BLANCA BIKES PARTNERS
Apex Coaching & Consulting
APEX Coaching & Consulting
Blanca Bikes is proud to announce its latest partnership arrangement with APEX Coaching & Consulting based in Boulder Colorado. APEX Coaching exists to create, captivate, and inspire the world’s best athletes and coaches and has been helping athletes Achieve Peak Endurance experiences since 1999.
So now you have booked your Costa Blanca Cycling Holiday, how are you going to ensure you get the most out of your cycling break? You might have a ridden a few rides to work, been out on a few Sunday club rides, you might even have completed the odd 60 mile sportive, but are you confident you are going to be able to ride the Costa Blanca for 4, 6 or 10 consecutive days and get the most out of each day? Are you confident you are not going to “Bonk” halfway up the climb from Callosa d’en Sarrià to Tàrbena, that you aren’t going to wobble on the Coll de Rates or push your bike up the last painful meters to the summit of Cumbre Del Soll?
Why not give yourself that extra confidence, get the best value from the money you have spent on your cycling holiday and prepare yourself the way the professionals do by undertaking a professionally prepared 12-week Training Plan written by APEX Coaching and Consulting and offered through Blanca Bikes.
Blanca Bikes has partnered with APEX Coaching and Consulting to offer exclusive 12-week Training Plans to Blanca Bikes clients. These Training Plans take the specific demands of the local Costa Blanca terrain, climate, and training durations in mind, as well as how much time you have to devote to training before you arrive in Javea / Calpe.
Plans provided by APEX Coaching will guide you through training progressions using the best in sports science and years of coaching experience with proven results. Just the right doses of intensity, duration and recovery all combined to help you reach your goals.
All 12 Week Training Plans are designed as follows:
- Plans are written for all levels of cyclist from beginner to seasoned and experienced competitors. Whether you just want to feel stronger, ride longer distances or climb with greater ease, the Training Plans will give you the tools to reach your goals.
- All Plans use the best in sports science and are written by APEX coaches to guide you through training progressions and the proper dosing of training stress balanced with recovery, to give you the greatest adaptations and gains.
- Plans are divided into 3 categories depending on your available training hours per week. Training Plans will provide the structure and direction each day for you to quickly execute a purposed and effective workout.
- Neo Pro Plan- 6-8hours per week to train
- Domestique Plan- 8-10 hours per week to train
- Rouleur Plan -10-12 hours per week to train
- Plans offer great affordability given they are much less expensive than one on one coaching. You will get a plan written by an elite coach with vast experience and proven World Class results with athletes from beginner to World and Olympic Champions.
- Plans are created to include a 4DP test the 1st week of your plan so the plan will address your strengths and weaknesses. This test will provide your power numbers for each specific training zone, making your training much more effective. These specific power targets will help you gain fitness and be more prepared for your goal event.
- You select the date that works for you to start your plan and the corresponding weeks will guide you through the progressions for your goal week or event.
- As you progress, purchase the next level for continued improvement.
Training Plan Details
How To Get Started
Plan cost €150
- The Neo Pro Plan is written for those who have 6-8 hours a week to train.
- The Domestique Plan is written for those who have 8-10 hours a week to train.
- The Rouleur Plan is written for those who have 10-12 hours a week to train.
- Plans will be delivered through Training Peaks into your personal account and you can choose the plan’s start date.
- Plan will provide 12 weeks of training with daily focused workouts in Training Peaks. A 4 DP test will be executed in the 1st week of your plan to identify your strengths and weaknesses as a rider. This test will provide your power number for each specific training zone making your training much more effective.
- Plans include strength work, stretching for injury prevention and cadence work for varying terrain including- Low cadence or muscle tension efforts for steeper gradients. High cadence work for those descents and much loved tailwinds and threshold cadence work (your comfortable cadence that can be maintained for an extended period of time) while not draining your neuromuscular power. Plans are written with terrain and climate conditions in mind. Plans will train all energy systems required for adaptation and growth.
- Contact us and let us know you are interested in a 12 week training plan and which plan you would like to purchase.
- We will get you all set up, get your information and you can make secure payment on our site. Your plan can be applied to your Training Peaks account.
- Within 7 days of purchase and processed payment your plan will be delivered to your Training Peaks account.
- All Plans are non-refundable.
- You must be 18 years old to purchase a Training Plan.
- Always get clearance from your doctor to start a new training regime.
Meet Your Training Plan Coaches
Neal Henderson
Simon Bennett
Neal has over 25 years of coaching experience and is the founder of APEX Coaching, and Consulting. He was the former Director of Sports Science at Boulder Center for Sports Medicine for several years. Neal is currently head of the Wahoo Sports Science Division and oversees all of the Wahoo coaches. Neal draws on those experiences to help him develop cutting-edge sports science driven testing and training methods to help athletes of all levels perform their best.
He has worked with hundreds of athletes from amateur to top professional in his prior roles as Olympic Coach (2012 & 2016 (USA) and 2020, held in 2021 (Australia) with athletes winning numerous medals in Road and Track Cycling.
Neal is an Elite USA Triathlon, USA Cycling and UCI certified coach with numerous awards to his name, including the 2007 USA Cycling Developmental Coach of the Year, 2009 USA National Cycling Coach of the Year, and the 2011 Doc Counsilman Coach of the Year—awarded by the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC) for the use of science in coaching. In 2017 he was named USA Triathlon Coach of Year.
Neal has coached some of the biggest names in endurance sports and is the only coach in history to have trained an elite male and female athlete (Rohan Dennis and Evelyn Stevens) to the World Hour Record. Under his guidance, Neal’s athletes have won multiple Grand Tour stages and leader’s jerseys, Olympic Medals, and over 50 world championship titles in various cycling and triathlon disciplines – recently Rohan Dennis’ 2018 & 2019 ITT World Champs. Neal has coached athletes from developmental to World.Champions including Taylor Phinney, Flora Duffy, Taylor Knibb and Kasia Niewiadona to name a few.
