Indoor distance/endurance training - Possible?

DubaiNeil

Hi All,

Hopefully I can get some help with a training dilemma I will face this summer - which I understand is not a normal issue!

I am entered for the Great British Bike Ride 4 day sportive in early September, which will total over 500km's over the 4 days, with an unequal split. This will be my first sportive, and my first multi-day ride for years.

My training will be focused on endurance rather than power, with sequential day sessions expected.

The issue I face is that the current high temperature is already 38C, and this will increase to 50C before too long, which makes training outdoors somewhat difficult :shock:

I can train early in the morning, but to go out for more than 2 hours would be difficult - and to be honest, dangerous - with those temperatures

My only choice seems to be to try and put the hours in on a turbo or rollers, which I fully expect to be mind (and posterior) numbing

Any ideas on how to make it more bearable, or any alternative suggestions?

I will have about 10-12 days in the South of France prior to the event, so intend to get out for some long rides then, but will need to tail off the training ready to start.

Thanks

Neil

rokkala

Big fan, stacks of dvds to watch. Or one of those turbos where you can virtually ride the alps etc?

What time does it get dark, and what is the temperature like in the evening?

Pross

Is using the Zayed Velodrome in Sharjah a possibility for you? A few hours in there would help build your endurance.

DubaiNeil

Pross wrote:

Is using the Zayed Velodrome in Sharjah a possibility for you?

How typical of this place - I had never heard of it! I'll make some enquiries - but based on quick Google it looks like it may be dedicated to the UAE National team. The local 'proper" bike shop has nothing in their website about it - and I would have thought that a new track would be a good revenue earner as everyone will now need (new and expensive) track bikes

Rokkala wrote:

What time does it get dark, and what is the temperature like in the evening?

Dark around 7PM in the summer, with a very short dusk. Humidity climbs to 100% (or so!) in the evenings. Riding in the dark even more dangerous than riding in daylight, which is bad enough! At 7PM it will still be 40+C...

Looking like a turbo, the A/C set to freezio, big fan, lots of towels, DVD's and mind numbing substances may be the order of the day...

patchy

good luck... try streaming some TV series online? Four seasons worth of Heroes was about the only way i could stay on the turbo for more than half an hour over winter.

rokkala

At least with it being endurance pace stuff you should be able to concentrate on what your watching

shockedsoshocked

You could just do the 2 hours every morning, or perhaps get up a little earlier and try to squeeze in 3? If you can ride everyday in training and get your nutrition right when you do the event I wouldn't see an issue with it?

bikermaze

Cut your routine in increments that you're able to train morning and evening. Careful when you train in the evenings however, some people have difficulty sleeping because they're too high on energy. Train 2- 3 hours before your sleeping time.

If boredom strikes, entertain yourself. Have the TV or your music component ready. Or if you can manage, train with someone.

DubaiNeil

Thanks for the responses so far, certainly planning this training is a challenge :?

The new Velodrome is a private facility for the UAE National Team, so no luck there.

Riding 3 hours in a morning would be possible at most twice per week (at weekends) as there is no way I could start at 04:00 to finish at 07:00 then work a full day, without falling asleep at my desk!

My wife is off to France over Easter and should return with a turbo for me, so at least I can get used to it before the worst of the heat hits.

I'm planning on following the "Time Crunched Cyclist" training plan as this seems to cover my requirements (focusing on the Beginner Century plan), and later to increase the duration with back to back days.

Thanks

Neil

tlw1

Decent film on while on the turbo (make sure the tv can drown out the noise of the turbo)!

Also time for confidence, I recently did a similar ride & spent too much time winding myself up and forgetting whilst multi day rides can be hard & you have bad days - its still better than a great day in the office!

Alex_Simmons/RST

Don't knock training to increase threshold power. It has the benefit of also improving endurance substantially.

DubaiNeil

Again, thanks for the responses.

The outline plan for initial training is as follows for now:

Friday (weekend) - Long ride of 3-4 hours
Saturday (weekend) - Rest & family day (to avoid a divorce)
Sunday - One hour high intensity session, with warm up, higher effort ride, sprint intervals, warm down - turbo when/if too hot to go out
Monday - Rest
Tuesday - Rest
Wednesday - 2 hour higher tempo session - turbo when/if too hot to go out
Thursday - Rest

The idea is to increase the duration and intensity of the rides after a month to six weeks,with probably a "tempo" ride added in on Tuesdays

I still have 5 months before the event, so don't want to go mad too early and either injury myself or lose motivation...

As Matthew says, my plan is to both finish the event, and have fun. Head down & ars3 up for four straight days, with no view other than the lycra clad posterior of the rider in front is not my idea of a fun time [unless the rider in front is very good looking & preferably female ]

Neil

Pokerface

4 rest days a week plus a one hour turbo session!? That's a lot of rest.

KillerMetre

Pokerface wrote:

4 rest days a week plus a one hour turbo session!? That's a lot of rest.

I suppose it depends on just how hard the turbo session is.A good 2x20 or something of that nature and I wouldn't consider that an easy day.

DubaiNeil

Pokerface wrote:

4 rest days a week plus a one hour turbo session!? That's a lot of rest.

Thanks for the input, what would you suggest?

As I stated, this is the initial stage of a training build up for the event in September, coming from a background of riding probably twice per week for 1.5 hours per session. I am concious of trying not to define an unrealistic plan which I will not follow after a while due to exhaustion/pain/wimpiness/laziness/marital disharmony

For me this is a hobby, and I have no intention of (or interest in) racing at this time. The focus is to build a base level of cycling fitness which will allow me to extend the durations, frequency and distances of training over the subsequent four months.

Neil[/u]

Alex_Simmons/RST

It's a reasonable point. IMO/E you would be better off using those same hours but ride 4/week. Frequency and consistency have big benefits.

DubaiNeil

This appears to have gone off topic slightly, into a general training plan discussion, but I'll continue with this if no one objects....

OK then, training plan Phase 1 take 2:

Friday morning - Long ride of 3-4 hours (± 100km's at present velocity...)
Saturday - Rest
Sunday evening - One hour high intensity session, with warm up, higher effort ride, sprint intervals, warm down - turbo when/if too hot to go out with a CTS or similar training DVD
Monday - Rest
Tuesday evening - 2 hour tempo session - - turbo when/if too hot to go out
Wednesday evening - 2 hour higher tempo session - turbo when/if too hot to go out
Thursday - Rest

8 - 9 hours per week, and 5 hours can be indoor if necessary.

This is the plan for just April, with additional workload added in each of May, June, July & August, including adding a long ride on Saturday morning, dual sessions on Sunday & Tuesday (morning & evening) and hopefully longer distances/increased effort in each of the sessions....

Neil

DubaiNeil

Message also sent to Alex, seems like a proper training plan will be the way forward for me....