How good can you be training 9 hours a week?
Gav888
Posts: 946
Hi,
Ive been following this thread - http://www.bikeradar.com/forum/viewtopi ... sc&start=0 with interest and its prompted my to wonder what my own potential could be and if my goals are seriously unrealistic given my training time....
At present ive divised a year long training plan based around increasing my FTP and mixing in some shorter intervals and longer weekend rides. Ive also invested some money in making me faster, rather than buying lighter bits for the bike ive bought a fluid turbo trainer and a Garmin Edge 305, and some winter gear for when I go out on the bike.
At present im limited to 5 x 1 - 1.5 hour rides during the week and a long ride at the weekend.
A sample week would be:
Monday - Rest
Tues - 2 x 20
Wed - SST for an hour
Thur - Spin
Fri - 3 x 17
Sat - Rest
Sun - LSD or Group Ride
I mix the above up each week with varying lengths of intervals etc but overall the weekly hours are around 9 hours.
My goals are to average 20mph, complete a 100mile sportive in under 6hrs and do some Cat 4 races without being dropped, obviously not next year as ive only been riding a year, but in a few years would be nice....
Am I kidding myself with these goals given im 33 and I can only manage roughtly 9 hours a week around family life and work, and most workouts are shorter 1.5hr sessions?
What can someone achieve with this much training time?
Ive been following this thread - http://www.bikeradar.com/forum/viewtopi ... sc&start=0 with interest and its prompted my to wonder what my own potential could be and if my goals are seriously unrealistic given my training time....
At present ive divised a year long training plan based around increasing my FTP and mixing in some shorter intervals and longer weekend rides. Ive also invested some money in making me faster, rather than buying lighter bits for the bike ive bought a fluid turbo trainer and a Garmin Edge 305, and some winter gear for when I go out on the bike.
At present im limited to 5 x 1 - 1.5 hour rides during the week and a long ride at the weekend.
A sample week would be:
Monday - Rest
Tues - 2 x 20
Wed - SST for an hour
Thur - Spin
Fri - 3 x 17
Sat - Rest
Sun - LSD or Group Ride
I mix the above up each week with varying lengths of intervals etc but overall the weekly hours are around 9 hours.
My goals are to average 20mph, complete a 100mile sportive in under 6hrs and do some Cat 4 races without being dropped, obviously not next year as ive only been riding a year, but in a few years would be nice....
Am I kidding myself with these goals given im 33 and I can only manage roughtly 9 hours a week around family life and work, and most workouts are shorter 1.5hr sessions?
What can someone achieve with this much training time?
Cycling never gets any easier, you just go faster - Greg LeMond
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Comments
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Get this -
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Time-crunched-Cyclist-Fast-Powerful-Hours/dp/1934030473/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1258462553&sr=8-1-spell
I got it myself and will be starting it mid Jan.
Doing JRA sessions at the moment...0 -
I'd say you can easily acheive all those goals based on that training. I train a similar amount and have achieved those goals and moved on to new ones. Also, don't shy away from racing. Enter a race early next season, I doubt you'll get dropped if you've stuck to that regime - you might even win!
Good luck
Simon0 -
I've been racing as a 2nd cat since you were in short pants
and do around 7 hours a week. I'm 46.
Personally i'd be looking at a year long training plan, not a weekly one. You need to set out your goals and achieve the fittnes in the slowest way possible. Work back from your goals. It's easy to start out doing too much and you find you're soon at a plateau or even going down hill. You don't need to be flying by Christmas.0 -
Cheers NapD, I will add that to my xmas list as its not much
Its good to know that I should be able to achieve and potentially exceed my goals doing this type of plan.... I was worried for a min there thinking that my training wasn't enough to reach my goals.
Regarding plateauing, it is a bit of a concern but im planning to use LTHR for my HR training zones, so as I get fitter my LTHR for the zones increases which in turn makes it a harder workout in turn keeping it varied and progressive. Or do I have that wrong?
