The biggest change in road cycling these days is that hard science previously reserved for the pros is being applied to the masses. That’s according to Colin Izzard, head coach of Carmichael Training Systems, a company founded by Lance Armstrong’s former coach Chris Carmichael. Lactate threshold training is the most central tenet around which these programs revolve. Even for a beginner cyclist, understanding what this means and how it applies to basic training can mean the difference between plateaus in performance and continued gains until race day.

THE FIELD TEST  Working out below one’s lactic threshold is the staple of endurance training. In simple terms, when excess lactic acid is produced during intense workouts, performance drops. This typically occurs when your heart rate exceeds a certain number of beats per minute. “You start using stored glucose as fuel rather than carbohydrates,” says Izzard, “which can be likened to a burning match. It fizzles out quickly.” Every athlete has a different threshold so the first step is figuring out yours. One approach is to test for lactate levels in your blood—a challenge outside of an exercise physiology lab. The other: Conduct your own field test. With a heart rate monitor, measure your average beats per minute. Do two repeats of three miles with a 15-minute rest in between. Go as hard as you can. Take the average between the two times and you’ll have your lactate threshold (LT), which becomes the cornerstone of your training.

MUSCLE TENSION WORKOUTS  Your quest to road-cycling glory probably includes taking a shot at a century ride (100 miles). “You need deep fitness,” says Izzard. For four to eight weeks, tailor your rides so you’re operating at 45 to 75 percent of your lactic threshold heart rate. For instance, do three, five-minute intervals using the biggest gear you can handle. Then move on to 10 minutes, then 15. After that, you’ll want to reduce your workload to 30 to 50 percent of your threshold heart rate for a week. “You don’t get faster during the workout. You get faster by allowing your body to recover,” says Izzard. Meanwhile, adds Jon Durham of Able Body Conditioning, it’s important to work on pedal stroke efficiency. “Don’t mash big gears,” he says. “A lot of people stomp on the pedals. Work on spinning instead. Try for 90 revolutions per minute. Learn how to spin smaller gears up hill. The best climbers are actually shifting into more difficult gears as they climb.”

TEMPO WORK  From here, focus for three weeks on building your aerobic engine. Workouts should hover around 80 to 85 percent of your threshold. “You need to work on holding that pace for most of your century ride,” says Izzard. “You’re going to be spending a lot of time at this level.” Also sprinkle in dynamic group rides throughout the week. “The idea here is that you’re injecting bouts of high intensity,” he says. Then reap the rewards after an additional recovery week at 45 percent to give your body time to adapt. And concentrate on doing most of your stretching after your ride. “Too much stretching before can lower performance, which is a common mistake,” says Durham. “Try to gradually increase your mileage by 10 percent a week.”

MIX IT UP  After approximately 11 weeks it’s time for an additional time trial. Chances are your lactate threshold heart rate has increased. The key is to have reached at least 75 percent of the mileage you’ll be attempting on the day of the big ride, says Durham. From here, work on training multiple energy systems. Do muscle tension work, followed by tempo work. Then back off. The day before the ride, do a good warm-up at all speeds. “It’s like warming up a race car,” says Izzard. “You want to run through all the gears before revving the gas.”