The next level...

nic_77

I need some help taking my cycling performance to the next level. I feel like my level of endurance is good - I have completed three Etapes, La Marmotte and an Ironman in recent years. As well as cycling I play a lot of football, and can easily reach level 14 of the beep test (about premiership football level of fitness). I am also quite keen on triathlon, which is where my problem comes in...

I can ride a 40km solo ride happily in 1hr 7-8mins (ave 35-36km/h)... but I don't seem to be able to knock any time off this. Likewise over shorter distances (e.g. 15km) I can not improve on this average speed - my best this year is 21km in an ave of just over 37km/h (about 25:40 for a 10mile TT pace). Is this indicative of a lack of power? Or is there anything I can do to improve my basic speed?

I would really like to start dropping my triathlon times (I know I also need to work on the other components as well), as I find it frustrating that I have more aerobic capacity at the finish but don't seem to be able to go any faster.

If I'm honest my training isn't very scientific... I do record all of my ride times (there is a link to my training diary in my signoff) but I don't plan specific sessions or do anything other than just ride at whatever speed feels comfortable.

Any advice for simple next steps would be gratefully received.

Thanks
Nic

Kléber

You are answering your own question, you admit to not doing specific training. There's nothing wrong with going for a ride but if you are training, do it with some method.

nic_77

OK maybe I already know the answer... but I guess what I am trying to ask is where do I start? Is there a book or good website I should read?

All recommendation gratefully received!

Thanks
Nic

Alex_Simmons/RST

nic_77 wrote:

but I guess what I am trying to ask is where do I start? Is there a book or good website I should read?

What about a coach?
A good one will significantly shorten the learning curve for you.

(yes, I'm a coach but I'm not the only one about the joint)

andrewgturnbull

Hi there.

The best thing I did to improve my speed (not endurance) was to join my local weekly chaingang. Through and off for an hour or so at speeds you cannot imagine, gritting your teeth and hanging onto the back for dear life. That sort of thing.

Cheers, Andy

ps Avoid riding with other triathletes... They'll only slow you down. I do my bike training with the bike club and my run training with the running club - I only really swim with my tri club!

bahzob

If you are a tri-athlete it may be worth investing in Joe Friel's tri-athletes bible book.

Friel also provides some useful free references here

http://www.trainingbible.com/resources.aspx

The "total heart rate training" extract in the above is in fact a guide to putting together a structured training plan and includes some help in identifying the specific areas you need to train at.

The "training with power" guide includes a number of suggested workouts by type of training area. It obviously is based on using a power meter but even if you dont have one you can use as a basis for coming up with some workouts.

As a tri-athlete its also worth checking out www.tri-talk.com. Its a bit geeky but full of useful info including podcasts.

Re question of how to get faster. Simple rule of thumb is to take your target speed/duration. Divide duration into chunks. Do each chunk, rest for around 1/4 of its length then do next chunk.

e.g. if you want to do an hour at 38kph then do 3x20 mins each at 38kph with 5 minutes rest between each.

First sessions should be hard, as they get easier reduce the rest or increase the speed.

Worth saying that speed is not best guide though, since it is obviously subject to ride conditions and you can do a lot to go faster without getting fitter in terms of aerodynamics.

Most training advice re getting fitter will likely involve another measure of effort like HR or power, so if not already done so it may be worth thinking about getting a HR monitor.

And second suggestion above re thinking about a coach if you want the best advice. Depending on what you aspire to this can save you a lot of time and money in the long run. (I would recommend www.rutheyles.co.uk )