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Post by noel on Jul 13, 2013 16:22:42 GMT
Training vs. ‘Just Riding’ I know several fast, strong and accomplished cyclists who won’t let the word “training” pass their lips. They feel the word connotes a level of seriousness that’s unhealthy at the least and, at worst, could dim their enjoyment of the sport. They simply “go for a ride.” Of course, there’s nothing wrong with riding in an unstructured way, cruising along with the breeze in your face, going fast when the spirit moves you, slowly when the spirit lags. Riding like you feel can generate fine fitness. That said, there are still some great reasons to allow the “T” word in your vocabulary. Reasons to Train The Challenge of Improvement. All of us like challenges, especially when we can see improvement that’s commensurate with the effort we put in. That’s why training on the bike (as opposed to “just riding”) is so exciting. When you make the decision to go from occasional rides to a regular schedule, you’ll experience big fitness gains. Add one more step — a modest increase in intensity once or twice a week — and you’ll bump up your performance another notch. The Ability to Ride Like an Athlete. Increased fitness means you don’t have to merely sit on the bike and plod along. The greater your strength, power and endurance, the more you can ride with the verve and style of an athlete. Get out of the saddle and jam over small hills. Sprint for county line signs. Outrun a snarling canine attacker and laugh in his doggy face. Take on long, tough hills that used to reduce you to a gasping wreck — and top the summit with a smile. The Fun of Going Fast. Bicycles, scientists tell us, represent the perfect marriage of a machine with the human body. We bipeds on bikes can go faster and cover the miles with less effort than with any other method of human locomotion. Think of the bike not as a device for transportation but rather as a machine for creating fun — zooming around corners, flattening hills, dropping your buddies. It takes a minimum level of fitness to ride in a group and have all this fun. The Fitness to Go the Distance. It takes training to be able to pedal between 50 and 100-plus miles day after day. But it’s achievable on a surprisingly limited time commitment. The Cultivation of Riding Skills. When you build fitness, bike-handling ability comes as part of the package. Remember that old saying about practice making perfect? It’s true when it comes to riding a bike like you were born to it. Gaining fitness requires you to get on the road — and that’s where you’ll also accumulate the experience necessary to feel connected to the bike. MOST IMPORTANT And Don’t Forget Those Buffed Legs! Vanity may not be the purest of motives for getting fit, but so what? Cycling strips the excess fat off your legs and torso. It tones your quads until they look like they’ll rip through the skin. But best of all is what happens inside where you can’t see it — better cardiovascular fitness, an improved cholesterol profile, more stamina for daily activities, and the post-ride calm of a Zen master. Now that’s something to be vain about.
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Post by noel on Aug 1, 2013 14:26:14 GMT
The Ways We Improve Our Fitness
Most people assume that if they exercise, they’ll get fitter. Few people, however, know much about the principles that lead to greater fitness. In fact, the body’s ability to adapt to various demands placed on it is one of the wonders of physiology. Here’s how your body manages that trick.
Stress leads to adaptation. All training is based on the body’s stress adaptation system. In a process known as the “general adaptation syndrome,” the body adapts to stress by becoming stronger. When a stress (like training) is applied, the body becomes better able to withstand that stress.
If the training isn’t hard enough, improvement doesn’t take place or, if it does, it takes place at an extremely slow rate. On the other hand, stress the body too much with insufficient time for recovery and the adaptation mechanisms are overwhelmed. Next comes chronic fatigue.
Stress is cumulative. Remember to factor in all the stressful events in your life when you calculate your ability to recover. It isn’t just the day’s training that applies stress to your system. Long hours on the job, family events, marital problems, financial woes—all these stressors combine with the rigors of training. They all add up.
Can you fall into chronic fatigue and lack of improvement on only six or seven hours of riding each week? You bet. If you’re constantly stressed by the demands of everyday living, additional stress in the form of training might be more than you can handle. Because of this:
Training should be specific. Adaptation correlates to the stress that’s applied. If you train by riding long, slow miles, your body will get better at riding long and slow. If you change your training by reducing mileage and doing sprints, you’ll get faster but your endurance will decrease.
That’s why goals are so important. If you don’t know what you want to accomplish in your training, you can’t take advantage of the body’s blind adaptation to specific training.
Training should be individualized. We’re all unique in our response to training. An endless fascination is watching how your body responds to the combination of workout intensity, workout duration, and rest.
Training should be regular. Steady doses of training are better than periodic bursts. Studies show that aerobic exercise three times a week allows you to keep the fitness you have, while four workouts per week mean you improve. Five sessions per week is thought to be optimum, allowing plenty of miles to stress the body enough for improvement along with two days to rest and recover.
