Fast Fridays Vol. 2: Base Phase Endurance

Endurance Riding: What is it and Why train it? Plus, four workouts to try at home.

Each week over on my Instagram page I’ve been highlighting a different workout that is relevant to the training season. This month I have focused on endurance training sessions. Let’s dive into why these are good now, and then I’ll give you all four workouts to try at home!

What is it?

Endurance riding is one of the most important training sessions that you can add into your training because of the massive benefits it provides. Specifically I am talking about zone 2 training. It’s often overlooked because it’s not fancy, and dare I say, boring? The work requires a certain amount of concentration to stay within the proper power zone to get the most benefit. Keep in mind the purpose of training zones is to get a specific adaptation to improve performance. Zone two training is key because it works on the bodies ability to use fat and stimulate mitochondrial function. And as an added bonus, this is a great way to improve your VO2 max.

Base Phase training should also include sessions that work on cadence while targeting specific power and an introduction to tempo efforts. These types of sessions help your ability adapt to different rides and races and give confidence on all types of terrain.

Why Now?

The Base Phase is when volume really starts to increase while overall intensity stays relatively low. The longer nature of these rides lend itself well to this time of season because they are lower in intensity and longer in duration. And one of the main priorities of the Base Phase is to build a strong base to continue to layer intensity on the closer it gets to race time. A bonus of these workouts is that they can also be lengthened week by week without a crazy increase in training stress.

 Why Train Endurance?

It’s simple. The stronger your engine, the more efficient you’ll be. This is important for both triathletes and cyclists alike. Think of endurance as the bottom layer of the pyramid. It’s the largest layer because it has to eventually support all the other stuff you put on top (threshold, vo2 intervals, etc.). If your bottom layer isn’t big enough, it won’t be able to support higher intensity training for as long as you might need later on. Endurance training is one of the best ways amateur athletes can improve their VO2 as well. This means you become more efficient at utilizing the oxygen, which the body needs in order to handle intense training loads.

How to do an Endurance Workout

Endurance sessions are generally aerobic rides with a heavy emphasis on zone 2 riding or shorter efforts emphasizing cadence and power targets. I recommend a moderate warm up before beginning these sessions. Efforts usually start at 10 to 30 minutes in duration but can last for hours at a time as you continue to improve your ability to sit in this training zone. Don’t be fooled! It requires a good deal of concentration not to slip into a recovery zone or increase the power so you are in a higher zone.

The Workouts

Workout 1: Endurance Riding -> 1 - 4+ hours

Ride moderately (RPE 3-5 or power zones 1-2) for 15 minutes. Then, ride steady in your zone 2 power (RPE 5-6, or 70% FTP). Increase the time from 30 minutes to several hours. Cool down with 5-10 minutes of easy riding (RPE 2-3) or power zone 1.

Workout 2: Base Cadence Work -> +/- 90 minutes

Ride moderately (RPE 3-5 or power zones 1-2) for 20-30 minutes. Then, do 6 x 2 minutes as 1 minute “on”, 1 minute “off”. The on is at 110% FTP AND 110 cadence (RPE 9). Off is recovery. After the last interval, ride steady in zone 2 for 10 minutes. Then, go into 2 x 5 minutes at 100% FTP AND 100 cadence. Take 5 minutes recovery. Complete the work with 2 more 2 minutes as 1 minute “on”, 1 minute “off”. The on is at 110% FTP AND 110 cadence (RPE 9). Cool down with 5-10 minutes of easy riding (RPE 2-3) or power zone 1.

Workout 3: Intro to Tempo -> 1 hour, 15 minutes

Ride moderately (RPE 3-5 or power zones 1-2) for 10 - 15 minutes. Then, do 3 x 10 minutes at tempo power (76-89% FTP or RPE of 7). Recover for 5 minutes before going again. Cool down with 10 - 15 minutes of easy riding (RPE 2-3) or power zone 1.

Workout 4: Low Cadence Reps -> 1 hour, 20 minutes

Ride moderately (RPE 3-5 or power zones 1-2) for 20 minutes. Then, do 5 minutes at 70 rpm (cadence) and at mid-tempo power (80% FTP or RPE 6-7). Recover at a normal cadence for 5 minutes. Repeat this set 5 times through. Cool down with 5-10 minutes of easy riding (RPE 2-3) or power zone 1.

Did you do the workouts? Let me know! I’d love to hear how they went and answer any questions you might have.