Also, that is just one week of 52, some weeks are easier with shorter intervals, others harder and longer, for example im starting at 2 x 20 now and working toward 2 x 30 or 3 x 20 by autumn next year. Mixing in some DVD sessions should keep it varied, and NapD's suggestion should provide some other workouts....
If anyone is interested PM me your email and I will send you a copy of my yearly schedule when I get a min... Its just something I put together from researching loads of sites and taking tips from some experienced coaches and racers in other forums.Cycling never gets any easier, you just go faster - Greg LeMond0 -
Post it on here, a lot of people would be interested I'm sure.0
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Yours goals are very achievable on the hours you have. Just for comparison 2 years ago I was 18 stone, and hadn't rode a bike for near on 20 years. My first year I spent getting the weight off, and last winter started training better, and in a more structured way.
I probably did around 6 to 7 hours a week training. By Feb this year I had lost about 5 1/2 stone and I entered a 4th Cat crit, and not only did I not get dropped, I finished in 10th.
I then started the time trial season, and went on to exceed my targets I had set myself, I was 39 during the racing season.
You maybe amazed at what you can achieve, just do it and have fun doing it.0 -
Post it on here, a lot of people would be interested I'm sure.
Please do post it, I'd be very interested. My cycling history, goals, training time and draft training plan look very similar to yours so I'd be very keen to exchange notes.0 -
Long Steady Distance - aka "endurance" ride - normally Level 2 intensity.
How Long, how Steady and how much Distance covered is widely open to debate 0 -
9 hours is quite a lot I reckon - would certainly be close to what I was doing when I was racing regularly. Just need to make sure you get a bit of high intensity stuff in there which your example suggests you already do. Don't be put off racing, most of us 4th cats aren't much cop to be honest!0
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Gav888 wrote:Regarding plateauing, it is a bit of a concern but im planning to use LTHR for my HR training zones, so as I get fitter my LTHR for the zones increases which in turn makes it a harder workout in turn keeping it varied and progressive. Or do I have that wrong?
No, a workout at a particular intensity won't become harder as you progress, it'll be exactly the same level of difficulty - if it's easier, it's an easier workout, not the same.Jibbering Sports Stuff: http://jibbering.com/sports/0 -
Thanks for the replys guys. Happy to post my plan but any idea how to put a excel spreadsheet on here?? :shock:
jibberjim - I thought, for example a 2 x 20 interval done at zone high Z4 or zone 5a based on these zones http://www.endurancefactor.com/Articles ... intro.html would be a hard workout to start with but after a while you get used to that level and the workout becomes easier, so you retest your LTHR and hopefully its a bit higher than before, which in turn makes the hr for the zones higher so it becomes a harder workout again?
I understand that if I didnt re-adjust my LTHR zones every 6 - 8 weeks the workout would become easier but by adjusting the zones a bit higher doesnt it make it harder?Cycling never gets any easier, you just go faster - Greg LeMond0 -
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I don't think your Lactate Threshold HR [or Max HR] will vary much (at all?) as you get fitter. Nor should your training zones in relation to LTHR or MHR.Gav888 wrote:you retest your LTHR and hopefully its a bit higher than before, which in turn makes the hr for the zones higher so it becomes a harder workout again?
The POWER that you output at any given heart rate will increase, but you are not training by power. If you were, then yes, you need to adjust your zones accordingly, but they remain the same percentage of your Functional Threshold Power, no matter what your FTP is.0 -
Can you get out for a long ride saturday too?"A cyclist has nothing to lose but his chain"
PTP Runner Up 20150 -
9 hours is fine in my book. But one thing don't over complicate things, sure it can be fun if thats your thing to dig into all the HR, Power data etc. but it really isn't necessary to achieve goals far greater than yours. At the end of the day sticking to the plan will be the hardest part, not worrying what exact level you were at every minute. Plus remember it is supposed to be fun
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Some thoughts.
