So far, everything I have read from Selene Yeager, author of the Fit Chick column in Bicycling Magazine and USA Cycling certified coach, I have really liked. She has some commonsense approaches to help you push through plateaus in your training and help you reach new levels in your training.

The latest set ideas, located here: http://www.bicycling.com/article/0,6610,s-4-41-17811-1,00.html , are designed to help you "sharpen" the training base that you have already established. The idea being that you have already put in the miles on your bike, so the overall fitness and endurnace is there. Now its time to take advantage of that fitness and focus on ways that will gain you additional spped and help you recover faster.

Some ideas include:
Drop Sets
To finish the season strong you need to pump up your power at intensities above lactate threshold (LT)--the point at which your muscles start to beg for mercy. Drop Set intervals, which demand maximum efforts with decreasing amounts of rest, will improve your ability to surge above LT without slowing down.

Power Ups
Kick up your VO2 max by taxing your aerobic system with high-cadence intervals. Warm up for at least 15 to 20 minutes, then click into a gear you can spin comfortably and pedal at a cadence of 110 to 120 rpm. Hang on to that pace for two to three minutes, then recover for an equal amount of time. Repeat six to eight times

Hill Surges
Find a moderate to steep grade, about 6 to 10 percent. Spin easy at the base of the climb. When the road starts to incline, ratchet up your speed a notch every 15 seconds until you're 60 seconds in, then shift up a gear or two and push all-out for 15 seconds

Check out the article for more details on the specific plans. I think you could modify each one of these plans for running and thus shake up your cross training days with something new.

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