Endurance...

badly_dubbed

Do shorter 10-15milers help build endurance?

Or should I be doing 40-50+milers?

I can only really get one 50miler in a week roughly but upto 5 shorter 10-15mile runs

Am I still building endurance for longer runs doin this?

SBezza

10-15 miles, isn't really long enough to help with endurance to be honest. Still it is good to do this short of mileage, just do them at a hard tempo pace, this will probably give you a more rounded training than just endurance rides.

What these shorter runs will do, if done hard enough is improve your fitness, which will help with the longer rides.

Occasionally take one as a recovery ride.

dmch2

I'm in a similar boat. I can get out for an hour so a couple of times a week after work (as long as my dealextreme light arrives PDQ now it's getting darker) but that only gets me about 20 miles. Then a few times a month I can do a longer rider (40+ miles).

I doubt I'm going to win many races but I'm getting fitter, faster, lighter and having fun so that's all my aims covered

jibberjim

dmch2 wrote:

I doubt I'm going to win many races but I'm getting fitter, faster, lighter and having fun so that's all my aims covered

From an average club cyclist, Doing 1 hour all out twice a week through the winter, followed by longer rides with short hard efforts at the weekend, will probably get you pretty close to winning races come the new year.

dmch2

I must admit to being confused as to what normal people do. There are a lot of post on here who say that less than 200 miles a week won't get you anywhere.

Do we just have half a dozen vocal nutters/committed cyclists and the majority only do 50 miles a week with a another group who've just started doing less again?

My plan for next year is to enter a sportive or two then I'll see how I compare. I'd best go and post on the sportive forum to recommend a good one for my part of the country..

badly_dubbed

So what do normal people do weekly?

3x50milers???

Less more?

jibberjim

dmch2 wrote:

I must admit to being confused as to what normal people do. There are a lot of post on here who say that less than 200 miles a week won't get you anywhere.

Do we just have half a dozen vocal nutters/committed cyclists and the majority only do 50 miles a week with a another group who've just started doing less again?

My plan for next year is to enter a sportive or two then I'll see how I compare. I'd best go and post on the sportive forum to recommend a good one for my part of the country..

I've worked up from 2 years ago as an overweight unfit gut to today where I can do stuff in 2nd races and make it around a 3 lap challenge is a competitive time on less than 200 a week. If I was actually constructing a plan 6-8 hours a week would be more than enough.

1 hour all out rides, do massive amounts for your endurance - particularly for the unfit, long rides really aren't necessary, they'll do more for managing your discomfort than anything else.

softlad

jibberjim wrote:

1 hour all out rides, do massive amounts for your endurance - particularly for the unfit, long rides really aren't necessary, they'll do more for managing your discomfort than anything else.

They might not work for you Jim, but everyone is different. My own experience is that to be able to race 50 miles strongly, I need to have far more than 50 miles worth of riding in my legs - and the easiest way to get that is by riding more than 50 miles in training....

Big mileages have always worked for me - but there is no single answer to training that everyone should subscribe to....

jc-bike-person

It depends on what you are trying to achieve
If it is to do long sportives then there is no real substitute for miles
(I guess this is what you mean by endurance)

But short runs can help – you just have to mix it up
Try going up some hills
Try some fartlek (spirits followed by recovery – bit like runners do)
Basically just try and utilise the time that you do have available

I do a 10 mile commute most days – I have a few different routes that take in hills
I also try to blast way from the traffic lights for100meters or so (full power)
Or try to get home only using one gear – tough uphill and a no easy miles down hill

rake

the body will tend to adapt best to what you are doing.

sub55

badly_dubbed wrote:

So what do normal people do weekly?

3x50milers???

Less more?

MORE

SBezza

I did a month of lots of endurance rides, though my endurance rides are NOT LSD, and my fitness was brilliant. 3 club records in 3 weeks from 12 hour TT to a 25m TT, all in pretty windy conditions.

Long rides do more than just help with ride comfort, there is a physiological reason for doing long rides, that a 1hr ride can not give you, though I think 1 & 2 hour hard tempo rides are great for fitness.

I do large mileage, though again I target long distance TT's mainly, so I need the endurance. Also with a big endurance base, you get less up and down with your performance. I wouldn't fancy doing 100m TT's with only 25 mile rides in my legs, I would finish them without a doubt, but the time would be crap.

You need variety in your training to reach your best IMO

Airwave

I agree with SBezza.There's no subsitute for long rides if you want to increase your endurance&stamina.Doing some extra long rides in a short period seems to bring the biggest change.Of course you need a good diet&plenty of rest as well.

vorsprung

badly_dubbed wrote:

Do shorter 10-15milers help build endurance?

Or should I be doing 40-50+milers?

I can only really get one 50miler in a week roughly but upto 5 shorter 10-15mile runs

Am I still building endurance for longer runs doin this?

If you are not fit to start with then 10-15 mile rides are great

You aren't very clear about what your aim is. If your aim is to ride 100 miles at a brisk pace then you will need to do a lot more than regular 10-15 mile

OTOH if you just need to do a 50 mile event and speed isn't important then regular 10-15 mile rides will be fine

badly_dubbed

I'm reasonably fit...ATM I can sustain 18.7ish mph over 45 miles...

I would however like to do 80+ rides eventually....

Can you suggest some sort of idea as to what u should be doing weekly?

Davy

softlad

badly_dubbed wrote:

Can you suggest some sort of idea as to what u should be doing weekly?

as much as you can manage. In principle, there would be nothing to stop you from knocking out an 80 miler tomorrow. If you can manage 40+ at 18+ average, then you should easily manage 80 at a slower pace....

vorsprung

badly_dubbed wrote:

I'm reasonably fit...ATM I can sustain 18.7ish mph over 45 miles...

I would however like to do 80+ rides eventually....

Can you suggest some sort of idea as to what u should be doing weekly?

Davy

So you want to do 80 miles+ at a speed in excess of 18mph

Try to do one ride a week of 80 miles. If you cannot find the time for 80 miles then do as far as you can

Also work on your speed. Perhaps set a personal record for the number of miles you can achieve in an hour and then try and beat it every time.