Training in the race season

Homer J

Now that the season is up and away and I'm raceing at the weekends, should i be recovering during the week just ticking the legs over or still putting in some hard intervals and the like? I know some people just race themselves fit and not much else but after a race I like to see where I can improve and go out and nail it, probably a bit impatient. I'm a cat 3 rider in my second year so still inexperianced. A couple of times i've been caught out in no mans land and paid for it (bad tactics), so feel i've got to get more endurance rides in but don't want to get to the weekend feeling over trained and tired.
Am i expecting too much this early in the season? What do the rest of you do?

Ta
Homer J

brownbosh

I still do hard intervals/hard work through until Thursday if racing Sunday. And ride easy fri sat.

Toks

Homer J wrote:

Now that the season is up and away and I'm raceing at the weekends, should i be recovering during the week just ticking the legs over or still putting in some hard intervals and the like? I know some people just race themselves fit and not much else but after a race I like to see where I can improve and go out and nail it, probably a bit impatient. I'm a cat 3 rider in my second year so still inexperianced. A couple of times i've been caught out in no mans land and paid for it (bad tactics), so feel i've got to get more endurance rides in but don't want to get to the weekend feeling over trained and tired.
Am i expecting too much this early in the season? What do the rest of you do?

Ta
Homer J

Great question and perhaps difficult to answer unless your training history, recovery from hard efforts, an motivational level is known. Here's some thing to consider:

1. If you plan on racing all season (March to October) then you possibly don't want to do more than one or two race pace efforts in the week, not necessarily as long as your actual race) - again depending on how well you recover.

2. Have you got specific goals?- eg races you want to do well in

3. You don't necessarily need to do lots of long endurance rides to improve you endurance - TT/threshold pace efforts in the 20-60 minute region will do the job well.

4. Practice Practice and practice and you'll get the hang of this racing lark.

5. Factor in some recovery days/ a week when feeling tired. Don't be bloody minded and soldier on regardless of sluggish form

6. I'm glad to hear you're not a 'bunch monkey'. Some people get themselves fit enough for the bunch pace and stay that way for the whole season often not getting any fitter. Attack and recover in the bunch - sooner or later you'll get yourself into a good move.
Good luck

Homer J

Thanks, some good info there Toks.