I agree that 9 hours is more than enough but it could be argued that the op is only training for 5 hours. What is the point of lsd again? In my view a complete and utter waste of time to achieve the goals set, discus.
Also in general a lot of people come on here complaining that they have no time to train because of family etc but surely if you've got a turbo trainer then you can easily sneak a quick hour in whilst she/he is watching eastenders.corrie etc. So why take a rest day?0 -
Also, what is SST?"A cyclist has nothing to lose but his chain"
PTP Runner Up 20150 -
Don't want to bother with an arguement over volume vs intensity in a training schedule except to make the point that if you can't get to the end of the race you can't place (i.e. you need experience with miles), and that group rides / LSD have the added benefit of teaching outdoors handling / pack riding skills (vs. fitness gains on turbo). Personally, I'm working from Joe Friels booking this year, which means volume at the start, adding intensity as I get towards the start of the season. Did the same last year (though not as structured) and achieved my goals up until real life intervened.
BTW, I'm writing this whilst sat on my turbo - laptops are great! "And the Lord said unto Cain, 'where is Abel thy brother?' And he said, 'I know not: I dropped him on the climb up to the motorway bridge'."
- eccolafilosofiadelpedale0 -
oh, and 9 hours is plenty if used correctly!"And the Lord said unto Cain, 'where is Abel thy brother?' And he said, 'I know not: I dropped him on the climb up to the motorway bridge'."
- eccolafilosofiadelpedale0 -
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Bronzie wrote:
Oh right. I've never quite understood the sweet spot principle.
But if that's the case why can't all the rides on the road be "sweet spot" ?"A cyclist has nothing to lose but his chain"
PTP Runner Up 20150 -
Because it knackers you out loads so you can't do back to
back days and doesn't work on your VO2 max.0 -
NapoleonD wrote:Because it knackers you out loads so you can't do back to
back days and doesn't work on your VO2 max.
Doesn't sound like much of a sweet spot then! What kind of HR are you looking at for the session?"A cyclist has nothing to lose but his chain"
PTP Runner Up 20150 -
Approx 89-100% Lactate threshold. It is reputedly the best 'bang for buck' training but doesn't improve things like sprinting etc.
Bloody hard work!0 -
Sadly saturdays are 100% no bike days.
These are the zones im using - http://www.freewebs.com/atlantabikeride ... ycling.pdf
For the LSD rides, it can be a long zone 2 ride, slighty higher paced zone 3, or a group ride.Cycling never gets any easier, you just go faster - Greg LeMond0 -
I'd also like to see your plan, will pm you my email address.
I'm in a bit of a lull of fitness, generally because of a void of targets.
I did a 100 mile sportive (Dartmoor Classic) in 7.40 18 months ago, but, bar a hand full of 35 mile ish rides have only really ridden the 14 mile round trip to work since then.
I've decided now is the time to start training for better things next year. I want to cycle more, try new things and get quicker.
For motivation I need measurable targets and ambitions. Racing would be great for this.
I'd like to stick to a plan and lose a stone over winter and see what I can aim for come March.0 -
i'd suggest investing in some quality coaching.i reckon most people could get to 2/3 cat standard on 4-6 hrs a week.0
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Ive uploaded my plan here - http://rapidshare.com/files/308513799/T ... 2.xls.html
Im sure some of you will slag this off, but its my first go at creating a yearly plan.....Cycling never gets any easier, you just go faster - Greg LeMond0 -
Quite a few of you are talking about sportives and races which I presume to mean road racing but please consider timetrialling as well.
TT's can give you some honest targets and once you get into it can be very rewarding. Don't just limit yourself to the run on the mill club 10's. Long distance tt's are great 'fun', 100's and 12hrs have got to be more rewarding than doing an overpriced sportive, wheel sucking a group of other people.
I've nothing against sportives, just there's imho a lot more that tt's can maybe offer. Just a thought. 0