Training should be predictable. The body doesn’t like surprises. If you are accustomed to a leisurely 25 miles each day on flat roads and you get suckered into a fast 75-miler in the hills, you’ll end up sore, injured, demoralized—and probably dropped. A regular training program leads to optimum improvement when it’s founded on steady and moderate increases in effort plus plentiful rest.
Training should be periodized. The same training schedule day after week after month will destroy continued improvement and your desire to ride. Different months require different approaches to training. Periods of complete recovery in late fall, cross-training in winter, building a base in early spring—these are ways that smart riders introduce variety into their program.
The Ways We Improve Our Fitness
Most people assume that if they exercise, they’ll get fitter. Few people, however, know much about the principles that lead to greater fitness. In fact, the body’s ability to adapt to various demands placed on it is one of the wonders of physiology. Here’s how your body manages that trick.
Stress leads to adaptation. All training is based on the body’s stress adaptation system. In a process known as the “general adaptation syndrome,” the body adapts to stress by becoming stronger. When a stress (like training) is applied, the body becomes better able to withstand that stress.
If the training isn’t hard enough, improvement doesn’t take place or, if it does, it takes place at an extremely slow rate. On the other hand, stress the body too much with insufficient time for recovery and the adaptation mechanisms are overwhelmed. Next comes chronic fatigue.
Stress is cumulative. Remember to factor in all the stressful events in your life when you calculate your ability to recover. It isn’t just the day’s training that applies stress to your system. Long hours on the job, family events, marital problems, financial woes—all these stressors combine with the rigors of training. They all add up.
Can you fall into chronic fatigue and lack of improvement on only six or seven hours of riding each week? You bet. If you’re constantly stressed by the demands of everyday living, additional stress in the form of training might be more than you can handle. Because of this:
Training should be specific. Adaptation correlates to the stress that’s applied. If you train by riding long, slow miles, your body will get better at riding long and slow. If you change your training by reducing mileage and doing sprints, you’ll get faster but your endurance will decrease.
That’s why goals are so important. If you don’t know what you want to accomplish in your training, you can’t take advantage of the body’s blind adaptation to specific training.
Training should be individualized. We’re all unique in our response to training. An endless fascination is watching how your body responds to the combination of workout intensity, workout duration, and rest.
Training should be regular. Steady doses of training are better than periodic bursts. Studies show that aerobic exercise three times a week allows you to keep the fitness you have, while four workouts per week mean you improve. Five sessions per week is thought to be optimum, allowing plenty of miles to stress the body enough for improvement along with two days to rest and recover.
Training should be predictable. The body doesn’t like surprises. If you are accustomed to a leisurely 25 miles each day on flat roads and you get suckered into a fast 75-miler in the hills, you’ll end up sore, injured, demoralized—and probably dropped. A regular training program leads to optimum improvement when it’s founded on steady and moderate increases in effort plus plentiful rest.
Training should be periodized. The same training schedule day after week after month will destroy continued improvement and your desire to ride. Different months require different approaches to training. Periods of complete recovery in late fall, cross-training in winter, building a base in early spring—these are ways that smart riders introduce variety into their program.
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Post by noel on Sept 4, 2013 17:00:54 GMT
Crafting Your Training Plan
When you start to put your plan in place, keep these principles in mind:
BUILD SLOWLY. If your longest ride ever is 50kms, don’t tackle a 75kms this weekend. Your body is much happier—and less likely to get injured—if distance increases are incremental and small. The time-honored rule is to increase mileage no more than 10 percent from week to week.
INCLUDE VARIETY. If you go on a trip and a bridge is washed out, you look at your map and choose from other roads. If your plan calls for a scheduled hard ride on Tuesday and you feel tired and washed out, choose from a variety of easier workouts.
Put varied types of rides and other training into your schedule. And don’t be reluctant to alter your plan when conditions warrant. You’ll find that goals are easier to reach if you alter your training frequently. You probably get plenty of sameness in your job and daily routine. Why continue the pattern on your bike? Cycling is supposed to be recreation. So recreate.
VARY THE PACE. The better the rider, the greater the gap between his speed on recovery days and the speed he goes when he’s racing or interval training. Pros can average more than 45km per hour for 110km. But on their recovery days, they just creep along, taking a walk on the bike. Nearly anyone can keep up.
Pros know that fast rides provide the impetus for improvement and slow rides allow the body to recover and get stronger.The big mistake? Going the same speed day after day. If you always ride at a moderate pace, your body has no way of knowing what going fast is all about. VARY THE VOLUME. Just as you vary the pace, you should also ride different distances during the week. You won’t feel comfortable going more than 45km if every training ride is 90 minutes long. But if you gradually increase the time of one weekly ride, soon your body will adapt and 60 or 80kms will be easy.
DO INTERVALS. Interval training has a bad rap among cyclists. It’s hard, they argue, and it’s so structured that it takes all the fun out of riding. The hard part can’t be denied, but that’s what makes it effective. A large body of research shows that the intensity of interval training is the most potent producer of fitness. It’s also the most time-efficient way to get better.
