My last six months: two interval sessions, zone 2, and light strength
Zone 2 is my home turf
What I love most on the bike is the long rides. Long climbs in zone 2 where I can just keep going hour after hour. I'm not someone who looks for short, explosive sessions — I want to be out there for a long time. That's where I thrive, and that's where I am at my strongest.
These last months my program has been built around what I am good at, but with two proper interval sessions a week to pull the level up. The rest is zone 2 and light strength training.
My week
The program these past six months has looked like this, week after week:
- Tuesday: Threshold session (4×12 min or 3×15 min at 95–105% FTP, 4 min rest)
- Wednesday: Zone 2, 1.5–2 hours easy
- Thursday: Light strength, 30–45 min
- Friday: Zone 2 or rest
- Saturday: Above-threshold intervals (5×5 min or 6×4 min at 105–115% FTP, often uphill)
- Sunday: Long ride, 3–5 hours in zone 2 with some zone 3 segments
The two interval sessions have different purposes. The Tuesday session builds the ability to hold high power for a long time — that's what lets me hang on in a long race. The Saturday session is more explosive: short, sharp efforts above threshold, often uphill, training exactly what decides a classic — putting down the really high watts when the race explodes.
The midweek zone 2 sessions are short enough to fit around work but long enough to give real aerobic effect. The Sunday long ride is where I put most of the volume — it gives both the physical foundation and the mental calm that comes from being out on the bike for a long time.
My training philosophy
When I train, I visualize myself as a professional rider pushing the limits every day. It's not about being a pro — it's about the mentality. If you go into a training session with half your focus, you get half the result.
For me, training comes down to three things: quality sessions that actually move the needle, building the threshold so I can hold the long races, and putting down the really high watts in the decisive parts of a race. Everything else — zone 2, recovery, light strength — is there to support those three things.
Where I stand now
After six months with this structure I feel a platform that is ready for the next step. The most important thing is not that I have done a lot of sessions, but that I have done the right kind of sessions — the ones that move me forward.
That is the foundation for what I want to deliver in the classics ahead.