Simon began his athletic career as an elite level swimmer in his home country of Australia. After a successful swimming career, Simon transitioned to coaching at the request of his former High Performance Program coaches. His coaching had a strong emphasis on stroke technique coupled with his belief that a good strength and conditioning program makes for a fast, injury free athlete. Simon coached triathletes and swimmers from beginners to World Champions. As an Australian Level 1 Triathlon Coach and Silver Level Swimming Coach. He had several of his athletes selected to compete at the Australian National Triathlon Championships, ITU Elite and Pro races and Australian National Championships.
In 2008 Simon came went to the U.S. as a professional cyclist and in 2009 was a member of an 8-man team that broke the World Record for the fastest RAAM (Race Across America) finish. In 2011 Simon set another World Record for the fastest ascent up Mt. Kilimanjaro by a person with Type 1 Diabetes.
Simon has been coaching full time since 2010 with a focus on endurance sports at every level. Simon has coached athletes from beginner to Olympic and World Champions. His athletes have achieved 7 Gold and 1 Silver medal in Cycling on the Road and Track in the Rio and Tokyo Games, 35 World Championships, over 70 National Championships on 4 Continents, numerous UCI World Cup medals and UCI World Cup Overall Leaders Jerseys. His coached athletes compete in Cycling (Road, Track, MTB, Gravel and Paracycling) Marathons, Triathlons of all distances, Duathlons, XTERRA race series and World Championships and Swimming. His athletes have been named to numerous Team USA World Championship and UCI World Cup rosters in Triathlon, Duathlon, XTERRA and Cycling. Simon also has extensive knowledge working in Olympic programs as the podium endurance coach for British Cycling during the Rio Olympic cycle and was also the National Team and Resident Athlete coach for Team USA Paralympic Cycling. During his time, the team had its most successful UCI Track World Championships, UCI Road World Cup season and a first ever Team Sprint UCI Track World Championship.
Simon is a USA Cycling and USAT Triathlon Level 1 Coach. In 2021 Simon was inducted into The Order of Ikkos from the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee awarded for excellence to coaches whose athletes win medals at the games.
Simon’s attention to detail and technique, belief in purposed training, and proactive focus on injury prevention and strength and conditioning bring a happy, healthy and well-prepared athlete to the start line to accomplish their goals.
Sample Training Plans - 7 Days
Training Plan 1
Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
Day 4
Day Off
No log-able training today.
Allowing the body to rest will help reap the gains of your training.
3 sets of 10 x 30 sec on @ Vo2
1:06:00 80 TSS
Warm Up 7-20 minutes build to Z4a Sub Threshold Increasing Cadence to Threshold Cadence +10%
P: Be sure to stretch post workout.
Recovery Spin - 30
0:30:00 13 TSS
30 minutes Easy Spinning.
Target Cadence 90-100
Where possible ride flat terrain.
P: Ride with hands on tops or hoods focusing on pedaling form efficiency, minimizing the dead space.
2 x 30 on 30 off + 7 mins at SU
1:05:50 71 TSS
Warm up with a progressive 10-15 minute easy spin to 90% of your zone 4a. 1 minute recovery.
P: We recommend you complete these efforts on a 5-8% gradient to replicate pedaling uphill.
Day 5
Day 6
Day 7
Results
Beginner Flexibility Routine
0:20:00
https:www.youtube.com
/watch?v=SNNKQlkoPqQ&
feature=youtu.be
3 x 20 mins build Z2 to Supra
2:45:00 172 TSS
Warm up - 7-15 mins build to Z4a Sub Threshold Comfortable Cadence.
P: Focus on breathing and keeping your shoulders back and down. Be sure to stretch post workout.
1.5hrs Z2 Foundation
1:30:00 78 TSS
1.5hrs Z2/Foundation/Base/
RPE 3-4 77-88% THR/55-75% FTP
Heart rate is the most important thing to monitor.
Total Duration
6:57 00:00
Total Training Stress Score
413
Distance 0.00km
Training Plan 2
Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
Day 4
Day Off
No log-able training today.
Allowing the body to rest will help reap the gains of your training.
5 x 5 as 4 min @ sub 2 min @ Supra
1:06:00 79 TSS
Warm Up 7-15 minutes build to Z4a Sub Threshold followed by 2 mins easy. 3 x 15 sec seated.
P: Be sure to stretch post workout.
Recovery Spin - 30
0:30:00 13 TSS
30 minutes Easy Spinning.
Target Cadence 90-100
Where possible ride flat terrain.
P: Ride with hands on tops or hoods focusing on pedaling form efficiency, breathing and limiting the dead space.
3 x 9 minutes Tempo Low RPM 50
1:10:15 79 TSS
Warm up 15-25 mins build to zone 4 sub threshold w target cadence 90-100. 2 minutes easy.
P:We recommend you complete these efforts on a 5-8% gradient to replicate pedaling uphil.
Day 5
Day 6
Day 7
Results
Beginner Flexibility Routine
0:20:00
https:www.youtube.com
/watch?v=SNNKQlkoPqQ&
feature=youtu.be
3 hrs Z2 Foundation Pace w 4 x 10 sub threshold
3:00:00 166 TSS
Warm up - 15-30 mins build to zone 3 Tempo. 1 minute easy followed by 1 minute at Z4a.
1.5hrs Z2 Foundation w 3 sets x 3 x 30
1:33:00 83 TSS
25 minutes@ zone 2 foundation pace. Focus on maintaining a high cadence for the duration.
P:When sprinting, chain line should be as straight as possible.
