Current Capacity vs. Future Demands

My goal when talking about training is to break down hi-tech, complex, methods into understandable and simple to start steps so, you can build what works into your personal training program.

Knowing your goal will allow you to analyze and understand what you will need to do to successfully accomplish it.

Don’t miss the podcast we did on this topic as well.

An Example

Goal:  Climb Ass Kicker Hill in less than 75 minutes by Sunday June 14, 2021.

Analyze:  Clarify what will be required to achieve your goal using apps like Strava and Training Peaks.  Break the goal into the “demands” that you will need to overcome in order to successfuly aachieve it.

Demands of Goal:  Ass Kicker Hill is a 10 mile climb.  The climb is a smooth, non-technical, hard packed, truck trail. Average gradient is 10% with twenty 50-100 ft sections of 20% gradient.  Temperatures are typically in the high 80’s during mid June.  

Your Physical Capacity:  What’s your bodyweight, body fat percentage. You’ll need a benchmark test to determine power @V02Max, functional threshold power and power to weight ratio. What’s your longest ride and climb to date, overall health to include chronic and acute injuries and/or pain that you are managing. Bike handling and trail skills.

Demands vs. Capacity:  Compare your current capacity (knowledge, skills & ability) to the demands of the goal. 

After comparing your current Capacity with the Demands of your goal you determine:

• Your power to weight ratio needs to improve
• You need to increase your longest training climb to 80% the distance of your goal event climb distance.

Knowing your capacity in regard to the demands of your goal event will determine the focus of your training within each training phase of your Annual Training Program.