Every season, I see young athletes grinding through massive training sessions that don’t reflect the demands of their racing. Six-hour rides for athletes whose longest event is 60 minutes. Endless low-intensity mileage when high-intensity efforts define their race format. Intervals at the wrong intensity/duration, at the wrong time in the season. These training choices aren’t just ineffective—they can be actively holding athletes back from reaching their full potential.
Why Training Specificity Matters
Training specificity is the principle that your training should prepare you for the exact demands of your target events. This means matching the intensity, duration, and energy systems required for your races and their unique physiological demands.
Yes, endurance matters. Yes, base training has its place. But an athlete racing for 45-90 minutes does not need the same training as a rider preparing for a 10-day stage race. Long rides, for example, serve a purpose in certain phases of training, but should they be a cornerstone of preparation for a criterium racer, XC MTB athlete, or a short-course triathlete? Probably not.
Common Training Specificity Mistakes
Overloading Volume for Short Events
Many athletes (or their coaches) mistakenly believe that more volume always equals more fitness. While aerobic capacity is important, excessive long, slow rides for athletes competing in short, high-intensity races can be counterproductive. More isn’t always better—better is better.
Misplaced Intensity
Similarly to my previous point, another common issue is too much intensity at the wrong time. I see athletes smashing VO2 max efforts deep in the base phase or doing endless tempo work leading right into their race season. Every intensity zone/energy system has a place in training, but timing is everything. Building a massive aerobic base is only helpful if there’s a well-structured transition to race-specific sharpening.
Copy-Paste Coaching
Not every athlete should be training the same way. Junior cyclists shouldn’t be copying WorldTour pros. Weekend warriors shouldn’t be following the same plan as elite racers with years of high-level development. Training should be individualized—not just a slightly modified version of a one-size-fits-all template.
How to Train Smarter, Not Harder
Align Your Training With Your Race Demands
Look at your race calendar. What are the durations, intensities, and demands of your key events? Your training should reflect these factors. If you’re racing criteriums, prioritizing short, repeated high-power efforts makes sense. If you’re a gravel racer, durability and steady-state power matter more.
Periodize Your Season Correctly
There’s a time for everything—endurance, intensity, strength, recovery. A well-designed training plan should build toward your peak races, rather than throwing in random high-intensity sessions or overly long endurance rides at the wrong time.
Work With Coaches Who Understand Specificity
Great coaching isn’t about prescribing the hard training sessions—it’s about prescribing the right sessions, at the right time, and in the right order. If your plan doesn’t feel tailored to your physiology, your racing format, and your progression, it might be time to rethink who’s guiding your training.
At White Pine Athletics, we build training plans that make sense for your racing. We don’t waste time with unnecessary training stress, and we don’t guess when it comes to what you need to perform at your best. If you’re ready to train smarter and race faster, let’s talk.
