13 replies to this topic

[dwarfed centipede]

I just recently bought my first road bike (Fuji Roubaix pro) and decided to do the cat 5 Tour de Grove event last weekend.  I now realize I need to train harder and build up some more endurance to get to a point where I can stay with the lead pack.  My current biking regiment is a light 30min bike ride a few mornings a week and 2 higher intensity 30+min bike rides a week.  I am planning on starting the Thurs evening West county Trek store 27 mile ride this week so that would bring my high intensity rides up to 3 times per week.  I also lift weights 3-4 times a week and run once a week.  Does anyone have any tips on what I should be doing differently or any other helpful advice?  Thanks.

[billh]

welcome to amateur racing!  you have taken the first steps on a wonderful journey into fitness, health, weight loss, and comraderie.  I spent the majority of my usa cycling "career" getting dropped in cat 5 races, so I feel qualified to comment.  

from your race experience you learned you need to increase intensity in training.  training gurus call that "threshold power".  even cat 5 races are pretty intense.  the bread and butter workout to increase threshold power is the "2x20", that is, two 20 minute intervals done at 85-95% of threshhold.  if you do this workout 2-3 times per week with proper rest and nutrition, you will be able to hang with a cat 5 crit in . . . 6 weeks?  depending where you are starting from.  on how to measure intensity and find your threshold, volumes have been written, but here is a taste from a local expert . . . (who also admins a local biking message board!)

http://www.twowheelb...your-sweet-spot

enjoy!

[Russian Bear]

At this point just riding more is your best bet. Since you're not riding that many hours you can afford to up the intensity all around. Welcome to the sport! Keep riding and soon you'll be the guy dropping people out of the back.

Running is only for running away from something

Edit: If you're a type of guy who needs a structured plan, google "the time crunched cyclist".

Edited by Russian Bear, 17 May 2012 - 10:09 AM.

[cleeland]

Specificity is your friend. In other words, train similar to your target events. You know what the cat 5 crit was like, so your training needs to simulate that in terms of intensity and duration, at minimum.

I would suggest that, rather than add the Thursday night ride, you add the Tuesday night crits. No better place to learn how to race than in a training race. To stretch your ride time get there early and do laps on the other loop in the park good warmup and can help with conditioning.

(null)

[robertm]

what type of lifting are you doing?  Upper body stuff will be of little use, although you'll want to throw some in to stay balanced, you could probably roll back the lifting to once a week and maybe focus more on, on-bike strength.  Also, I would ditch the 20 minute stuff, and just do the TNW as cleeland suggested.  I would throw in some 30 second speed endurance type stuff and some SPRINT WORK, all out jumps recover fully.  I've progressed leaps and bounds faster doing lower volume high intensity stuff than I have with the usual suggestion of "ride more."  Also, quit running.  Make sure you have some rest days too with maybe an hour of extremely easy stuff.  I stack a few days in a row of hard work followed by recovery.  Also, check out the track on thursdays nights.  We have rental bikes.

[2 π R]

Overall you will need to find out what works for you and what does not. You are just beginning so don't be afraid to experiment. The best improvement I made was when I was supervised by a coach, one that I could talk to directly.

One thing that will greatly help new riders is to buy this book. There are used ones available for as little as $ 3.00.

And of course a plug... Come race up at the track!!!

@swikles

[Bill S.]

• Some good general advice but we don't know your: age, height, weight, max HR, ATHR, power output...etc.  No one (not even you) knows what you are srtong or weak at, so not a lota specific stuff.
  
• Here's my best general advice it goes way back,Train to Race and Race to Train. and other stuff;
  Ride more, increase your RPMs, you have a lot of physiology to transform.
  
• Before the internet there was Friel's Cyclist training bible, still not a bad source of info. Or just read up on the internet.
  
• I disagree with stop running.  It is a quick and easy AT training.  Get out run for 30min at your AT and you've done some good base work for a Cat 5 crit.  once a week is OK.
  
• Do agree with less weight lifting, your gonna want to develop very specific cycling muscles during the season.
  
