You will notice in your regular training schedules that most of the workouts are on the rower and/or the bicycle. If you do not have access to a rower or a bicycle due to weather or logistical issues, you can replace these workouts with running and/or swimming. These cross-training options will provide you the same strength, endurance, and lactate tolerance adaptations to improve your motorcycle-specific sprint speed, and/or endurance. Identical to your weekly training schedules, you will find workouts denoted in both blue and red. The blue workouts are designed to improve aerobic engine and the red workouts are designed to improve your power, speed, and lactate tolerance.

Running

Determine Where to Start

Scenario 1: If you have a foundation of running (minimum 4-6 weeks) 3-6 miles per run, 2-3x per week, then begin with the 4-mile time trial to capture your maximum heart rate numbers and create your running specific heart rate zones (see Heart Rate Calculator in Initial Resources)

Scenario 2: If you do not have a foundation of running, please complete 2-4 miles easy, 3 x per week before completing the 4-mile time trial. **Note: Intensity needs to be extremely easy during these runs. Since we do not have a max heart rate number specific to running, use the breath test. When you are running, you should be able to talk or sing without running out of breath. If you struggle to talk or sing, you are running too fast…simply slow down. Keep in mind that the pace is not is what is important. It is preparing the tendons, ligaments, and muscles to the demands associated with running to avoid the possibility of an injury.

How to Use Running Protocols

Step 1: Complete the 4-mile time trial to capture your running-specific max heart rate. Update your heart rate calculator specific to running.

Step 2: Take your current training schedule and identify whether the workout is blue or red.

Step 3: As a general rule of thumb, take the bicycle workout total time (i.e. 90 minutes) and cut it in half (i.e. 45 minutes) and match the intensity as outlines. For example, if your current training schedule says 90 minutes even tempo heart rate zone 2, run 45 minutes at heart rate zone 2 (make sure to use your run-specific heart rate zone 2 range.) For rower workouts, match the duration and the intensity with your run-specific heart rate zone.

Why is this? Cycling has less overall impact on the body when compared to running. Your goal is to not surpass the overall stress level associated with each workout. If you do, the residual fatigue will accumulate to quickly and will lead you down the path of over training. The key to incremental improvement is the management of stress on the body, not too much and not too little.

Swimming

Step 1: Complete the 500-yard swimming time trial to determine your baseline pace. Record your pace in the Swim Performance Report Card (found in initial resources). You can use this as a benchmark to evaluate your improve strength and endurance every 6 week.

Step 2: Take your current training schedule and identify whether the workout is blue or red.

Step 3: As a general rule of thumb, take the bicycle or rower workout total time (i.e. 90 minutes) and cut it in half (i.e. 45 minutes) and match the intensity as outlined. For example, if your current training schedule says 90 minutes even tempo heart rate zone 2, your goal total swim time would be 45 minutes at the intensity level outlines in the swim protocols. With this being said, the outlined swim workouts can be mixed and matched according to your current training schedule (Phase and Week). The idea is always to air on the side of caution to avoid injury.

Why is this? Swimming has less overall impact on the body when compared to running, rowing, and possibly cycling. Your goal is to not surpass the overall stress level associated with each workout. If you do, the residual fatigue will accumulate to quickly and will lead you down the path of over training. The key to incremental improvement is the management of stress on the body, not too much and not too little.

Additional Benefits of Swimming – You can use these protocols as post-race recovery (contrast therapy) and swimming, when applied correctly, can improve strength, the aerobic engine (endurance), as well as lactate tolerance (sprint speed).