase my average speed so that on some rides I average 22 to 23 mph. Although some of the miles are' junk miles' as Sean Yates once described them, I have discovered, as he did, that my power output increases significantly during this period. Evidence of this is that for the past three years, within a couple of weeks of returning home and starting to race I have done 19-minute 10s.

Section 4: Racing Season
Once I've started to race I get into my normal weekly routine, usually as follows:

Monday:	2 hours steady tempo on a flattish route.
Tuesday am:	3 to 4 hours at an even tempo, usually over a fairly hilly route.
Tuesday pm:	2 hours on the Stourbridge CC bash round the perimeter roads of the local airfield, a 3.3 mile circuit with 3 slow corners per circuit. We do 6 laps, flat out.
Wednesday am:	2 to 3 hours at an even tempo, usually over a flattish route.
Wednesday pm:	Club 'l0'or open TT when available.
Thursday:	2 Hours at an even pace, flattish.
Friday:	Rest Day.
Saturday am:	1 hour warm-up ride.
Saturday pm:	Race.
Sunday:	Race.

The above routine may change depending upon what events I am riding and preparing for. I may have bigger weeks, hours and mileage wise, or I may have shorter 'rest' weeks. I of course also include interval training in the above when required.

This coming season I will follow much the same pattern as last, concentrating on LVRC road races generally up until August, then full time on time trials - but with the Stourbridge CC riding the shortdistance TT championships this year I may have to change my plans periodically to prepare for those.

Intervals
These are defined as 'Work periods separated by rest periods'. Basically I do four types of intervals sessions.

1. Low Intensity Intervals
This is based upon an article that Dave Smith had in 'Cycling Weekly' three years ago. The general idea is 6 to 8 intervals x 5 min @ 80% of peak sustained power with 1 minute recovery between each interval. You really need to have a power crank or similar to measure your peak power but if not you can use 80% of your maximum heart rate. This is your maximum heart rate minus your resting heart rate multiplied by 0.80 plus your resting heart rate. These should replace a portion of your normal endurance training once a week for about 4 weeks. I tend to do these on my Tuesday morning runs early season.

What I like about these is that I do not get distressed and so look forward to doing them, unlike the high intensity intervals which follow.

A lot of people would look at this, calculate their 80% and say what a load of rubbish, but as Dave Smith said: 'Have a go for a few weeks before you dismiss it.' I do it and I know it works for me.

2. Power Intervals
For me, these are done on a small incline on our 3.3 mile airfield circuit. The 'climb' takes approx. 40 seconds and I do this in big gears i.e. 53 x 12 or 13. Again this is normally included in one of my endurance training sessions each week. It can be every lap, 9 to 10 mins, or the shorter version every 3-4mins. This is done at maximum effort and usually 8 to 10 times.The benefit of this is that I feel it builds power and also the confidence and ability to sprint uphill.

3. Russian Steps Intervals
or at least my version of them. Again this is included in one of my endurance training sessions on any of the routes I may take. Generally it goes something like:

After about 30 minutes riding I will then ride absolutely on the limit for 1 minute then ride easy for the next 9 minutes. This is followed by 2 minutes flat out which is then followed by 8 minutes easy riding. Then 3 minutes flat out followed by 7 minutes easy, 4 minutes flat out followed by 6 minutes easy. Finally 5 minutes flat out and 5 minutes easy.

I like to include this once a week throughout the season, good time trial training.

4. High Intensity Intervals
This is for me the hardest way of riding a bike. It hurts, it's distressing, it's frightening and it makes me feel physically sick afterwards. I use this when I prepare for a specific event(s). It is so hard that sometimes I just cannot do it, not physically but mentally. There are different variations of this but generally this could be:

5 x 5 mins at 100% effort with I minute recovery between each interval

6 x 2 mins at 100% effort with 1 minute recovery between each interval

8 x I min at 100% effort with 1 minute recovery between each interval