• I could go on but...

[dwarfed centipede]

Thanks everyone for all the great tips!

It's going to be hard to drop the weightlifting since I also really enjoy that.  So instead I decided to cut it back from 5 days a week to 3, and make sure I give myself a day's rest after the leg workout before resuming any high intensity training.  The other 2 days I workout upperbody/shoulders/lower back.

I'm already pretty lean right now; I've lost about 20 lbs since Dec.  I'm 27, male, 5'9", 163lbs, HR threshold 183, and ~10% BF currently.  I picked back up biking for a morning cardio thing, and had forgot how much I really enjoyed it.  I'm also really competitive, so I thought I would like to put all this biking to good use.

I really wanted to do the Tuesday night Criterium series, but that is the same night I do my running "speed workout".  I may have to reconsider this at some point.  I am also interested in the track on Thursday nights.  I'll see how I like this west county group ride tonight and maybe try a track night sometime.

Edited by dwarfed centipede, 17 May 2012 - 04:13 PM.

[Russian Bear]

Ditch the running and definitely come out to tuesday night worlds. The experience you'll get in the practice races will be invaluable and much more helpful in the long run than running.

I did track for the first time tonight and had a great time. It is something very specific, so if you want to get better at crits, work on that.

[endoyardsale]

I wholeheartedly agree with Russian Bear.  The only way to be better at cycling is to ride your bike more.  Find a group ride to do each week, and keep showing up until you can reliably stay with the leaders to the end.  Go on long rides.

I completely disagree with Russian Bear.  Do not stop running.  Running won't make you faster on a bike, but it will make you tougher, so you can keep going when it matters.

You could also add mountain biking to your mix.  Even better with a singlespeed.

[rfrench]

+1 on the SS mountain biking.  Has helped me a ton.

[cleeland]

I think the first thing you need to do is clarify your goals.  Once you know what those are, you can then define the training that will get you there.

For the rest of this message I will make the presumption that your top priority is to improve not just your cycling ability, but your *racing* abilities and to progress beyond Cat 5 to 4 and eventually Cat 3.

dwarfed centipede, on 17 May 2012 - 04:11 PM, said:

It's going to be hard to drop the weightlifting since I also really enjoy that.  So instead I decided to cut it back from 5 days a week to 3, and make sure I give myself a day's rest after the leg workout before resuming any high intensity training.  The other 2 days I workout upperbody/shoulders/lower back.

Don't give it up, but do your leg workouts on your bike.  Weightlifting is neuromuscular work, so look up "neuromuscular cycling training".  Realize that upper body mass doesn't do a whole lot for you *on* the bike; core strength, on the other hand, does a ton.  So, if you have a choice of a weight-training activity that improves core as well as gives you your upper-body endorphin high, go for that one.

Quote

I really wanted to do the Tuesday night Criterium series, but that is the same night I do my running "speed workout".  I may have to reconsider this at some point.  I am also interested in the track on Thursday nights.  I'll see how I like this west county group ride tonight and maybe try a track night sometime.

The fact that you're competitive and you want to put your cycling into action suggests that TNWs would be a better use of your exercise time.  I don't know what a running "speed workout" is, but I know that TNW can be many things, and if leg speed is one of your desires, then just select appropriate gears and spin away.  There are even pros who occasionally show up and do that.

All that said, based on how you describe yourself, you might really enjoy the track more.  And, for the off-season, try CX or MTB, as both require more upper-body and running than crits or road racing.

[mercury]

Read Joe Friel's book "The Cyclist's Training Bible". Plenty of advice there on training, weights, nutrition, recovery from someone who has been coaching novices and elite cyclists and triathletes for 30 years. Staying with the front at a crit is as much about smart riding as it is about strength and speed, and you will only pick up the smarts by regular competition.

[gary12harry]

http://comforthealth...oomer-benefits/
If you’re looking for a fun and a rewarding fitness program to add to your daily or weekly schedule then bicycling can be just that for anyone but especially anyone considered a Baby Boomer.  But, rewarding also means making it comfortable.