Getting faster for Cyclosprortive

JamesB

Any advice ....
, at moment I `m fairly fit with 3500 miles so far this year and feel quite strong and have good endurance but am lacking speed, most of my riding is at average 13-16 mph depending on terrain (some is quite hilly) .

I` m down for two Cyclosportive events at end July and mid October; on the latter I`m half hour outside Gold stanadard and would liek to get to gold; on former I`d like to get a time of <7 hours for 114 miles (Tour Of Black Mountains)

I commute 30 miles twice / thrice weekly with about 1500 ft climbing on each commute. Can anyone suggest how to use this to increase speed, bearing in mind that I don`t want to arrive at work knackered, and at teh end of a work day I may not have much energy for a hard fast ride home ; do I need to train separately from a daily commute to have an effect on speed? :idea: :idea:

jocksyboy

I have found this year the biggest single improving factor has been doing a weekly 50 minute power interval session on the turbo. I have increased my average speed on the road from 16 to 18mph on rolling terrain (not big hills!)and i hope to go further as more weight comes off.

domtyler

You will struggle to improve your speed and endurance if you do not want to put max effort into your sessions. The commute is the ideal way of incorporating good training sessions into your life if you have numerous other commitments and are limited in the time you can give over to training.

The way to improve is to do some reading up on intervals. In brief this is going all out for a minute or two and then recovering. This can translate on a commute to sprinting to the top of a hill or for the lights, racing cars etc. The recovery should just mean easing off a little for a couple of minutes not totally chilling out. Intermingle these types of sessions with more steady recovery days for maximum effect and look at your nutrition especially protein and carbos. Read up on structured training plans from the likes of Joe Friel.

Remember if you follow and stick to a proven plan you will definitely see big improvements.
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SL-CLASS

JamesB

Thanks for this advice; I`ve had a look at the interval training and tried a few on teh way home......seriously reduced commute time too due to short bursts of more speed, down from 55 min to 47.5 min today!! Not as bad as I had feared :roll: (intervals that is!)

keithc440

I always feel you should fear them a little bit or else you are not pushing yourself hard enough.

rohloff-rich

Not sure your commute is the safest time to be doing intervals as if you're doing them properly they should tire you out! Plus going balls-out on the road means that either a) you're not as balls-out as you could be as you've got one eye on the traffic, or b) you're too balls-out and not able to pay enough attention to the traffic.

Turbo trainers / rollers are your friend.

nolf

At the weekend if you go out on a club ride try dropping back from the group a couple of hundred yards, then sprinting to catch up again. Gives you some recovery time within the group and also helps build speed.

Works best with a fast moving group, so you it's not very easy to catch them and you stay at a highish heart rate.

SteveR_100Milers

nolf wrote:

At the weekend if you go out on a club ride try dropping back from the group a couple of hundred yards, then sprinting to catch up again. Gives you some recovery time within the group and also helps build speed.

Works best with a fast moving group, so you it's not very easy to catch them and you stay at a highish heart rate.

Nice idea! Even better is to go with a chain gang that's going to rip your legs off for an hour, one that you can just about hang onto the back wheel of. The fear of losing the wheel will get your HR going. Riding 2 up TT's at the start of the season with a faster partner is also a good way of building speed.

JamesB

Rohloff--- I agree with what you say, but fotunately apart from 1 mile leaving town teh remainder of my journey is on a quiet `A` road and very quiet country lanes .....so feel happy to train hard on these wothout concerns about traffic awareness issues........such are the benefits of living / working on mid Wales borders where the biggest tow is <5000 population

rohloff-rich

JamesBwmb wrote:

Rohloff--- I agree with what you say, but fotunately apart from 1 mile leaving town teh remainder of my journey is on a quiet `A` road and very quiet country lanes .....so feel happy to train hard on these wothout concerns about traffic awareness issues........such are the benefits of living / working on mid Wales borders where the biggest tow is <5000 population

Sounds ideal - did you like my caring thought though?!

JamesB

I was touched by your concern :oops:

and I also share your conversion from MTBing (although I still go out on my full sussers) , believing this year in the delights of wet tarmac! (and rim brakes that don`t work like discs in the wet )

bahzob

My advice (FWIW as 48yr old just finishing first year serious cycling and done several sportives to gold (and will be on the Black Mountains so maybe see you there)).

1. You dont say if you have already done a 100mile ride. If you havent then strongly suggest you do one this weekend latest (which will give you time to recover and be good final training). This will help your pacing, give you confidence and check number 2.

2. Plan your food/drink intake. Eat little regularly/often, use sport drinks, pack a couple of gels and and carry enough so that if food runs out at stops (or they are too chaotic) you will not be left short.

3. Whenever possible find a group and stick with it. (Thats one of the reasons intervals will help, the main reason for pushing hard on a sportive is to stay with a group you are happy with when it splits e.g. at crossings, short climbs etc). The lumpier the sportive the less useful this advice is and the black mountains looks like it will be lumpy. Nonetheless take the opportunity for some shelter if it arises. Dont be worried about not being at the front of the group/sharing the load. You will not be alone and as your first sportive(s) have plenty of excuses.

4. Contrary to number 3, don't push yourself too hard to stick with a group and/or other riders if you fall behind. This applies especially at the early stages. Everyone has a redline and if they go over this too many times or for too long in an event they will crash. With more sportives you will find out what your redline is and how many times/how long you can go over it but better not find this out the hard way first time out.

5. In the final week keep training. Received wisdom seems to be not to make sessions too long but at higher levels of effort. For Saturday event, rest on Thursday but not Friday. In my experience best thing to do the day before an event is ride the first few miles of the event itself, signs should be up and knowing first few km helps you settle in on the day itself. IMO this especially applies if event starts with a climb as does the Black Mountain (which seems to have a bit of a long one as an aperiti) . Its bad enough not thinking you will get up the last climb of the day, you certainly dont want to struggle on the first.

JamesB

Bahzob,

thanks for thie above.....I actually know the Gospel pass climb quite well (it`s localish for me); if its any reassurance its not at all bad, first few miles are quite gentle up the valley, once at Capel y ffin, at about 6 miles, the climb becomes more serious and there`s quite a steep pull up to the cattle grid onto the open land, thereafter a steady climb to the top, which can be quite exposed.
I`ve done teh Autumn Epic twice which has been OK, and certainly won`t push myself too hard at the start! Best wishes to you for the day itself, I`m happy with my mileage prep, just not teh speed (having just done a long LEJOG 1050 mile route over two weeks), that`s what concerns me most