VO2max
Threshold
Anaerobic
Endurance
Skills
Rest
Week 1 · Apr 7–13
Establish the Engine
Build
▾
Mon
Full Rest
Legs up. Sleep 9+ hrs. Hydrate well.
Tue
VO2max 4×8 min
80 min total · WU 20 · 4×8 min @ 90-95% max HR · 5 min recovery · CD 12. Seiler's proven protocol — the single most effective VO2max builder.
Wed
Easy Spin + Core
45 min · Zone 1–2 only · flush legs. Add 15 min core work (planks, dead bugs, bird dogs).
Thu
Steady State 2×20 min
80 min · WU 15 · 2×20 min @ 88-93% max HR (just below threshold) · 5 min rec · CD 10. CTS workhorse interval.
Fri
30/30 Repeats 3×8 min
70 min · WU 20 · 3 sets of 8 min (30 sec ON max / 30 sec OFF easy) · 5 min between sets · CD 15. FasCat XCO-specific — simulates race surges.
Sat
Long Trail Ride
2.5–3 hrs · Zone 2 base with 3–4 sustained climbs at tempo. Include technical trail features. This is the 80% in 80/20.
Sun
Hill Repeats 5×4 min
2.5 hrs · WU 20 · 5×4 min steep climbs @ VO2max power · descend to recover · Then 60-90 min Z2 trail. Builds race-specific climbing power.
Volume: ~10 hrs · Key sessions: 4 · Z2 rides: 2
Week 2 · Apr 14–20
Load & Push
Overload
▾
Mon
Full Rest
Recovery from big Sunday. Sleep, eat, stretch.
Tue
VO2max 5×6 min
85 min · WU 20 · 5×6 min @ 92-96% max HR · 4 min rec · CD 11. Increased volume — push the ceiling higher.
Wed
Easy Spin + Mobility
50 min · Zone 1–2 · add 15 min yoga/mobility. Active flush between hard days.
Thu
Over-Unders 3×10 min
80 min · WU 15 · 3×10 min (2 min above SS / 1 min below, repeat) · 5 min rec · CD 10. Trains lactate clearance at race pace.
Fri
Tabata Intervals
60 min · WU 20 · 4 sets of Tabata (20 sec ALL OUT / 10 sec rest × 8) · 4 min between sets · CD 14. Maximum anaerobic adaptation in minimum time.
Sat
Long Trail Ride + Race Surges
3 hrs · Zone 2 base with 6×1 min race-pace surges on climbs. Push Z3-4 on climbs, recover Z2 on descents. Simulate XCO pacing.
Sun
XCO Race Simulation
2.5 hrs · Start sprint practice · 3 laps of a 5-mile loop at race effort · Full gas. Recover 10 min between laps. Practice feed zone.
Volume: ~11.5 hrs · Key sessions: 4 · Z2 rides: 2
Week 3 · Apr 21–27
Absorb & Adapt
Recovery
▾
Mon
Full Rest
Adaptation happens HERE, not in the intervals. This week cements weeks 1–2.
Tue
VO2max 3×6 min (reduced)
60 min · WU 20 · 3×6 min @ 90-95% · 5 min rec · CD 13. Enough stimulus to maintain, not bury.
Wed
Full Rest
Extra rest this week. School + training load demands it.
Thu
Steady State 2×15 min (reduced)
65 min · WU 15 · 2×15 min SS · 5 min rec · CD 10. Touch the threshold — don't crush it.
Fri
Easy Skills Ride
45 min · Fun technical work — cornering, drops, rock gardens. Nothing strenuous. Keep it playful.
Sat
Moderate Trail Ride
2 hrs · Relaxed Zone 2 · Notice how fresh the legs feel compared to week 2. That's adaptation.
Sun
Fun Ride — Rider's Choice
1.5–2 hrs · Pick a favorite trail. No data pressure today. Ride for the love of it.
Volume: ~7 hrs · Key sessions: 2 · Z2 rides: 2
Week 4 · Apr 28–30
Reload — Bridge to May
Bridge
▾
Mon
Full Rest
Fresh start to the reload. May block is coming — come in sharp.
Tue
VO2max 4×8 min (Retest)
80 min · WU 20 · 4×8 min — same as Week 1 Day 1. Compare HR and feel. You should be stronger. Full gas.
Wed
Easy Spin
40 min Zone 1 · Flush the legs · April ends here. May block begins Thursday.
Volume: ~3.5 hrs · Bridge to May BUILD Phase
Interval Definitions
VO2max Intervals (Seiler 4×8)
90–95% max HR · ~95–105% FTP
The gold standard. Seiler's research shows 4×8 min produces the largest VO2max gains. Breathing hard, can't talk. This is the 20% in 80/20 that drives fitness.
Steady State (CTS)
88–93% max HR · ~80–85% FTP
Just below threshold. The CTS workhorse. Builds massive aerobic engine over time. Should feel "comfortably hard."
30/30 Repeats (FasCat)
30 sec max effort / 30 sec easy
XCO-specific from FasCat coaching. Simulates the constant surge-and-recover pattern of cross-country racing. Builds anaerobic repeatability.
Tabata Intervals
20 sec ALL OUT / 10 sec rest × 8
Maximum anaerobic and aerobic adaptation in 4 minutes. Originally proven by Dr. Izumi Tabata. Brutal but devastatingly effective for XCO surges.
Over-Unders
Alternating above + below SS threshold
Trains lactate clearance while maintaining high power. Simulates punchy MTB terrain — surge over a climb, recover at threshold on the flat.
Hill Repeats
4 min climbs @ VO2max power
Race-specific climbing power. NICA laps are 5-7 miles with repeated steep pitches. This builds the legs and lungs to attack every climb.
Coaching Notes · April
15 min warm-up minimum before every interval session — non-negotiable. Get HR above 130 before the first effort.
This plan follows Seiler's 80/20 polarized model: ~80% of training time in Zone 1-2, ~20% at high intensity. Don't turn easy rides into moderate rides — that kills the model.
Week 3 recovery is NOT optional. Adaptation from weeks 1–2 gets cemented here. You'll feel restless — that's the point. Trust the process.
Fuel rides 75+ min: 40–60g carbs/hr, 500ml+ water/hr. Don't bonk in training. Practice your race-day nutrition now.
Target 9 hrs sleep per night. Sleep is training. This is especially critical at 17 — growth hormone peaks during deep sleep.
If legs feel dead on Tuesday, push the interval day to Wednesday. Listen to the body, not the calendar.
XCO race demands: 80%+ time above lactate threshold with constant anaerobic surges. Every workout here trains that specific demand.
NICA varsity format: 3 laps × 5–7 miles, ~60–75 min, mass start. Sunday race sims should mimic this exact structure.
May Block Coming Soon
BUILD Phase continues — increased VO2max volume, race-specific power, start sprint practice. Built based on April progress.
June Block Coming Soon
SPECIFIC Phase — race simulation dominates. Threshold tolerance, tactical racing, course-specific prep.
July Block Coming Soon
PEAK Phase — sharpen the blade. Reduced volume, maximum intensity. Arrive at August races in the best shape of the season.
August — Race Month
RACE Phase — taper, race, recover, repeat. All the work pays off here. Podium time.
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