We have completed our base fitness block and are moving on to our training block. We are no longer just out to keep pedaling but our practices will include a more specific work out. Talk to your riders, tell them it’s ok to be uncomfortable! If our riders are not feeling uncomfortable at some point in the practice, they are not getting the most out of the practice. We are a challenge by choose type of a team but we’d encourage all our riders to give their best efforts for interval days.
Today’s ride consists of a certain number of timed intervals depending on which group you are in. Ask your riders before starting, who feels like they are going to push it hard on the intervals, who is not as excited about pushing as hard. Let them self filter by choice to the front/back of the group before starting. After the intervals are complete, finish the ride at an easy cool down pace for the remainder of our practice time.
Most of our team is not riding with heart rate monitors, so the best approach to calculating our effort levels is to use a perceived exertion scale.
We will use the following Rate of Perceived Effort (RPE) scale: Explain it to your group so they can start familiarize themselves with the scale since they are the ones determining their own speeds and exertion levels.
Off Limit Trails:
- Limelight (Rush)
- Jacob’s Ladder
- Levitate / Zooropa / Vertigo
- Maple Hollow DH
- Any trail where riders in your group intentionally jump their bikes. This means if riders jump, that trail immediately becomes officially off limits to that group until the group gets permission from the head coaches.
TRAILS THAT ONLY PINK, BLACK, SILVER, and RED CAN RIDE IF THE RIDE LEADER APPROVES (until further notice):
- Upper Rush (which is the section from the Peakview Trailhead down to the upper intersection with Canyon Hollow by the s-curves and bridge, and includes the following named trails: Rush Flow, Through the Trees, and the upper part of Exit Stage Left)
- Middle Rush (which includes the section of Exit Stage Left from the intersection with Canyon Hollow by the s-curves and bridge down to where Rush crosses the lower part of Canyon Hollow)
- Lower Rush (which includes the section from where Rush crosses the lower part of Canyon Hollow down to the five-way intersection)
PINK / BLACK
15- 20 minute slow easy warm-up. Talk to your group about effort levels and rates of perceived exertion (see above). 5 – 3 on and 3 off intervals. 3 minutes hard Zone 4, RPE of 7-8 (single words) and 3 minutes easy recovery pace Zone 1, RPE 1-2 (Can Sing!). Do not stop to recover at the end of the 3 minutes on, instead practice active recovery with the zone 1 pace but continue pedaling throughout the workout.
SILVER / RED / ORANGE
15- 20 minute slow easy warm-up. Talk to your group about effort levels and rates of perceived exertion (see above). 4 – 3 on and 3 off intervals. 3 minutes hard Zone 4, RPE of 7-8 (single words) and 3 minutes easy recovery pace Zone 1, RPE 1-2 (Can Sing!). Do not stop to recover at the end of the 3 minutes on, instead practice active recovery with the zone 1 pace but continue pedaling throughout the workout.
YELLOW / GREEN
15- 20 minute slow easy warm-up. Talk to your group about effort levels and rates of perceived exertion (see above). 3 – 3 on and 6 off intervals. 3 minutes hard Zone 4, RPE of 7-8 (single words) and 3 minutes easy recovery pace Zone 1, RPE 1-2 (Can Sing!). Do not stop to recover at the end of the 3 minutes on, instead practice active recovery with the zone 1 pace but continue pedaling throughout the workout.
BLUE / PURPLE
15- 20 minute slow easy warm-up. Talk to your group about effort levels and rates of perceived exertion (see above). 2 – 3 on and 6 off intervals. 3 minutes hard Zone 4, RPE of 7-8 (single words) and 3 minutes easy recovery pace Zone 1, RPE 1-2 (Can Sing!). Do not stop to recover at the end of the 3 minutes on, instead practice active recovery with the zone 1 pace but continue pedaling throughout the workout.