Intervals don’t have to be by-the-clock drudgery. Instead, simply go faster when the spirit moves you—sprint over short hills, go hard to the next stop sign, try to catch the rider up ahead. Such random efforts are known by their Swedish name, fartlek, or speed play. They’re a great way to increase your intensity.
TAKE REST DAYS. Training is built around a paradox: You don’t get better when you’re training hard, you get better when you’re resting. That’s when your body rebuilds from physical stress. So take at least one day each week completely off the bike. Two may be better. Do some yard work, upper-body resistance training, bike maintenance—or prop up your feet and sip a cold beverage.
KEEP IT FUN. Training should never be drudgery. Unless you’re a pro, you’re riding a bike for fun, relaxation and to improve your fitness. Explore different routes. Go mountain biking on dirt trails. Ride alone if you always go with a group, and vice-versa. Try to break your personal record for the local killer climb. Join in the local club’s weekly training race. The world of cycling is huge, so there’s no reason to get stale.
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Post by PhOByrne on Sept 4, 2013 20:41:49 GMT
I read the above post with great interest. I try to vary my training runs as much as possible, different route, different hills, trying to keep up with guys on faster bikes who are 20 years younger etc. But one word stuck out in the post "fartlek". I havent heard that word in over 35 years. I remember it from my athletics years reflecting interval training. Looks like Ive come full circle!!!!
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Post by noel on Sept 23, 2013 16:38:26 GMT
Can Hard Rides Keep Me Young No training program will keep Mr. Grim Reaper away if he has your number. But as long as you're still mobile on something other than a pine box, make every minute of life count. And that goes double for your riding time. But research shows that as riders age, we need more than mere mileage. I recommend focusing on five key areas. Intensity. Endurance athletes who maintain or increase workout intensity tend to see their VO2 max decline at a lower rate than those who do more mileage but at a slower pace. So, do snappy interval-type riding nearly all year. This can include hills, group rides, fighting headwinds -- anything counts as long as heart rate is at or above 85% of max. Strength. Studies indicate that a significant drop off in performance begins around age . This coincides with a relatively steep decline in muscle volume. So lift weights 2-3 times per week. Sure, this takes time and energy from cycling. But it's crucial to preserve the muscle mass that gets a rider down the road. Recovery. The older we get, the longer it takes to recover. I work on this issue with some hard resting. My favorite workout: lying on the couch, watching televised sports Nutrition. More fruit, more veggies, more whole grains and enough protein to help maintain muscle volume. I sometimes combine this with a recovery workout snacking with healthful fare while on the couch. Emotional health. Along with cycling, enjoy other important things in life: family, friends. Refuse to use age as an excuse when riding with youngsters at least not until they drop you badly . But come to think of it, some older riders will drop you, too Will have to think of a good excuse for that
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Post by noel on Oct 19, 2013 19:50:03 GMT
Overtraining and Recovery
Hard training doesn’t always lead to better performances. Combine it with inadequate recovery and you’ll almost certainly get worse instead of better. How can you avoid this depressing phenomenon, known as overtraining? How can you recover better? Keeping a few key things in mind certainly helps.
Stress is Cumulative
Pro cyclists rarely overtrain. They ride enormous mileage (on the order of 400 to 600 miles a week) and they slug it out in long stage races. But pros have plenty of time for rest and recuperation. All they do is ride, eat and relax.
On the other hand, recreational riders usually log only 5 to 10 hours a week. This is deceiving, though, because their workweeks stretch to 40-plus hours, and most have additional responsibilities at home. In fact, the average recreational cyclist probably has a lower miles-to-rest ratio than a pro.
Never forget that stress is cumulative. If the boss is ragging on you about that overdue report and your personal relationships are coming unglued, you’ll have little energy left even for modest training. You’ll also have less ability to recover from the training you do manage to fit in.
Learn to Recognize the Symptoms
Overtraining symptoms aren’t always clear-cut. But if you experience several of the following, beware.
Lowered performance. When your time or speed worsens even though you’re training hard, suspect overtraining. Here’s the rule: If you’re getting worse despite hard training, you’re probably getting worse because of hard training.
Apathy. If you have to pry yourself out of bed for the Sunday morning ride, you may be suffering from chronic fatigue. When you’ve lost your normal enthusiasm for cycling, it’s a clear signal that you aren’t fully recovered and your body is crying for rest. It’s not a sign of personal weakness.
Desire to quit. A strong desire to quit is a classic symptom that you’ve pushed too hard. Organized events should make you eager to ride hard or compete. If you’re lethargic, tired and feel like taking the shortcut home or not riding at all, you’ve left your competitive fire out on your training roads.
