Training Plan

zummerzet-lou

I'm just trying to get my cycling fitness back, and I'd also like to work on my AVS as I've always tended to be a plodder.

So, currently I'm aiming to cycle once or twice to work a week (36km round trip), but one evening ride a week, and one weekend ride.

I'd really like some goals and some aims, rather than just putting the hours on the bike.

Can anyone point me at some training plans, or even suggest what I should be doing?

Thanks,
Lucy

GavH

I'd say you'd be best identifying a target before you then start thinking about a plan. For example if I went running a few times a week, with no real focus or plan, even after a number of months, I wouldn't have the endurance to run a marathon and I wouldn't have the necessary speed to run a worthwhile 10km.
Have you looked at what sportives are on offer in NZ? This will give you a bit of focus as you'll have a target distance to aim for to start with. No doubt the 'join a club' advice will get rolled out as well. A century perhaps? Whatever your longest ride is now, aim to add about 10% to the distance each week and build up.
TBH there is more than one way to skin a cat and likewise, no real right or wrong ways to train, just ways that will be more effective than others, but the start point (I think) really needs to be asking yourself 'effective for what?'

londonlivvy

I'd sign up for a sportive and then do www.polarpersonaltrainer.com which gives you a good starting training plan - you'll need a heart rate monitor (though not necessarily a polar one).

mackdaddy

Yes, there are many aspects to cycling. If you want a training plan, you first need to decide what you're training for.
s it TTs or sportives. If so which one. If there is a specific timescale, event etc. Figure this out then pm me and I might be able to help.
Lee

zummerzet-lou

I'm struggling to find an event to enter which could be my goal, and I'm the sort of person that NEEDS to have a concrete goal to aim for otherwise I'm lazy.

I'd like to do the Kaiapoi Classic this year which is a mountain bike / run duathlon. Only 21km cycle, and 8km run and is November-ish.

I'd also like to try my had at a reasonable road ride ... although don't think I'll ever be good enough to do Le Race!

I think my first goal is to cycle for 2 hours ... and then maybe work on my average speed over those 2 hours?

mackdaddy

What is your most recent 'long' ride and how long did it take?
If we know where you're starting from and what you're aiming for it will be easier to plot a training route.
Lee

zummerzet-lou

I've only recently been doing my 18km commute to work ... which takes approx 45 mins each way (only once a week usually).

Before Xmas I did a few leisure rides - but nothing longer than an hour and a half.

I've just found a 75km road ride that's on 28th Feb - that's 7 weeks away. Aim would be to complete it in less than 4 hours. Would that be achievable?

How is this for my first week back seriously in the saddle:
Week 1 of 7 plan
Friday 8th Jan - Cycle 1hr 30 mins *DONE*
Sunday - Cycle 1hr 30 mins
Mon-Fri - Cycle at least once to work (18km each way) *DONE*
- 1 evening ride of at least 1 hour

Each week I also do 2 x 30 mins circuit training, 2 x 1hr yoga sessions and maybe a 30 min run.

mackdaddy

On the days that you do the circuit training, make sure you don't push the journeys on the bike too hard (assuming the training is after work). If the circuit training is doen correctly it will be high intensity and you need to be rested for it. Use these rides to concentrate on pedalling style, 360 degree pedalling, using the ankles, one leg drills (other leg passive) for example and allow a little more time to get in and out.
On the other days vary it a little. Do the cycling equivalent of fartleks (random intervals - pick a feature some distance away 2- 5mins) pedal hard and then recover and repeat with another. High cadence pedalling, sprints of 10 pedal strokes with 3 mins recoveries, that kind of thing.
Your exercises need to be progressive otherwise you'll plateau (this goes for the circuit training as well). On the intense sessions aim to increase the distances and or reduce the rest, or increase the speed on the same stretch each time. Not by much, just a little each time. For example a 2% increase each week would result in a 20% increase after 10 so be wary.
On the longer rides, go for time on the Sunday ride, increase the time you are out each week while maintaining a similar intensity, but keep the intensity at a level where you could hold a conversation at all times. So average speed would be the same, time would increase and therefore distance would increase.
On the evening hour, keep the intensity level the same, holding a conversation, but try to increase the distance in the same time, ie average speed - but without increasing the intensity!
Its hard to say whether your 75km in 4 hours is achieveable. Without an estimate of terrain it will always be hard, but the numbers you've posted are either times or distance but not both, so it's impossible to say whether your average speed is in the ballpark. There's no reason why not though and taking a willdly inaccurate guess, I would say you will surprise yourself based on the quantity of training you are doing and if you get the quality right. Each training ride should have a specific objective.
Not sure of how au-fait you are with all the terms above so if you need more just ask.
Lee

