batteries not included

Goals

• 12 week structured training plan built around live Peloton schedule.
• Maintain and improve fitness
• Live group rides for high fives
• Structure for more advanced riders
• Can start the plan any time: take it on your own or as part of the group.
• The training plan can be reused as it is not tied to any specific historical classes
• There are 4 and 3 day schedules. Based on our past experience most people pick 4-day and 3 day so we put our efforts into making these schedules.

Rules

There will be a ride of the day post the Peloton Data Junkies Facebook group. There is also an embedded spreadsheet on this page (see below) listing out the rides for the week.

If you haven't taken an FTP test in awhile, consider taking one.

Group live rides

Since this training plan is built around live ride schedule, there will be a couple of options to ride together each day. Put #PDJ in your location so we can find one another on the LB for high fives. You can also use our Friend Finder spreadsheet. You can add or update your LB name here.

Full Rest Day

On a full rest day you are encouraged to take the time and let your body recover. If you feel up for it, you can go on a brisk walk or stretch.

Tabata Day

Tabata work efforts should be done well above your Zone 5/VO2 Max. 20 sec/10 sec tabata should be done in at least zone 6.

Since Ally does live 6am Tabata classes on Tuesday, we have an opportunity to do a group ride for high fives.

Free Day

This is a "player's choice" day -- you can cross-train, do a theme ride of your choosing, run, row, anything that makes you happy.

PowerZone Day

This is a day to keep up with our zones. While Tabata pushes your fitness up, PowerZone classes train you to stay in the right zones with specific drills.

Matt typically has one or two live PowerZone classes, as does Denis. All live classes can be an opportunity for high fives.

Long Rides on weekends

A long ride day helps you kick-start the next week. Here are your options:

• Group ride opportunity
  • Both Saturday and Sunday have various live 60-min rides that can be used as group ride opportunities.
• Intermediate options
  • 60 min PowerZone Endurance ride
  • 60 min HRZ Endurance ride
  • 60 min Climb ride
• Advanced options
  • 90 min PowerZone Endurance
  • 90 min HRZ Endurance
  • Climb training: 90 min of saddle time with a minimum of 30-45 mins worth of climbing (see below on ride chaining)
• Road rider/weekend warrior options
  • Minimum 90 min outdoor ride

To make it easier to select a long ride for the weekend, there will be a Friday afternoon post with the details.

Nutrition during 60+ min rides

Bonking is a real issue and it happens to even the most experienced outdoor riders. This is one of the reasons why organized fondo-style events have rest stops roughly every 10-20 miles, meaning that approximately once an hour (45-75 mins or so) there is a stop to use the bathroom and have a snack.

In his 90-min PZE rides, Matt Wilpers brings a banana and talks about nutrition.

Make sure you have sufficient water prepared for a long Peloton class, enough to last you the duration of the class.

Also make sure you have a snack, such as a banana, a PBJ sandwich, or a granola bar set aside. Eat it before you feel hungry, if you feel hungry when you reach for the snack it means you waited too long. Since you are on the Peloton, as opposed to outdoors, weight of the snacks isn't an issue so you are encouraged to have real food to munch on (fruits, nuts, whole wheat bread, peanut butter, etc.)

Peloton ride chaining for advanced riders

You can chain multiple classes together to create a long ride. After the first ride, starting with the second class use Power Zone 2 as your base during warmups.

Examples:

• 90 mins worth of PowerZone Endurance out of two 45 min classes: Find and bookmark two 45-min PZE classes. During the first class there will be an approximately 10 min warmup, followed by the workout. During the second class, use base of zone 2.
• 90 mins worth of endurance riding with 30 mins of climbing: Find 2 30 min low impact or theme rides of your choosing and 1 30 min climb class. Do them in this order: low impact, climb, low impact. During the first low impact, follow instructions for warmup. During the climb warmup, use PZ 2 as a base. During the second low impact start with zone 2 as a base and then follow the instructions.
• 90 mins worth of HRZ endurance: Find 1 60min HRZ endurance ride, and 1 30 min low impact ride (as examples). Do HRZ ride first, following all the instructions. Then do the 30 min low impact while staying in HR zone 2.

But worry not, we'll post instructions every Friday to get you on a good start for the weekend!

Where to get the schedules

• Ready
  • GraphertyMcGrapherson post will have a list of rides for the week
  • This web page (see embedded spreadsheet below)
  • Ride of the day calendar (see below)
  • mPaceline
  • Printables
    • 4-ride plan
    • 4-ride condensed plan
    • 3-ride plan
    • 3-ride condensed plan
• In progress:
  • PowerZone Plus