Increased irritability. Your family members provide the best early warning of overtraining. They’re the first to notice when your normally sunny personality turns grumpy.
Disrupted sleep. Overly tired cyclists often fall asleep easily in the evening. In fact, they usually feel drowsy in the afternoon. But they often awake at 3 or 4 a.m., unable to relax. This pattern of inappropriate fatigue is a sure tip-off that you’ve overdone it.
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Post by noel on Oct 24, 2013 15:09:03 GMT
Learn to Draft; Draft to LearnThe best way to learn good drafting technique is to pair up with an experienced rider. So if you're an old hand, help a new rider learn. If you're a newbie, find a "grizzled oldie" (plenty around ) who's willing to help. In this example, we'll assume you're the rookie. Ride at a moderate pace on a low-traffic road. Put your front wheel about 3 feet behind your guru's rear wheel. As you feel comfortable and confident, get a bit closer -- maybe 2 feet, then 18 inches. Notice how the draft is stronger when you're closer to your partner's wheel, weaker as you drift back. Notice how you feel more draft when speed increases. Feel how the draft moves slightly to the side in a crosswind. Protection increases to the right of your partner's wheel when the wind is from the left, and vice versa. Good drafting depends on smooth, even pedaling. If you pedal and coast, pedal and coast, you'll find yourself getting too close to your partner or too far back. Keep the crank turning and use slightly more or less pedaling force to maintain a constant gap. Now practice rotating the lead:The front rider checks over his or her shoulder for traffic, drifts a couple of feet to one side (determined by wind direction, road conditions or traffic) and slows slightly by soft-pedaling. You take the lead not by accelerating but by keeping your speed constant as your partner slows. Pedaling will feel a bit harder because you're bucking the wind. Glance at your computer to make sure your speed stays steady.Stay close as you pass each other while rotating the lead. The closer your shoulders are, the less wind each of you will be pushing and the narrower your combined width. That's important so motorists can deal safely with your presence. When you're the person dropping back, begin accelerating slightly when your front wheel is beside your partner's rear wheel. Then you can slip in behind before a gap opens.. Give this a go guys
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Post by noel on Nov 18, 2013 13:01:36 GMT
Question:
Am I the only rider out here with enough self-preservation instinct to be afraid of going fast downhill?
Answer:
Don't feel bad. Lots of cyclists feel apprehensive on fast descents. It's not paranoia. Bad things really can happen on a descent.
Some riders are naturally more aggressive than others and have a very good kinesthetic sense, so they descend fast and look forward to it. Others have a highly developed sense of self-preservation, so they go more cautiously.
There's nothing intrinsically wrong with either approach. But if you want to descend faster without sacrificing safety, here are some tips:
Be sure your equipment is in top shape. If you're worrying about whether your wheels are reliable or your brakes are effective, you won't descend with confidence. Be sure your bike is safe at any speed. Never run a worn or damaged front tyre because if it blows out on a descent it may be impossible to control the bike.
Learn proper descending technique. Consult good riders.
Follow better descenders. A huge part of descending well is picking the right line through turns. When you follow a good descender, you can trace his or her path and get to the bottom with greater speed and safety. Stay several bike lengths back and put your wheels right where theirs have been.
Ride off-road. Curvy singletrack with downhills will teach you a lot that carries over to the road. Speeds are slower so there's usually less penalty for a crash -- assuming you land on grass, not rocks!
Ride at the top limit of your comfort zone. That's how your skills are continuously improved. But never go faster than that. If you feel like you're going too fast, you probably are. And you're probably tensing up, too, which ruins concentration and bike control.
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Post by PhOByrne on Nov 18, 2013 13:25:21 GMT
Good Post Noel. You are definitely not the only one with self preservation in mind. I may be the only one looking more forward to going up hill than downhill. Last sunday was a good example. On the descent from Ballyfeard into carrigaline in torrrential rain and first time on new road bike was like booking an appointment with the Man above( or below). Fortunately both reserved that for another day!!! Following other peoples line round the bends is a great tip. It is helping me greatly so far.
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Post by noel on Nov 21, 2013 19:44:55 GMT
Wheel-Sucking Etiquette
When you get passed by a rider going a bit faster, it's tempting to catch his or her draft to enjoy some free speed . That's fine, but proper etiquette requires asking 2 questions. First: "Okay if I tag along?" It annoys some riders to have uninvited company, especially if the company is benefitting from the lead rider’s work and not contributing to the effort. So ask first, suck second. Once you get permission, even if you don’t really feel up to it, at least ask "Want me to take some pulls?" Your new friend may welcome your help, but he or she may also be on a ride where it isn't necessary or desired. By asking, you've shown your willingness not to be a mere mooch, and the ground rules are established.
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Post by Muller on Dec 5, 2013 17:13:53 GMT
Curse you, power-to-weight ratio.
