How to base train with limited time

plankton_brain

LIke it says.

My legs have a habit of badly cramping up after 40-50 miles hard riding. I have been doing a few short road races and crits this year (30-40 miles) but want to enter some longer races next year.
I am atually do all right for a newbie OAP, got 3rd in my first year which was more than expected. Entered one longer race but 50 miles in my legs cramped solid almost catapulting me off the bike. I feel absolutely fine one minute then BANG they go.

More or less all of my training traditionally revolves aroud rides of 1 to 2 hours; turbo or road. Ive been managing to get one longer ride in each week over the last couple of months (4-5 hours), but still end up with cramp by the end.

I feel like I need to keep putting in more long rides, but I struggle to find the time (work, kids, usual stuff).

Does anyone have any tips for short duration training sessions that will help build my tolerance for more hours in the saddle?

SBezza

To get use to long hours in the saddle, ideally you need to do these sorts of ride. Doing shorter rides may get the body fit enough to complete longer rides/races but they don't really condition the body ( and arse LOL) for the longer rides.

I would look into why you are cramping, are you going too hard for the duration, remember a longer ride will mean you need to ease off the effort a little so you can actually complete the ride. Do you eat and drink during these rides?

Tempo rides are very good base endurance rides to do if you are having issues with longer times in the saddle, or have issues with time though I suspect that 2 hours of this and you could possibly cramp as well, as these are generally harder rides than a 4 hour endurance ride.

shockedsoshocked

The cramp may be due to nutrition/hydration as opposed to lack of fitness.

But on limited time threshold type work would be your best bet.

cougie

Have you tried adding a pinch of salt to your water bottles ?

plankton_brain

I tried really upping the salt for a couple of weeks. Started off with 2 750ml bottles; one with SIS energy drink and added one Hi5 electrolyte tab, the other just water with 2 x Hi5 electrolyte tabs.

90 mile ride with a cafe stop at 50miles where I had a large coffee and cake, and refilled energy drink bottle with water. Average 17.3mph with a bit of buggering about; village sign sprints etc.

40g of porridge with spoon of honey, cup of tea, 2/3rd's pint of water and a double espresso in the hour between getting up and leaving.

Cramps hit at about 65-70 miles.

Also ate a mule bar at some point during the ride.

I dont think its a salt issue, im not a very sweaty person. After a ride like that in cool weather I can still get a couple of days out of the same pair of socks and rarely get any salty white deposits on my jersey.

vs

salted peanuts work for me...almost instantly

Dave_P1

Nunn tablets work for me when racing

plankton_brain

Nunn Nuts then.

Ill try both.

ut_och_cykla

It's probably a fatigue/position thing - do you always cramp in the same part of your legs? And stupid question - is it really cramp - involuntary shortening of muscles in a more or less painful way - or total muscle fatigue - they just don't want to work any more?

LightningTony

As a coach I would have to question why you want to do events that you say you don't have time to train for? There really is no short or quick way to train endurance riding. The best you could hope for is to maximise the training benefits you can get from your shorter rides with the objective of improving your lactate thresholds. Meaning when you do a longer ride at the same pace as you would have done previously, because you are aerobically fitter it will seem easier so you probably wouldn't cramp. However this won't get you round at race speed, and anyway as you get fitter you will probably just up the pace and still blow and cramp!
Try doing three hour rides instead of 5, the difference between your shorter rides and the long one is too great. Maybe over a long period of gradually increasing the pace and time in saddle you will improve.
Sorry my friend, endurance is called endurance for a reason. I would be delighted to hear from anybody that has scientific proof otherwise?
Checkout my site for more;

www.tonyharveytraining.com

NJK

To the OP. No reason at all why you can't do longer race on the duration of training you do. Consistency of training is key and maximising your training time. It sounds like you have 6-10hrs available which is fine. Plan and maximise your training.

davebc

ShockedSoShocked wrote:

The cramp may be due to nutrition/hydration as opposed to lack of fitness.

But on limited time threshold type work would be your best bet.

Could be the gear, I used to cramp when running - Wrong shoes.
Used to cramp when cycling - wrong seat position.

plankton_brain

I will probably treat myself to a profesional bike fit in the new year. See if I get a new bike for christmas first though :-)

I have recently moved onto winter bike,and while I suffer from cramp on both bikes; if I think about it there are subtle differences where. Perhaps rather than a single cause, its a combination of kit, fit, nutrition and generally not being strong enough (is there such thing as a cyclist who is?).

cyco2

I used to get cramp when into a 120 mile ride but I managed to get over it with a good long drink before eating at 70 miles. Unless you can weigh yourself its difficult to asses if you are low on fluids so its best to have plenty.
Also, take a look at this http://www.chemist-4-u.com/Crampex-24-Tablets-P.html just in case you do have some other deficiency.

Herbsman

DaveBC wrote:

ShockedSoShocked wrote:

The cramp may be due to nutrition/hydration as opposed to lack of fitness.

But on limited time threshold type work would be your best bet.

Could be the gear, I used to cramp when running - Wrong shoes.
Used to cramp when cycling - wrong seat position.

Same here. Before anyone starts adding superfluous salt to their diet they might want to make sure their bike fits them properly first.