80/20 Training Groups

Adrian and Glynis are starting up some varying level training groups aimed at Taupo, and beyond. The rides will be on Sunday mornings and will focus on time in the saddle over anything else.  It’s aimed at anyone who is currently riding around 70+km, and varying levels means multiple groups, which are aimed at the very fastest in the club across to the not as fast.

For Adrian and Glynis, this will be part of their training aimed at getting fit for several goals. They are starting from a fairly low level of fitness and will be building up to what they need to take on Taupo comfortably (they are going to do the longest mountain bike option). After that, they are looking at the Age Group Nationals next April, then riding across Australia in May. So, they need to increase their cycling fitness levels dramatically! This is the start of that process and a good chance for anyone that wants to get in on the ground floor and train with them. 

Making Cake rather than Eating Cake

There is this great analogy where performing an athletic event is ‘eating the cake’, so the training that goes into that is ‘making the cake’. The focus of these groups is all on ‘making the cake, rather than eating the cake’. And to make their cake, Adrian and Glynis will be employing the Polarised Training method, which will be reflected in the groups. This training focuses on lower intensity, but higher volume. Here is a bit of explanation...

80/20 and Polarised Training

Polarised Training is a methodology that came out of research done initially by Dr Stephen Seiler where he observed and studied how the best endurance athletes trained. He found (which surprised him) that most of the time they were training at relatively easy levels. It’s categorized by spending 80-90% of your time doing low-stress exercise and 10-20% doing high-stress exercise. (it’s also sometimes called the 80/20 method – hence the name of the group).

“Most of the training of the best performers is low intensity - at what, for them, is fairly easy talking pace – but they are doing it for sometimes a long time. It is very adaptive. It generates adaptation, in the heart, in the musculature. You don’t have to go full bore, full speed, to get those adaptations.” Dr Stephen Seiler

Click HERE for a long discussion with Stephen Seiler if you are interested in learning more.

Importantly, this is nothing to do with the saying “No pain no gain”. The groups will NOT be smash sessions, they will be longer rides at a relatively easy, talking pace. Something that Dr Seiler says he was impressed with by the best endurance athletes; they are able to put their egos aside and be disciplined to ride at this conversational pace for a long time.

The Plan...

The groups will start at around 70km and build up to well over 100km, at Conversational Cake Making Pace (this will vary depending on the makeup of each group but, to repeat the sentiment above, there will be no smashing). And to keep things interesting, the routes will be varied as much as possible. All groups will be ‘no drop’, meaning they will stop for punctures/mechanicals, and if someone is finding things tough for one reason or another, the group works together to bring that person home.

Everybody is welcome to join. The KGB development group has just finished its 12-week program and is keen to filter into these groups. And the desire is for everyone else who's out there training to come and join at the level that suits them, to collectively maximise training efforts in a positive, structured, and encouraging environment.  

Where? Meet at the back of Coastlands ready to ride at 8 AM. Riders will be split into groups based on fitness levels, and head off.

There will be a ‘debrief’ at a café each week for those that want.

A route and any updates will be put up on the website each week.