Bill Black

The neuromuscular firing patterns of cycling are not replicated with any other activity -- entirely concentric (vs. combination of concentric and eccentric for running and other) with only eccentric aspect being very slight when out of saddle. Further, the sequencing of agonistiic and antagonistic muscle synchronicity through the pedaling motion erodes very quickly when off the bike especially when engaged in other activities. Consequently, you do yourself tremendous good by endeavoring to cycle daily even if only for 5 or 10 min. (the indoor trainer is your friend).

Best,
Bill Black

zummerzet-lou

Thanks Lee - I'm going to print out your reply, and try and put it into practise.

My average speed on my rides has recently been 14mph. This may not sound very fast, but is a huge improvement for me (was about 12 prior).

I'm not cycling to work daily - this week I've only managed one commute. I'm hoping to up that to twice weekly as of next week. Circuit training is only 30mins, in my lunch-hour ... so the couple of times I've cycled in on these days, the return journey is fine, as 4 hours between.

As of now, I think I may just plan when my cycle rides will be and not cancel them if the weather isn't great (unless it's gusty wind which is just dangerous).

Thanks again ... and I'll pop back later with next weeks training rides, and their objectives!

Lou

mackdaddy

14 mph is a fine starting point and you will be surprised how quickly you improve.

Bill's comment about an indoor trainer is a good one. You can pick up a turbo fairly cheaply and although a bit boring, they are a good way of training without risk when the weather is inclement
Lee

zummerzet-lou

Well, I'm beginning to think that with less than 6 weeks to go now, that this ride maybe a little too optomistic.

That's not to say I'm giving up on this goal - just that I may not enter this event, but will still aim to ride the route at a later date - perhaps on 28th March rather than 28th Feb.

I went out with my friend on Friday eve, with the aim of cycling for 1hr 30mins ... the loop I'd planned only took us just over an hour, so we added a bit on, but that still only took us to 1hr 15. The really good news is that I did a record average speed - over 15mph! (Stats were - 19miles, 1hr 14mins, AVS 15.5 mph)

So, here's my week plan (with only 6 weeks as of yesterday to the 75km event)

M: 5km run + yoga
T: Cycle to work (18km each way - average about 50mins each)
lunchtime - 30mins circuits
W: Evening ride - 1hr
T: lunchtime circuits
F: cycle to work (as above) - intervals on return journey
S: Relax ... although may try to squeeze a run in here
S: Longer cycle ride - aim for 2 hours leisurely pace. Obejctive is time in the saddle rather than speed.

amaferanga

If it were me and I was training for a long bike ride I'd do more long bike rides and give the circuits and running a miss. Why not cycle to work 2 or 3 days per week and maybe extend your ride home to 30-40km. IMHO if you did this you'd manage the 75km ride next month.

mackdaddy

Lou
Your aerobic fitness will be fine. The 75km ride isn't overly optimistic, don't doubt it, you will find it a breeze if you keep up your schedule as you've posted.
While amaferanga is correct in some ways - riding a bike is in general, the best training for riding a bike - you're not planning to turn pro and I'm assuming you are fitting in what you can and what you enjoy. Go with it as it is, it's fine.
Good to see that you're doing intervals on the way home on Thursday. Try to do pedalling discipline on the way home Tuesday if you can. One legged drills or spinning will help.
Also, if you increase your time by 5% a week on your Sunday ride, in 6 weeks, you'll be doing about 65km. Its then not a big jump in distance to the race day and I would take a wild stab that with a fiar wind, the time will be even less difference.
Keep us posted.
I'd be interested to know what the content of the circuit training is - I assume that this is an organised session?
Lee

sagalout

You have plenty of time if you put the training hours in. I went from almost zero cycling to the Colomba Chemo sportive, which is 100km and very hilly (about 4500ft of climbing), in a month and finished 32nd out of about 200.

