The Endurance Block

So if CritFit is about high intensity and variability, where does endurance fitness come in?

If your life is like ours you know you may go several days, even weeks, where it seems as if you’re a dog trying to catch its tail.  With life on spin cycle where in the world are you going to find time to put in the long, slow distance miles (LSD)?  You know you need it because that’s what everyone else is doing, right?  The secret has been out for some time now that training your aerobic and anaerobic systems can be done simultaneously (check out this article for exact reference).  Now, I am not saying that long, slow distance training done properly is not effective.  In fact it is extremely effective, but only if you are a professional cyclist with the time to dedicate to this type of training.  You and I, however, have day jobs, and some of us even have an additional night job, so what do we do?  Simple: make sure when you get on the bike it counts.  When you only have an hour to give, ride your bike like you stole it.

When you get a little lull in your schedule make sure you take advantage of it.  When this happens put in a solid endurance block.  Three days should be the minimum and this block can last up to 7  to 14 days if you have the time.  12 hours in 3 days has proven very effective for us (4 hrs on Day 1, 5 hrs on Day 2, 3 hrs on Day 3).  Make sure you recover on the 4th day.  This cycle can be repeated or capped off with a epic 6-7 hr day and call it quits.  Put a fork in ya because you’re done.  Hopefully you can see the importance of keeping the intensity lower now.  Some of you may not be to the point where this type of time in the saddle is do-able.  Don’t fret.  Do what you can and just remember to keep it fun.

Just a few closing thoughts about the endurance block: 1) Make sure you go into the endurance block completely recovered.  2) Your endurance block has a very singular purpose: endurance.  It does you no good to kill yourself on the first day only to suffer immeasurably on the second and third day.  3) Concentrate on developing a solid ride nutrition plan.  Stay fueled.  If you need help with this, check out our Fueling the Long Ride page.  4) Enjoy the ride.  I missed a big event this year, the “Assault on Mount Mitchell,” because of work and I was decidedly bummed.  My buddy and I had trained ferociously in order to break 6 hours. My friend’s advice to me was this (before he went and smoked it in 5:47 just prior to his 40th b-day), “The journey is always better than the destination.”  Amen brother.  That’ll preach.  CoachT out!