I could've chosen a mellow activity like archery or Rugby, but no. I had to pick a sport that's ruled by this merciless equation. The only way to ride faster is to: (a) increase your power (b) decrease your weight , or (c) find a top-notch pharmacist . I tend to squander my cash on food and shelter, so "c" is out. Boosting my power would be an option if I were 23 and had been born without pain receptors, but I burst into tears when I get a paper cut opening my mail. That leaves weight loss . Fortunately, there's lots of advice on the topic. Unfortunately, none of it works. I could weigh my food, as some nutrition experts suggest. Or I could employ the non-diet diet of simply not eating for a few days . Or I could subsist on baby food, which one top Tour rider supposedly did in the 1980s. ("Alpe d'Huez tomorrow? "Pass me another box of Liga") All of those require superhuman discipline. Where was I when the Big Guy was handing out that trait? Probably in a cafe. To shed pounds, I have to nibble around the edges of the problem. Oh, I know all the angles. Skim milk instead of regular. Good carbs vs. empty ones. Whole grains over, um, half grains. Stay out of Lemon Leaf/ Blue Haven And yet the scales is not impressed. I watch as my spare tyre inflates . Enough, I say. This time the weight's coming off for good, one way or another. Tomorrow, I'm buying a lighter bike
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Post by FinMarr1 on Dec 7, 2013 14:36:21 GMT
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Post by Muller on Dec 12, 2013 21:00:44 GMT
Dial It Back a Bit
Most roadies who are bent on improvement need a reminder every now and again, even in the off-season, because here's what happens:
You plan to do a recovery ride, outside or on the trainer, at a relaxed pace. You know you should. Active recovery is part of smart training. But even though you intend to go slowly, you feel good and your speed creeps up. Soon you're hammering down the road or jamming to tunes indoors.
Recovery rides require a gentle pace. Go higher and you won't get the rest you need to train hard when it counts.
Here are tips for keeping your irrational exuberance under control:
Calm yourself. When you're doing a recovery ride on the trainer, choose relaxing diversions. Don't watch Tour de France videos that will tempt you to stay with Chris Froome up Mont Ventoux. Choose a stupid game show instead. Forget the head-banging tunes and run some easy listening through the speakers.
Restrict gearing. Vow to stay in the small ring the whole ride. Spin. Relax.
Ride with slow friends. And don't drop them! Stay half a wheel behind. Let them set their pace, which must be your pace. Or ride with fast friends, but make a pact at the start to reel in anybody who pushes the pace.
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Post by Muller on Dec 15, 2013 13:41:24 GMT
The sportive season is only around the corner and those who prepare best will enjoy them most .
If you want to be at your best for the sportives, or leisure rides, next year you need to start preparing now and be sensible about your training and recovery. You will notice it soon; the current of Lycra-clad bodies flowing along the rural roads of Ireland. The deluge is coming from the sportive and leisure sector. The road racers have been slogging away dedicatedly for a while now. Out to play will come the boys and girls whose sights are set on the big one-day sportives such as the Carrig Tour, Wicklow 200, Ring of Kerry, Etape de Tour, or the multi day sportive challenges such as the Atlantic to Mediterranean. All these events are looming on the 2014 horizon. So how should you go about training for sportive events? To get the most out of your training you need to work backwards.
What this means is that you must start with your event and work back from it to right now. This principal is true of training for any activity. Step 1 - Analyse the demands the event makes on you by asking: What do I need to be able to do to complete this event? What you need for sportive events is bucket loads of endurance. In most sportives the ability to keep going for a long time is crucial . So the implication for training is to gradually build up the continuous hours on the bike.