That was doing about 100 miles a week training for 4 weeks.

zummerzet-lou

amaferanga - thanks, but being a fulltime working Mum I only have limited hours in the day. Circuit training fits into my work lunchtime, and I can run with our dog whilst the kids cycle alongside to the park!

Lee - Circuit training we split into 2 teams and take it in turns to sprint approx 30 metres, do x repetitions of exercise and then sprint back. Rest whilst team 2 takes their turn.
Exercises usually include 10-15 pressups, 15-20 situps, 5-8 burpees, 10-15 squats, 15 lunges etc. Usually takes abot 20-25 mins for that, and if there's any energy left we all try and do 10 down (10 poressups, 10 situps, 9 pressups, 9 situps ....)

I did a few intervals in this morning - for a set stretch I tried to maintain a speed (18mph for first stretch, and 16-17 mph for the 2nd two attempts). How many intervals would you normally try and fit into a 50min or so ride?

I'm not sure about the pedalling disicpline ... is that to concentrate on the up-strokes? Or something more?

Many, many thanks to everyone who's advised so far ... I can really feel my cycle mojo returning,

Lou

mackdaddy

Good work on the mojo!

For the intervals, something like this:
3 x 6 minutes in heart rate 3-low 4 zones (2-minute
recoveries) or where you are really working quite hard. Shift between a hard gear for 30 seconds & a 'normal' gear for 60 seconds. Maintain the same cadence regardless of gearing. This should give you enough time for a decent warm up and warm down at either end. This should be closer to the low end of your 'comfort range' (about 85 rpm). I can send you a few others to keep it interesting if you like.

Pedaling discipline is to concentrate on the 360 degree pedal stroke or in other words, the push down, scrape back, pull up, throw over. Or concentrate on bringing your ankles into play at towards the bottom of your stroke. Or try allowing one leg to become 'passive' while you're pedaling so that you aren't pushing at all with it so you're doing all the work with one leg for about 10-12 strokes then switch legs.

Lee

reppohkcor

zummerzet-lou wrote:

Well, I'm beginning to think that with less than 6 weeks to go now, that this ride maybe a little too optomistic.

That's not to say I'm giving up on this goal - just that I may not enter this event, but will still aim to ride the route at a later date - perhaps on 28th March rather than 28th Feb.

I went out with my friend on Friday eve, with the aim of cycling for 1hr 30mins ... the loop I'd planned only took us just over an hour, so we added a bit on, but that still only took us to 1hr 15. The really good news is that I did a record average speed - over 15mph! (Stats were - 19miles, 1hr 14mins, AVS 15.5 mph)

So, here's my week plan (with only 6 weeks as of yesterday to the 75km event)

M: 5km run + yoga
T: Cycle to work (18km each way - average about 50mins each)
lunchtime - 30mins circuits
W: Evening ride - 1hr
T: lunchtime circuits
F: cycle to work (as above) - intervals on return journey
S: Relax ... although may try to squeeze a run in here
S: Longer cycle ride - aim for 2 hours leisurely pace. Obejctive is time in the saddle rather than speed.

Hi Lou, the one bit of advice i can give (and you're not going to like it) is change your Sunday ride. Work out how many weeks there is till the event and aim to increase the milage on a sunday so that you hit the mileage of the event 1-2 weeks before the event. But you need to make sure you are riding on the sunday at 5-10% below lactate threshold i.e just below when your legs feel like they aare going to cramp - so make sure it isn't a leisurely ride (this will do no good).

mackdaddy

Sorry reppohcor but that isn't correct although a common error. Building up endurance is best done at lower 'talking-pace' rides which is what I am assuming Lou means by leisurely.
The common error is to push the easy rides too hard and the hard rides not hard enough. This should be avoided. A combination of long, low intensity and shorter high intensity rides as Lou is doing will give gains much faster.

amaferanga

I'd have thought that most peoples leisurely rides would probably be a little more relaxed than a proper endurance ride.