How can I improve my race times?

Nick1978
Nick1978 Posts: 93
edited July 2010 in Health, fitness & training
Im looking for advice on some traininto help me improve my race times. I am doing the friday night summer series races at the moment. Teyre the only ones im doing. Theyre about 1 hour in length, laps around a 2-3 miles circuit. I do one hard evening training session a week of about 1h 20 and then i go in the gym 3 times a week for intenisve half hour session at lunchtime at work (i do half hour on a spinning bike, gradually increasing the resistance and heart rate as I go until the last couple of mins I bearly collapse!). But my race position is not improving!!

Any tips?

Thanks!

Comments

  • njee20
    njee20 Posts: 9,613
    Ride your bike more.

    Is the gym the only real option? Could you do spin classes instead of just doing it on your tod? Turob session? Ride when you get back from work? Ride to/from work?

    If you have to do the spin session don't just ramp up the effort, you're knackered by the time you're at the top end. Think about what you're bad at and do shorter more targeted intervals. Are you simply running out of energy, in which case you may be better off starting slower, do you struggle on short sharp climbs, or longer draggy climbs?
  • Nick1978
    Nick1978 Posts: 93
    I cant really do spinning classes as I get back from work so late and drive one hour each way. But in the summer ill get out on the bike when i get back fro just over and hour.

    In the races I get nackered on the longer grass bumpy sections. The climbs are ok..probably my strongest point as the trainin run i do int he week is on big long steep hill!

    Its just more the energy side of things..i blow out at certain points of the race...i think your suggestion of interval traiing may be a good one.

    How do these lads who win races go so quick loL!!
  • njee20
    njee20 Posts: 9,613
    They do a fair bit of training!

    What do you drink/eat? If you drink water why not try an energy drink in your bottle, or neck a gel halfway through.
  • njee20
    njee20 Posts: 9,613
    Hmm, looks like you put in pretty consistent lap times in the last 2 races, so you don't look like you're blowing up.

    I'd do shorter intervals, but 30 minutes isn't very long at all, try a pyramid type session, warm up, then do 1,2,3,4,5,4,3,2,1 going hard, with half the duration of the interval as recovery, so 1 minute hard, 30s easy, 2 mins hard, 1 min easy etc. Dunno how long that works out as, probably a bit longer than 30 mins with a warm up/cool down.
  • Nick1978
    Nick1978 Posts: 93
    I just use water during the race but the course is so bumpy tha its hard to get any fluid in. I eat a banana before the race and sometimes an energy bar but nothing during the race.

    yeah i think the guys who win are machines..they must be out training every single day of the week!!
  • Nick1978
    Nick1978 Posts: 93
    Nice one thanks for the advice, sounds good..will defo give it a go!

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