We have launched a new series of training plans designed specifically for masters 50+ racers. Specifically for masters who want to kick some a**

We’ve been listening! The 50+ guys say they need more recovery AND more intensity AND more strength training. These plans have more and less than the regular plans! The masters 50+ series of plans are designed to optimize the abilities and recovery rate of 50yr + racers.

The first LW Coaching Masters 50+ plan published is the Park City Point 2 Point 50+ masters PR training plan which was requested by a single athlete. We currently have no direct affiliation with this race but we do like the PCP2P guys a lot and we are both (Dave and Lynda) signed up to race in 2010. Dave is signed up SS and Lynda signed up with gears for this one.

If you have a specific race or distance you would like a plan designed for, send us a request using our contact form.

Our LW Coaching Colorado Trail Race training plan is live!! This is a first for LW Coaching in that the plan is a collaboration to two coaches Dave Harris and Lynda Wallenfels. Lynda brings to the table tried and true training methods and training plan design. Dave brings to the plan specific expertise and experience in  multi-day self supported racing with many wins and course records on his resume. 2 coaches for the price of 1!

We are very, very excited about how this plan turned out. In fact excited enough that now both of us want to follow the plan and race CTR! ha, ha!

Below Dave describes his experiences and plan details:

Self-supported racing is near and dear to me. No other style of riding has the potential for so much enjoyment, satisfaction, challenge, discovery, tears and angst. It’s the kaleidoscope of cycling experiences. I’ve spent the better part of the last 5 years passionately engrossed in the genre.

Photo credit Mike Curiak

Last summer I jumped into CTR. It was never all that attractive when I lived in Durango, but now that I live in southern Utah getting to cool temps and alpine riding mid-summer was the ticket. That route had some big lessons for me, and I have been studying up on just what it takes to do a good ride in that event.

Why not share the love? At LW Coaching we had some interest in a CTR plan so I went to work on putting all I’ve learned on paper. This is a bit different than the other plans here. There are so many details in self-supported multi-days that this plan is more of a book The training part is central but I also added an appendix containing strategies on everything from acute mountain sickness to keeping your GI happy for days.

Here’s the crazy thing. Altitude kills me. I was gasping for air, coughing my brains out during CTR on the Monarch Crest trail with Scott Morris last year. If you’d have told me I’d want to do the event again I’d have laughed uncontrollably! Well, if I could get enough air to laugh I would have…but researching for and writing this plan has me convinced I can overcome the altitude part…and makes me very excited to give it a go again! I must be crazy.

If you are just as crazy check it out. I dare you. But be careful, this stuff is addicting!

Today we published a new training plan designed for High School Athletes racing in the SoCal Interscholastic Cycling League. This plan was designed specifically for a SoCal mountain bike race team. We decided to make the plan publicly available for other high school mountain bike teams.

The plan is designed for a mountain bike team covering freshmen, sophomore, junior varsity and varsity. All racers will have three training rides per week and two core and stretch sessions per week. Advanced riders will have 1-2 more optional extra rides each week. 1-2 rides per week can be done on a trainer or closed road circuit and 1-2 rides per week are designed to be done on a mountain bike off-road.

The plan is paced by Perceived Exertion (PE). This pacing method will teach the athletes to become finely tuned to their bodies. Other advantages of a PE based training plan are simplicity and reduced equipment cost. The plan includes a PE chart describing easy, moderate, moderate-fast/race pace, fast and max effort levels. Each level has intensity descriptors to teach athletes how it should feel to push a specific pace.

The plan includes two core and stretch sessions per week with exercise descriptions.

We are excited to work with High School athletes. These athletes are the future of our sport! We plan to design and offer a SoCal Interscholastic Cycling League mountain bike training plan for Dec 2010 – May 2011. If you have a High School mountain bike team racing in an Interscholastic League and would like a training plan, please contact us! We will design one to fit your season.

Today is the Grand Opening of our LW Coaching Training Plans store. The store will sell 2010 edition LW Coaching 12 week mountain bike training plans in our new PDF format.

One of the biggest 24 hour races in the nation, 24 Hours in the Old Pueblo is a mere 13 weeks from today. Now you can get your 2010 edition 24 Hour Training plan direct from our store.

In response to a common request, we have rolled out the 2010 edition training plans in our new training plan format: PDF! Preview PDF format here.

Key features of the new format include:

• Flexibility: print and use as hard copy or use digital version making use of form fields
• The only software required is free Adobe Reader . Any Adobe version will read the plan. To enter and save data Adobe 8.0 or later is required.
• The PDF is “live” this means you can enter data into text boxes (form fields) to input and store your comments, ride time, PE etc. This is persistent, saved data in the PDF, or in other words if you type comments and data into the PDF they will be there to view next time you open your PDF plan. This way you can save the plan and your comments together as a training journal.
• In all 2010 edition PDF plans, power (watts) training guidelines have been added to use along with heart rate and perceived exertion.
• All of the PDF version plans are 2010 editions with updated plans and workouts based on what we have learned from coaching and athlete feedback. We kept everything that worked, added a few new things we learned and edited workouts we could do better with.

The main elements in the PDF format are:

1) bookmarks for quick navigation within the plan

2) a plan weekly overview

3) daily detail with form data entry capability (form fields highlighted in this pic)

We’ll be updating all plans (both content and format) to PDF format in the coming weeks.

All plans are currently available on TrainingPeaks. Now you have a choice, PDF or TrainingPeaks. Choose the PDF option if you prefer a simple, direct approach. Choose the TrainingPeaks option if you prefer remote data storage and advanced features.

Preview the new PDF format. Make sure you have Adobe Reader (or Acrobat) 8.0 or later, then open or save this file: PDF plan preview. You can save data to your local copy of this file to get a feel for it’s new functionality, as well as how hard you’ll need to work for a 24 hour personal record.

Look for your preferred plan in PDF format coming soon.