Best Training For 60m Ride

thegodplato

Having got my new Bianchi Nirone last Thursday ( after doing some short occasional rides on my wife's old MTB after having been convinced to do a C2C later in the year and poss LeJog next year ), I have done the same route on Friday ( 10m in 36mins compared to 42mins best on MTB ), then on Saturday I did a 16m run, Sunday a 23m run, Tuesday a 36m run and then yesterday a 30m run. Shorter runs seem to be getting 17mph average, longer ones just over 15mph average which I appreciate isn't massively quick but its a start. But 115m in my first week isn't too bad.
And so, to start training for proper events, I wonder what the best method is. As in do I do plenty of 30m runs trying to improve my time or should I just try to increase the distance with each run regardless of how long it takes me.
Hoping to do Manchester to Blackpool 60m event in July.

Wirral_paul

I would say keep varying your riding - maybe shorter rides during the week and then a longer ride or two at the weekend. Whatever you do - keep mixing it up otherwise you'll just get good at one thing. Maybe even throw in a short, sharp hill session with repetitions of a hill to improve your climbing / strength.

Learning what and when to eat can make a big difference to your cycling ability too. I'm a big believer in protein recovery drinks myself also - make a big difference for me

napoleond

Just keep riding. Go harder on the hills, steady on the flats and recover on the descents on your shorter rides. Pace yourself on longer rides.
Try for one longer ride a week, increase that ride's distance by 10-20% each week.
Eat something on the longer ride every 45mins-1hr (e.g. banana, slice of malt loaf etc)

Muffintop

If it's the biggest distance you've ever done, pootle out 30 miles to somewhere nice for lunch and then pootle back. Mentally 'knowing' you can do the distance will leave you to concentrate on other things on the day.

Mx

ricey155

I agree with most of that, just ride a little further and then few days later do a smaller trip

then increase it bit by bit till your smashing 60miles easy, remember rest is as good as riding if you ride a lot

little recovery rides without pushing the peddles is also good

team47b

Increase bit by bit is sensible advice BUT you could start by going further than 60 meters!

Pedantic, I know. 60 mi

thegodplato

OK 60 miles then. ha ha

Rigged

I'd try and break up your riding a little into different groups. You don't say where you live so I don't really know what riding you have on your doorstep but if it was me I'd look at doing 5 days cycling a week with 2 days recovery. Place those two recovery days immediately after the hardest two training sessions you have.

For example, you may want to do a couple of general 30 ish mile rides a week as this is what you can do already, then have one day where you stretch the distance to 40 miles then after you've done that twice extend it by 5 miles and so on (take a rest day after this ride as this is when you may encounter aches from being in the saddle for longer), if you have a hilly route you can do then look at something like a 20 mile route with a few hills and then finally it may be worth having a day where you do hill repeats if you have one decent incline to tackle nearby. This will be the least enjoyable ride of the week but they'll build strength and comfort with your bikes gearing rapidly. This is probably the other day you ought to take a day off after as it will be hard. Read here for a guide on hill repeat technique, there's lots to be read from a quick google search - http://www.strongercyclist.com/hill-repeats/

So as a guide perhaps do:
Day 1 - 30 miles
Day 2 - Hill Repeats
Day 3 - Rest
Day 4 - 20 miles hilly
Day 5 - 30 miles
Day 6 - 40+ miles
Day 7 - Rest

Most importantly - listen to your body. If any of these feel unduly difficult compared to if you were to do them as a one off then you're overtraining and the rate of improvement will be adversely affected so back off on one or more of the exercises until you find an intensity that's right for you. You could probably drop one of those 30 mile rides no problem at all if you're finding it hard initially. These exercises probably won't ever feel any easier, it's just that you'll begin doing them faster, so arm yourself with a stopwatch or even better one of the many iPhone apps/GPS devices so that you can follow your progression and not become demotivated by the apparent lack of development.

Nutrition is also key here and I'm another big fan of protein shakes taken straight away after a work out. For me at least, they make a huge difference to how my muscles feel the following morning and allow me to train harder than I would without taking protein supplements.

Forgot to also talk about post-ride stretches. It's tempting after a hard ride to put the bike away, jump in the shower then put your legs up but before you finish up it'll be really beneficial to stretch away at the muscles you've just worked. There's so many different ways of doing this but maybe look here for a starting point - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RLrfCb6eElA

jgsi

Rigged wrote:

I'd try and break up your riding a little into different groups. You don't say where you live so I don't really know what riding you have on your doorstep but if it was me I'd look at doing 5 days cycling a week with 2 days recovery. Place those two recovery days immediately after the hardest two training sessions you have.