For some events such as the Etape de Tour and Marmotte climbing ability is also a major factor. Some special hill work will be required for these events. Multi day events like the Atlantic to the Mediterranean additionally require the ability to ride 5 days in a row. Back-to-back long rides will be part of the training for this type of event. For all sportive events a good level of skill is important. You need to be able to do the basics like eat and drink while riding along. You should also be competent and safe riding in a group. Descending and cornering skills are also critical on these events. Practice these skills and join a club where you will meet experienced coaches and riders who can help you with the skills, especially those of riding in a group. Step 2 – Establish your current fitness is in relation to the demands of the event. How far off these standards am I now? Which of the demands do I need to work on most? How much time do I have to dedicate to training? Approaching your training by prioritising the requirements of the event will prove the most productive. For example a rider taking part in the 5 day 600km Atlantic to Mediterranean event must first ask themself how many hours per day will I have to ride? If the longest day involves around 7 hours in the saddle split in two by lunch you have to compare this to your current longest spin. Then plan to gradually increase your continuous cycling to around 4 hours as this is likely to be the longest you will have to be in the saddle . Once you have achieved 4 hours continuous riding time you can have a certain amount confidence that you can cope with the duration. Sportive Training Week Snapshot•Tues 1hr increasing gradually to 2hrs including some hilly terrain ridden sitting in the saddle. The pace should vary between comfortable (below 80% of max) on the flat to just above the point where it is possible to hold a conversation on the hills (80-85%). •Thurs As Tue above (the second mid week training session would not be introduced until you had done a number weeks with one mid week session) •Sat 2hrs increasing gradually to 4-5 hrs ridden at comfortable pace, at which you can hold a conversation (below 80%) on flat to rolling roads •Sun 2hrs increasing gradually to 3 hrs ridden at comfortable pace, at which you can hold a conversation (below 80%) on flat to rolling roads. If we analyse the demands of events like the Wicklow 200 or Etape de Tour we see that not only must you have great endurance, (because they all involve riding for over 5 hours) but all require the ability to climb more than 3000m and complete this within a certain time . It’s not enough to just work on basic endurance for these events. Climbing will require you to go to a higher work level and will require a different pedalling technique. Also you can assist your climbing ability by shedding any excess kilos built up on the midriff over the Christmas period . Being lighter means less power required to lift you up the hill. After building a good level of basic endurance the following hill session could be introduced.
Strength Endurance Hill Session•Warm up riding steady for at least 10-20min. •On a medium gradient (6-9%) increase the gear to 1-2 sprockets higher (more resistance) than you would normally use on such a hill so that your cadence is lower than normal. •Sitting in the saddle concentrate on rotating the pedals – think of lifting the knee on the up stroke). •Keep the upper body still and relaxed. •Your breathing should be strong but not gasping. •You should feel like your heart and lungs could keep going for an hour. •If you are using a heart rate monitor your HR should be approx 85-90% max. •Your leg and bum muscles should feel the extra resistance. •Continue at this pace for 4-5min (rising over 6-8 sessions to 7-9min). •Recover by lowering the gear and riding easy for the same time. •Repeat 2-3 times (rising over several weeks to 5-6 times) •NB If you live in an area where there are no hills long enough for more than 4 min riding simply increase the number of repetitions and shorten each alternate recovery slightly as you progress over the weeks. •Warm down riding easy for 10-30min. •Stretch after finishing the ride. This session could be done once per week rising to twice per week. Leave at least 48 hours between sessions. In all the training, apply the following – Training Rules Training must be regular 3-6 times per week depending on age and experience. This should be every or most weeks through out the year. Training must be specific •This means that the training you do must resemble the activity you are training for. If you are training for bike events you need to train on a bike. There is no point in training in a canoe for cycling. If your event is over several hours then you need to train over several hours. •Sprint training is of little benefit to a cyclist attempting to complete the Atlantic to the Mediterranean Challenge. The closer you get to the event the more specific your training should be. •Gym work, running, football may be of benefit during the off season but they are dropped from training as the season approaches. Training also needs to be specific to you. It must suit your age, ability, experience, free time, commitments, etc. Training must be progressive
• This means the work load you do should increase gradually towards the event for which you have chosen to peak. The body adapts to training by improving the systems stressed by that training. If you keep doing the exact same training month after month then the body will adapt and you will stop improving. •Doing new types of training or increasing an aspect of training places a new load on the body and forces it to adapt. It is not a good idea to increase too many things at the same time. •If you are increasing the number of sessions (frequency) per week then you should keep the speed (intensity) and the mileage (volume) the same or lower. When you increase the speed it is usual to decrease the mileage. Training must be balanced with recovery
• This is probably the most important rule. When you train you actually break down or damage parts of the body (think of the muscle soreness after a hard training session). •When you are resting after the training session the body repairs it self (recovery) and goes a bit further to try to avoid being damaged by that training again. If you don’t get enough rest the body cannot complete the repairs. The improvements don’t happen and your fitness will deteriorate or stagnate.
• The rate of recovery can be affected by several things. In general the longer and harder the training the greater the recovery time. Someone doing hard manual work will recover slower than someone who works sitting in an office. Stressful jobs/lifestyles will be detrimental to recovery.
Good nutrition helps recovery. Regular early nights and a generally healthy life style help recovery. Professional cyclists spend a lot of time resting and are very attentive to their nutrition. Enjoy the Christmas festivities first and then give it FULL THROTTLE Happy Christmas and I will see ye all "Next"year
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Post by Mary1 on Dec 15, 2013 15:12:51 GMT
Noel, Promise I will have read it all by the time you get back from your 3 WEEKS HOLIDAY IN THE SUN
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Post by Muller on Jan 16, 2014 17:14:44 GMT
Try This 2 x 20 minutes, twice per week for amazing results!
No, this isn’t a plug for a new no-sweat fitness machine. Instead, it’s a prescription for more power and endurance on your bike.
