Another one looking for general training advice

kieranb

Hi, looking for some general guidance for training.

I have raced crits (the 3rd/4th cat crit at Crystal Palace mainly) for the last 2 years, last year I was heading for 3rd cat but a crash ended my season just short of a few points. This year I hope to make the move up.

My current situation is this:

Commute to work 5 days a week (round trip of say 18 miles) on heavy MTB, taking about 40min each way in london traffic.
Weekend club run - about 75 miles (approx 4.5 hours in total)
Sunday - a day of rest completely off the bike (family time)

Total = 6h 40min commute (90miles) + 4h 30min (75miles) = 11h 10min (165miles)

Are my commute miles junk miles as there is a lot of stopping (not being a RLJer) and slow bits going through traffic? When I can, I usually sprint from the green (aim is to pass out the RLJers) and try to sustain high speed to the next set of lights etc but is doing this 10 sessions a week more of a hinderence than a help? Due to child care arrangements I have to commute every day so no bike free day Monday to Friday

Currently I also enjoy the saturday run as a way of relaxing and keeping sane, so serves as more than just training.

Last year I did some evening turbo work, but found that combined with the ommute I was getting tired and I got all of my points (placings) after cutting out the turbo session. Don't know if this was due to that or just increase in fittness due to the racing.

Main question is, can I turn my commute into a useful training session?
Oh, I don't have a power meter and don't plan on buying one, solely due to cost.

Any advice welcome

Alex_Simmons/RST

Change your commute route on different days so that your training is a little more varied. On some days make it so you get longer uninterrupted runs. On one day (say Friday), just ride real easy. The stop start nature of your commute is good training for crits but too much of it is not maximising your aerobic development.

Toks

Hey Kieran, how's it going mate

kieranb wrote:

I have raced crits (the 3rd/4th cat crit at Crystal Palace mainly) for the last 2 years, last year I was heading for 3rd cat but a crash ended my season just short of a few points. This year I hope to make the move up.

yeah 8 points so close Huh?

Are my commute miles junk miles as there is a lot of stopping (not being a RLJer) and slow bits going through traffic? When I can, I usually sprint from the green (aim is to pass out the RLJers) and try to sustain high speed to the next set of lights etc but is doing this 10 sessions a week more of a hinderence than a help?

Thats a tricky one. I think for anyone who has fairly decent club level fitness the stop start style anaerobic efforts (20sec-2mins) at traffic lights isn't gonna add a whole lot more to your 'sustainable power' which as I keep banginjg on about is the key to doing well in endurance events (TT's,RR's and Cyclos). However it may improve your jump and ability to respond to attack but with a small engine you'll eventually fade when the going gets really tough in races. And like me being a non sprinter breakaways will be out of the question

Well you need to find time to train with some close to or @ race pace efforts 20-60mins at least twice a week. That may mean taking it real steady on your commutes so that you have the energy to do a couple of turbo workouts or a hard training group ride at the weekend. Alternatively you could say stuff it and build up fitness just by racing alone as you did before. At 4th cat level thats quite easy but at 3rd cat level and above if you haven't been blessed with 'racing genes' you may find it hard to be really competitive on your current commuters training regime. See you on the club run soon

kieranb

Hi guys, thanks, one question Toks, I have about above you say as a non-sprinter breakaways are out of the question? I'd have thought breakaways would be your best bet to get a placing otherwise the finish gets swapped byt the sprinters.

Anyway so my plan will be to go easy (so hard when you're getting passed out :evil: ) about 2 days a week, probably Friday and maybe Tuesday (do a turbo on Tuesday nights as that'll be Palace night) and the club run as usual.

I suspose I'll have to get at least a hrm for the turbo then? as my old one broke.[/quote]

Toks

kieranb wrote:

one question Toks, I have about above you say as a non-sprinter breakaways are out of the question?.If your sustainable power isn't up to scratch it will be. Yes!.. IOW's if you're a non sprinter you need to work on sustainable efforts in training.Thats not to say sprinting practice won't help cause it will. But since there appears to be a genetic component to sprinting its not as trainable as lactate threshold training.

Alex_Simmons/RST

Sprinting can still be markedly improved through training - and not everything about sprinting is just power - skill, timing, positioning, tactics, course knowledge, experience and race nouse play a large part too. These also require training. But yeah - brute power can go a long way if you can make it to the finish line at the pointy end.

In the end though, even if you're not a natural sprinter, it makes sense to still train your sprint, not to beat a big bunch full of testosterone laden gorillas but to beat the 3 other guys in your break away. Even in a bunch it might help you pick up some upgrade points.

You know the old joke about the 2 guys in the forest who come across a big grizzly bear. One guy throw off his boots and puts his running shoes on. His mate says "what are you doing, we'll never outrun the bear?" To which he replied "It's not the bear I'm trying to outrun!".

Toks

Alex_Simmons/RST wrote:

You know the old joke about the 2 guys in the forest who come across a big grizzly bear. One guy throw off his boots and puts his running shoes on. His mate says "what are you doing, we'll never outrun the bear?" To which he replied "It's not the bear I'm trying to outrun!".

8) 8)