Climbing Race Training and Preparation: An 8-Week Quantified Climbing Training Plan Before the Race

Introduction

With 8 weeks to go until Taiwan’s summer and autumn climbing races, how should training be structured? This is a concrete question facing many amateur climbing racers. Training too intensively can cause over-fatigue, leaving the body depleted on race day; insufficient training volume makes it difficult to build the necessary aerobic base and muscular endurance. This article provides an 8-week race preparation framework based on sports science principles, designed for amateur riders targeting long-distance climbing races such as Wuling and Alishan (finish times of 4-6 hours), suitable for riders who can dedicate 8-12 hours per week to training.

8-Week Training Structure Overview

Week	Training Focus	Weekly Target Mileage	Climbing Target
Week 1	Base aerobic volume	150-180km	2500-3000m
Week 2	Base aerobic volume	160-190km	2800-3500m
Week 3	Intensity increase	140-170km	3000-3500m
Week 4	Recovery week	100-120km	1500-2000m
Week 5	Race intensity simulation	160-190km	3500-4500m
Week 6	Race intensity simulation	150-180km	3500-4000m
Week 7	Early taper	110-130km	2000-2500m
Week 8	Pre-race taper	60-80km	1000-1500m

Core Training for Each Phase

Weeks 1-2: Building Base Aerobic Volume

The focus of this phase is increasing total training volume, primarily at low-to-moderate intensity (60-70% of FTP):

• Long rides: Schedule one 4-6 hour long ride per week, prioritizing routes with climbing
• Volume training: 2-3 mid-distance rides of 1-2 hours during the week
• Climbing practice: Each long ride should include at least 1000m of climbing to simulate race conditions

Week 3: Intensity Increase

Introduce high-intensity interval training while keeping total volume moderate:

• FTP interval training: 2-3 sessions, each including 3×10 minutes at FTP intensity (3-5 minutes recovery)
• Climbing repeats: Perform 5-8 all-out 5-minute climbing efforts on your usual training climb
• Maintain long rides: Keep one weekend long ride, but slightly shorten it to 3-4 hours

Week 4: Recovery Week

Reduce total training volume by approximately 30-40% to allow the body to supercompensate:

• Drop high-intensity training; all rides should be at aerobic base intensity
• Feeling “very easy” this week is normal—do not increase intensity because of it
• The body typically shows significant performance gains after the recovery week

Weeks 5-6: Race Intensity Simulation

These are the two most critical weeks of the training cycle:

• Long rides with high climbing volume: Simulate the climbing volume of your target race (those targeting Wuling should complete at least one long climb of 2000m+)
• Tempo pacing practice: Sustained riding at target race pace (80-85% of FTP) for 60-90 minutes
• Consecutive-day training: Ride on both Saturday and Sunday to simulate fatigue accumulation and recovery before and after the race

Week 7: Early Taper

Begin reducing training volume while maintaining some high-intensity stimulus:

• Reduce total mileage by 20-30%
• Keep 1-2 short high-intensity sessions (e.g., 2×8 minutes at FTP intensity) to maintain neuromuscular activation
• Increase sleep time and begin paying attention to pre-race nutrition and hydration plans

Week 8: Pre-Race Taper

The core of the final week is “preservation” rather than “training”:

• Monday to Wednesday: Light aerobic rides of 30-45 minutes
• Thursday: A 30-minute ride including 2-3 all-out 30-second sprints (to activate leg muscles)
• Friday: Complete rest or a 15-minute very easy ride
• Two days before the race: Complete rest, ensuring adequate sleep

Key Workout Session Examples

Climbing Repeats (suitable for Wednesday or Thursday):

• Warm-up: 20 minutes of progressive easy riding
• Main set: On a climb with 6-8% gradient, perform 6×5 minutes of hard climbing efforts (intensity approximately 95-105% of FTP), recovering on the descent for 5 minutes between efforts
• Cool-down: 15 minutes of easy riding

Tempo Pacing Practice (suitable for Saturday long ride):

• Goal: During a 4-5 hour long ride, maintain target race pace for the middle 2 hours
• 30-45 minutes of easy warm-up and cool-down before and after
• The focus is on pacing consistency, not maximizing intensity

Practical Advice

• Use a training log to record data from every ride and regularly review progress
• If you feel particularly fatigued in a given week, enter recovery mode early—don’t push through
• Starting 8 weeks before the race, check your equipment condition and allow time to address mechanical issues
• Find a training partner with climbing race experience to keep each other accountable and motivated

Conclusion

An 8-week systematic race preparation cannot guarantee a perfect result, but it can guarantee that you stand at the starting line in optimal condition. The training plan is a guideline—flexible adjustment and respect for your body’s signals are the core attitudes that make training truly effective.

Related Reading

• Spring Race Preparation Plan: A Complete 8-Week Training Schedule Before Race Day
• Periodized Design of Climbing Training: A 16-Week Plan from Base Aerobic to Specific Climbing
• Mountain Training Plan: A 12-Week Progressive Build of Fitness and Skills
• Road Running Special Feature | 8-Week Terrain Preparation for Trail Races (R042)