It’s simple. On a normal ride, choose terrain that allows you to pedal hard and steady for 20 minutes. It might be a gradual climb or a flat road into the wind.
Be sure you’re warmed up, then go for it. Your effort should be around 85-90% of your max heart rate. It should feel hard but not all-out.
On another ride at least two days later, do it again.
These twice-weekly 20-minute efforts are like mini time trials. They increase the amount of power you can generate at or near your lactate threshold (the point where panting begins). Few riders do them because it’s lots easier to just cruise along. That's why they don't get closer to their potential.
But if you discipline yourself to bite the bullet for a measly 20 minutes on a couple of weekly rides, you’ll feel the results in just 4-6 weeks.
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Post by Claudio on Feb 3, 2014 9:58:24 GMT
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Post by PhOByrne on Feb 3, 2014 11:48:25 GMT
Great article. A lot of good tips to bear in mind for Februry.
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Post by Muller on Feb 8, 2014 9:25:14 GMT
BIKE HANDLING There is no doubt that endurance is the most important aspect of a road rider’s fitness. It is critical to be able to put out the watts continuously. However there is not much value in having a massive aerobic capacity if you are spending much of your time sliding on your back along the tarmac. Cyclists generally put in huge amounts of hours training on the road. Many spend more time on the turbo trainers. Most will happily spends hours cleaning and tinkering with their bikes. But have you ever seen a cyclist practicing the skills they need to take part in their chosen events? We just don’t see skills as important in the sport. Recently British Cycling coaches noted that some of its talent transfer riders (coming from other sports) had under achieved due to difficulties with skills such as taking up food while on the move and fitting or removing clothing on the move. Watch the pros descending in the Tour de France (remember Tommy Voeckler’s bunny hop escape into someone’s garden in 2011) and it is impossible not to appreciate the skill involved. Most of these top riders have come through an underage coaching system which has emphasised skill acquisition. Our own Sean Kelly is reported to have practiced slaloming his bike through milk churns in the family farmyard as a youngster. While a young Stephen Roche was coached around cones in the car park of the old Dundrum shopping centre. What are the skills that are important for road cycling? Below is a list of some of the skills which may be required in a sportive or race. A good exercise would be to rate yourself out of 10 for each of these. Cycling Skills from the Start Line [Score 1- 10] 1.Clipping in and moving off [ ] 2.Clipping out [ ] 3.Looking ahead [ ] 4.Keeping straight while looking around [ ] 5.Pedalling efficiently [ ] 6.Choosing an appropriate gear [ ] 7.Riding in a closely bunched group [ ] 8.Getting the maximum shelter when behind another rider [ ] 9.Riding through & off in a working group [ ] 10.Braking [ ] 11.Cornering [ ] 12.Descending [ ] 13.Dealing with obstacles/hazards on the road [ ] 14.Using one hand on the bars while eating or drinking [ ] 15.Collecting handed up food, bottles, clothing etc [ ] 16.Putting on or removing clothing on the move [ ] 17.Dealing with physical contact from other riders [ ] Each of the above skills could justify an article on its own. But in general you can improve your skills by: •Spending more time on the road and less on the turbo trainer •Seeking the advice of experienced coaches and riders •Riding with groups of experienced riders •Practicing the skills in safe areas such as closed car parks or on grass Turbo trainers are great for fitness as they eliminate any variables which might interfere with your planned training session. The down side of this is that they also take away the possibility of skill development with the exception of pedalling efficiency. You don’t even need to be capable of riding a bike top use turbos. On your bike on the road you can manipulate your spin to allow you opportunities practice many of the skills mentioned above. An experienced coach will be able to look at you on the bike and assess your skill deficit. They will also be able to prescribe drills and practices to help you improve your skills. For many of the skills involved in group riding it is not possible to improve without other riders. You wont be able to perfect your through and off skills or your drafting skills on your own. Normally experienced riders are safe and predictable in a group. They don’t brake or swerve suddenly and are aware of riders around them. This allows them to ride close together as a tight and efficient aerodynamic group. Their steadiness will allow you to be confident in getting close to the wheel in front. Another benefit of riding with experienced riders is that you constantly have demonstrations of the various skills well performed. In a group of experienced riders your mistakes will usually be pointed out. This can be done fairly vocally if they feel you may be a threat to their safety so leave your sensitivity at home. An empty car park, play ground or a grassy area are ideal places to practice skills such as clipping in and out of the pedals, braking, cornering, dealing with obstacles, taking food and bottles on the move putting on or taking off clothing while moving and dealing with contact from other riders. Grassy areas are great for getting used to contact from other riders as it is unlikely to hurt (much!) if you fall. Ten minutes practicing some of these skills as a warm up and/or cool down to each spin will go along way towards developing you into a more complete cyclist.
