This level will require a bit more mental and nutritional preparation before tackling such violent anaerobic exercises. You’re slightly stronger now, your body’s slightly more adapted, but it’s still going to hurt like you-know-what. “Anaerobic” literally means “living without air;” this is physical exercise intense enough to form lactate to promote strength, speed and power. Be ready to grovel home and recover appropriately. Day 28 is four hours of all the good stuff (but you may want to download Uber on your phone before you head out for the day).
When you’ve gotten through my sprint training, you can hold your head high around any cyclist in the world, I promise!
Sprint Level 3
Warm up
Warm ups are essential to the success of all of my programs. It is the difference between having a quality training session where your body works at its best, or a workout that could potentially lead to an injury.
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Hydrate
Whether you’re training, tackling a sportive, riding a multi-day epic or racing, if you’re not keeping hydrated you’ll be compromising your performance, limiting training gains and prolonging the recovery process.
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Stretch
The optimal time to stretch is immediately after you get back from a ride, but get clean and warm first. You will still get benefits in the evening and, if you are more likely to do a good job when relaxed, this is better, rather than a rushed effort straight after riding.
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Rest
Do not skip your rest days. Get it wrong, too little or too much, and your training (and racing) may come to a halt, reduce training benefits and significantly increase the time you will need to recover from a ride.
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