Building the Foundation: Week 1 Training Recap

2026-05-10 14:16

Week 1 of the bike training plan I'm working on is complete. Six sessions planned, six sessions completed. The focus this week was to re-establish the habit of riding regularly, find my rhythm, and resist the urge to train harder than the plan demands.

Monday: Lento Spin-Up

Planned: 55 min · Indoor · Pure Lento, 88–92 RPM

Actual: 55 min · 15.71 miles (25.28 km) · Avg HR 119 bpm · Avg Power 108 W · Avg Cadence 89 RPM

Despite trying various methods, I wasn't able to get the workout to show in the calendar in MyWhoosh, so had to use iCTrainer. This was expected, but I was hoping to be able to get it over. Despite that, I feel like the ride itself went well. It was a spin-up session, which was all about smooth pedal stroke and settling into cadence. The numbers landed right where they needed to. With my heart rate steady at 119 and a cadence within the 88-92 RPM target.

I finished feeling happy, and satisfied. Looking forward to the next workout.

Tuesday: Lento Pyramid

Planned: 55 min · Indoor · Pyramid structure within Lento

Actual: 55 min · 16.02 miles (25.78 km) · Avg HR 123 bpm · Avg Power 114 W

The pyramid workout introduced a little more structure by building effort through the session then bringing it back down, all still within Lento. Heart rate crept up slightly compared to Monday (123 bpm avg), which made sense given the progression in the workout. Max power touched 130 W at the top of the pyramid before easing back.

I was enjoying listening to my usual dose of the Late Night Linux podcast, which, unfortunately, didn't run for the whole workout. This resulted in me having to entertain myself for the final 25 minutes. I achieved this by moving in and out of the drops every 2 minutes.

While this ride was supposed to remain easy, the perceived effort was higher, and the sweat was running off me. Perhaps it was a warmer morning than I realised.

Wednesday: Recovery Flush

Planned: 45 min · Indoor · Pure active recovery, no targets

Actual: 45 min · 12.75 miles (20.52 km) · Avg HR 120 bpm · Avg Power 105 W · Avg Cadence 90 RPM

I was feeling slower and slightly tired before starting this one, resulting in the perceived effort being a little higher again. I feel that showed with the higher average HR during the session. With no podcast worth listening to, I attempted to watch a couple of episodes of Frasier during the session, with iCTrainer in a minimised compact view. I'm not sure why people find it funny.

However, heart rate and power both sat lower than Tuesday, and cadence stayed relaxed. Afterwards, I felt much better. So, this session did its job.

Thursday: Cadence Drills 3×

Planned: 50 min · Indoor · 3 rounds of high-RPM efforts

Actual: 50 min · 14.15 miles (22.77 km) · Avg Power 105 W · Peak Cadence 101 RPM

Thankfully, I slept well before this workout. Three rounds of high-cadence efforts with recovery in between. This kind of work is often overlooked, and doesn't look exciting in the numbers but pays off later in the plan. Cadence peaked at 101 RPM during the efforts.

Unfortunately, no heart rate data was recorded for this one as the HRM had one of its rare moments of being stuck powered on and unresponsive. I attempted to get it working, loosing 10 minutes out of my limited time. I even tried my Polar HRM, which ended up being flat. There was no winning this fight.

Having no HR data for this one was a shame, as I felt fantastic throughout, with even steady breathing. Would have been good to have the data available.

Friday: Pre-Ride Flush

Planned: 30 min · Indoor · Easy legs, 5-min high-cadence burst at the end

Actual: 30 min · 8.42 miles (13.55 km) · Avg HR 119 bpm · Avg Power 102 W · Avg Cadence 90 RPM

Much like Wednesday, the perceived effort of this ride was higher. However, it was precisely what it was supposed to be. A gentle wake-up for the legs ahead of Saturday's long ride. The short high-cadence burst at the end is there to prime the neuromuscular system without fatiguing it. Heart rate stayed calm throughout.

I finished feeling like I could do more, but found it satisfying. Adjusting to the slightly higher power for recovery is still taking some time to adjust to.

Saturday: Long Ride 90 min

Planned: 90 min · Outdoor · Pure Lento, RPE 2–3

Actual: 93 min · 23.21 miles (37.35 km) · 326 m elevation · Avg HR 117 bpm · Max HR 130 bpm · Avg Power 177 W (estimated) · Avg Cadence 93 RPM

I woke up to a truly beautiful morning. The sun was shining, and there was practically no wind. I don't think I could have asked for more perfect riding conditions. I was excited about this one.

It was an easy 23-mile ride through the gentle rolling hills, only 326 metres of climbing overall, and a heart rate that stayed remarkably controlled (avg 117 bpm) despite the terrain. The full sentences test passed, even on the ascents. A small nutrition prompt was built into the plan every 30–35 minutes, which was filled with a simple digestive biscuit.

The views never fail to disappoint, with the sun shining on the hills, birds singing away, and plenty of other animals. Mostly sheep, some in the middle of the road as usual. I also saw a massive hare. Possibly, one of the biggest I've ever seen. As I was almost home, I saw two Canada geese coming in to land on the river. Watching them glide down in perfect silence and formation without a single flap was a real treat.

Week in Numbers

Takeaways

Week 1 delivered exactly what a first week of a training block should: consistency over intensity. Every session was completed, the Lento discipline held across both indoor and outdoor rides, and the long Saturday ride was worth the wait.

I do have some concerns about building the plan around a 6-day training week, but I'm sure my body will adapt to doing this level of work again slowly. I was definitely happy for Sunday to be a complete rest day.

cycling