SBT GRVL 75

1 · Quick Reference

2 · Your Race Calendar

Click any race to expand details. A events are your primary targets — everything else serves these races.

3 · Your Goals

Based on your intake, here's what you're training for:

4 · Your Training Philosophy

Your plan follows Polarized Foundation — the approach best suited to your tier (FINISHER) and goals.

Core Principles

1. 80% easy / 20% hard intensity distribution
2. Long rides build the engine
3. Two quality sessions per week
4. Strength supports, doesn't replace, bike work

Why This Works

The science: Decades of research on elite endurance athletes consistently shows that ~80% easy / ~20% hard produces better results than "moderate" training (threshold grinding). The easy work builds aerobic capacity without accumulating fatigue. The hard work drives specific adaptations.

The mistake most people make: Going too hard on easy days (turning Z2 into Z3) and not hard enough on hard days (surviving intervals instead of executing them). This creates a "grey zone" that's too hard to recover from but not hard enough to adapt to.

5 · Your Blindspots

Based on your intake, these are potential risks to be aware of. Forewarned is forearmed.

6 · 19-Week Training Plan

Click any week to expand and see the workout structure. This is your high-level roadmap.

2 · Your Weekly Schedule

Weekly structure not yet generated.

3 · Your 19-Week Phase Progression

Your training progresses through four coordinated phases. Cycling and strength are aligned so you're not double-peaking.

4 · Training Fundamentals

Before executing workouts, understand how training works at a mechanical level.

The Adaptation Cycle

The Practical Rules

1. Training stress must be adequate but not excessive — Hard enough to trigger adaptation. Not so hard you can't recover.
2. Recovery is training — Sleep, nutrition, stress management. This is where adaptation happens.
3. Consistency compounds — Ten weeks of steady training beats four weeks of heroics followed by burnout.
4. Patience is required — Meaningful adaptation takes weeks and months, not days.

5 · Training Zones

Zones quantify intensity. But the end goal of measuring intensity is to help you develop a feeling for intensity.

When Devices and Body Conflict

Power meters can lie (bad calibration, stale FTP). Heart rate can be misleading (heat, dehydration, caffeine, illness).

Your body doesn't lie. If 90% FTP feels like 9/10 today when it should feel like 7/10, something's wrong. Trust your body.

6 · Workout Execution

There's a massive gap between what's written on the plan and what actually happens. This section teaches you how to close that gap.

Universal Rules

1. Warm Up Properly

For intensity sessions: 15-20 minutes Z1→Z2→Z3. Include 3×1 min at Z3-Z4 to "open the legs." 2-3 minutes easy spin before first work interval.

2. Do the Actual Workout

Execute what's prescribed. Not more. Not less. Adding volume or intensity might feel productive, but it accumulates fatigue and ruins tomorrow's workout.

3. Chase Time-in-Zone, Not Hero Intervals

The goal is highest average power across the entire set, not crushing the first interval then dying.

4. Stop If Power Drops >10%

Quality beats quantity. Four quality intervals at 300W beats six degraded intervals averaging 270W.

Indoor vs Outdoor

Ride indoors: Interval sessions, short workouts (<90 min), bad weather, time-crunched days.

Ride outdoors: Long endurance rides (2+ hours), skills practice, mental freshness, race-specific terrain.

7 · Your Strength Program

Your plan includes 2x/week strength sessions coordinated with your cycling.

Phase-by-Phase Guide

Your Equipment

Workouts are designed for:

• Full Gym
• Dumbbells
• Barbells
• Leg Press
• Cable Machine

How to Execute Strength Sessions

1. Watch the video demos — Each exercise has a link. Watch it first.
2. Warm up — 5 minutes easy cardio + activation exercises in the workout
3. Follow the prescribed order — Exercises are sequenced intentionally
4. Use the rest periods — Strength needs recovery between sets
5. Log your weights — Track what you lift so you can progress
6. Stop before failure — Leave 1-2 reps in the tank

Weight Selection

Your Nutrition Targets

Calculated from your questionnaire data:

Nutrient Timing

When you eat matters as much as what you eat. Aligned with Chapter 8: Fueling & Hydration from your training plan guide.

Sample Timing Schedule (Hard Session)

Note: For easy sessions (<90 min Z2), timing is flexible. Eat normally, or even train fasted. Recovery nutrition is optional unless you're training twice per day.

Day-Type Adjustments

During Training

Interactive Nutrition Calculator

Adjust these sliders to see how your daily targets change based on different scenarios:

Hydration Guidelines

Train Your Gut: Your gut is trainable. If you never eat during training rides, your gut won't tolerate eating during races. Practice fueling on every long ride.

ZWO Workout Nutrition Calculator

Drop a ZWO file here to calculate your daily nutrition needs and timing for that specific workout:

9 · Mental Training

Physical training builds the engine. Mental training determines whether you use that engine when things get hard.

6-2-7 Breathing Technique

The pattern: Inhale 6 seconds, hold 2 seconds, exhale 7 seconds.

The key is the exhale is longer than inhale—this triggers the calming response.

Use it for: Pre-race anxiety, mid-race panic, after a bad section.

Performance Statements

Pre-planned phrases that replace negative self-talk:

Personal Highlight Reel

Build a mental movie you can play to access confidence:

1. Scene 1: A past moment when you overcame something difficult
2. Scene 2: A future crucial moment in this race—see yourself executing perfectly
3. Scene 3: Crossing the finish line—in full sensory detail

Practice until you can trigger the confident feeling on demand.

10 · Race Tactics for SBT GRVL 75

Every long gravel race follows a predictable three-act structure.

The Three Acts

Decision Trees

11 · Race Week Protocol

By race week, the training is done. You can't add fitness—you can only preserve what you've built or add dumb fatigue through poor decisions.

Race Morning Timeline

14 · Frequently Asked Questions

What if I miss a week of training?

One week won't kill you. Jump back in where the plan currently is—don't try to "make up" missed work. Forward progress only.

Can I do this plan entirely indoors?

Technically yes, but you're missing critical skills development. Do at least 30-40% outside, especially long rides.

What if my FTP changes mid-plan?

Test at Week 6-7 if curious. Only adjust zones if FTP changed by 5+ watts. Small fluctuations are noise.

How do I know if I'm overtraining?

Elevated resting heart rate, persistent fatigue, declining performance, irritability, poor sleep. If 3+ symptoms, take 2-3 days completely off.

What if I can't hit the prescribed watts?

Either FTP is set too high, or you're under-recovered. Take an extra rest day, retest FTP if needed.

Should I follow the plan exactly?

Follow as written. The order isn't random—hard days are spaced for optimal recovery. If you have a non-standard schedule, shift the entire week, don't rearrange individual workouts.

What if I get sick?

Above the neck (head cold): reduce intensity by one zone. Below the neck (chest, stomach): skip the workout entirely. Don't be a hero.