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Post by Muller on Feb 18, 2014 16:42:09 GMT
Coaching: Finding the right pedal stroke, or cadence, and getting a feel for what gears suit you best can have a huge impact on your comfort and efficiency levels.
No matter what your goal in cycling – be it elite stage races or riding local sportives – developing the confidence to use all of your gears regularly and getting the feel for what cadence suits you best can make your cycling much more comfortable and efficient.
Whether your goal is to ride the An Post Rás stage race or take part in some of the great sportives now part of the Irish cycling scene, your efficiency will be improved if you understand how to best use the gears on your bike.
It’s like driving a car; there’s always a gear choice and certain revs per minute that delivers optimum efficiency and gives more kilometres per litre of petrol. Driving in too low a gear wastes petrol. Chugging along in too high a gear puts immense strain on the engine parts as well as using fuel very inefficiently.
How does gearing work? Each gear will give you a specific distance travelled for one revolution of the pedals, depending on wheel size.
It’s simple enough; the larger the chain ring at the front and smaller the sprocket on the back wheel used together, the further the wheel will travel for each revolution of the pedals.
For example, using standard 700c racing wheels; a 39 tooth chain ring and 24-tooth back wheel sprocket travels 3.47 metres for each pedal revolution.
This travels a shorter distance and needs less force to cycle than a 53-tooth chain ring and 12-tooth back wheel sprocket, which travels 9.4 metres for each pedal revolution. The 53×12 travels much further, but it needs more force to push it around.
Most road racing cyclists use chain wheels with 39 tooth and 53 tooth options and a block of sprockets on the rear wheel from 12 tooth to 23 tooth. This gives them a large range of gears for most of the conditions they are likely to meet; from riding on the flat and downhill, to pushing their bikes up climbs or into strong winds on the flat.
Sportive riders sometimes use smaller chain rings (compacts) and/or bigger sprockets at the back to give very low gear ratios to deal with major climbs.
Which gears to choose?
Your choice of gear should always be dictated by your fitness, the road conditions and the speed you are travelling at.
A simple rule to follow is; if you speed up – because of a tailwind, for example, or slow down because of headwind or hills – you need to change gears up or down accordingly and maintain a cadence that is suitable for you and the conditions. Always try to make gradual changes as speed and conditions change.
Tap into how the bike feels under you. Are the pedals going too fast and running away from you? This usually results in more demands on breathing and means your cadence – the rate at which your legs are pushing the pedals around – is too high.
On the opposite end of the scale; if are you using too much force to push on the pedals your leg muscles will become fatigued more quickly than if using an optimum gear. This means your cadence is too low.
Cadence is an individual thing and depends on fitness and cycling experience. Every rider must decide what gear best suits the circumstances. Avoid extremes of either spinning too fast or slogging a big gear unless doing either is part of specific training sessions.
Experienced cyclists’ cadence
Well trained racing cyclists usually cycle at a cadence between 90 and 100 RPM on the flat and 70 –90 RPM on hills. However, there will also be times when they must pedal at higher or lower than 70 to 100; when climbing or with tailwinds or during sprints.
These cadences are only achieved following a reasonable period of training on the bike and must be acquired.
Beginners
It’s best for the first few weeks training to think in terms of what gear feels most comfortable and what gives you best speed for the effort you’re making. A pedalling rate of between 70 to 90 RPM will probably be most comfortable.
As you’re cycling mileage and cycling fitness increases, you’ll progressively be able to pedal comfortably at a higher cadence. Simply counting the number of full revolutions of the pedals for thirty seconds and multiplying by two can check this. Or a cadence meter can be fitted to the bike.
Practice Practice changing gears regularly. Within a few weeks you should know exactly what gear you’re using by the pedalling rhythm. This could be practiced a little on a turbo trainer if you’re a beginner cyclist.
Chain Alignment Become familiar with the gear ratios on your bike. You should know what the best combinations are to use at any given time.
Always use the appropriate chain ring and sprocket combination for the conditions and the one that gives you the best chain alignment for your chain to work most efficiently. Chain alignment is the line your chain travels from chain ring to rear sprocket.
For example, if the big chain ring and the biggest sprocket (the one closet to the rear wheel spokes) are used together, this produces a sharp angle for the chain as it travels from chain ring to back wheel.
And the same will occur if you use the small chain ring and the smallest sprocket at the back (furthest away from the spokes). Try both and note the severity of the angle of the chain.
The small chain ring should mainly be used with the middle to inner sprockets (bigger sprockets) and the outside chain ring should usually be used with the middle to outside sprockets (smaller sprockets)
Safety •Always look where you are going •DO NOT Look down at the chain rings or sprockets while changing gears •Practice plenty and once you are confident changing gears and get the feel for what combination of gears and what cadence suits you best, it will be more comfortable and will help get you from A to B as quickly and enjoyable as possible.
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