For example, you may want to do a couple of general 30 ish mile rides a week as this is what you can do already, then have one day where you stretch the distance to 40 miles then after you've done that twice extend it by 5 miles and so on (take a rest day after this ride as this is when you may encounter aches from being in the saddle for longer), if you have a hilly route you can do then look at something like a 20 mile route with a few hills and then finally it may be worth having a day where you do hill repeats if you have one decent incline to tackle nearby. This will be the least enjoyable ride of the week but they'll build strength and comfort with your bikes gearing rapidly. This is probably the other day you ought to take a day off after as it will be hard. Read here for a guide on hill repeat technique, there's lots to be read from a quick google search - http://www.strongercyclist.com/hill-repeats/

So as a guide perhaps do:
Day 1 - 30 miles
Day 2 - Hill Repeats
Day 3 - Rest
Day 4 - 20 miles hilly
Day 5 - 30 miles
Day 6 - 40+ miles
Day 7 - Rest

Most importantly - listen to your body. If any of these feel unduly difficult compared to if you were to do them as a one off then you're overtraining and the rate of improvement will be adversely affected so back off on one or more of the exercises until you find an intensity that's right for you. You could probably drop one of those 30 mile rides no problem at all if you're finding it hard initially. These exercises probably won't ever feel any easier, it's just that you'll begin doing them faster, so arm yourself with a stopwatch or even better one of the many iPhone apps/GPS devices so that you can follow your progression and not become demotivated by the apparent lack of development.

Nutrition is also key here and I'm another big fan of protein shakes taken straight away after a work out. For me at least, they make a huge difference to how my muscles feel the following morning and allow me to train harder than I would without taking protein supplements.

Forgot to also talk about post-ride stretches. It's tempting after a hard ride to put the bike away, jump in the shower then put your legs up but before you finish up it'll be really beneficial to stretch away at the muscles you've just worked. There's so many different ways of doing this but maybe look here for a starting point - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RLrfCb6eElA

Good grief, thats a good training schedule for getting decent racing legs for actual racing.... OP is doing Manchester to Blackpool charity ride .. you want to give him all that pain for something thats supposed to be a bit of fun?
http://www.bike-events.com/Ride.aspx?id=311

waynobfc

I really wouldn't worry about hill intervals etc for riding the Manchester to Blackpool, it's really easy going terrain wise. I would look at doing 40 miles + on a regular basis & you'll be fine for a 60, just make sure you rest a couple of days before & eat well to ensure your energy stores are good!

Most of all, don't worry about times, speeds, weather, kit - just get out there, ride & enjoy yourself!

alwaystoohot

To get to 100kms, I did 2 x 40km mid week runs witha 65 km saturday run, then just jumped from 70 odd to 100k. No big sweat if you've got a few months riding behind you. Make sure you're mentally on top of it and your legs will follow.

thegodplato

Rigged wrote:

I'd try and break up your riding a little into different groups. You don't say where you live so I don't really know what riding you have on your doorstep but if it was me I'd look at doing 5 days cycling a week with 2 days recovery. Place those two recovery days immediately after the hardest two training sessions you have.

For example, you may want to do a couple of general 30 ish mile rides a week as this is what you can do already, then have one day where you stretch the distance to 40 miles then after you've done that twice extend it by 5 miles and so on (take a rest day after this ride as this is when you may encounter aches from being in the saddle for longer), if you have a hilly route you can do then look at something like a 20 mile route with a few hills and then finally it may be worth having a day where you do hill repeats if you have one decent incline to tackle nearby. This will be the least enjoyable ride of the week but they'll build strength and comfort with your bikes gearing rapidly. This is probably the other day you ought to take a day off after as it will be hard. Read here for a guide on hill repeat technique, there's lots to be read from a quick google search - http://www.strongercyclist.com/hill-repeats/

So as a guide perhaps do:
Day 1 - 30 miles
Day 2 - Hill Repeats
Day 3 - Rest
Day 4 - 20 miles hilly
Day 5 - 30 miles
Day 6 - 40+ miles
Day 7 - Rest

Most importantly - listen to your body. If any of these feel unduly difficult compared to if you were to do them as a one off then you're overtraining and the rate of improvement will be adversely affected so back off on one or more of the exercises until you find an intensity that's right for you. You could probably drop one of those 30 mile rides no problem at all if you're finding it hard initially. These exercises probably won't ever feel any easier, it's just that you'll begin doing them faster, so arm yourself with a stopwatch or even better one of the many iPhone apps/GPS devices so that you can follow your progression and not become demotivated by the apparent lack of development.

Nutrition is also key here and I'm another big fan of protein shakes taken straight away after a work out. For me at least, they make a huge difference to how my muscles feel the following morning and allow me to train harder than I would without taking protein supplements.

Forgot to also talk about post-ride stretches. It's tempting after a hard ride to put the bike away, jump in the shower then put your legs up but before you finish up it'll be really beneficial to stretch away at the muscles you've just worked. There's so many different ways of doing this but maybe look here for a starting point - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RLrfCb6eElA

Your not kidding thats agood training session!

I intend to do LeJog next year and a C"C later this year so I want to do some really good training. As I live near Blackpool there aren't that many hills that are seriously good, unless I go upto the Lakes.

What protein shakes do you recommend? I've been told top get stuff from myprotein.com but there is so much stuff there its impossible to decide hwat I need and what I don't. Anything on whats good to eat/drink during a ride would be helpful too. Thanks.

t.m.h.n.e.t

thegodplato wrote:

Rigged wrote:

I'd try and break up your riding a little into different groups. You don't say where you live so I don't really know what riding you have on your doorstep but if it was me I'd look at doing 5 days cycling a week with 2 days recovery. Place those two recovery days immediately after the hardest two training sessions you have.

For example, you may want to do a couple of general 30 ish mile rides a week as this is what you can do already, then have one day where you stretch the distance to 40 miles then after you've done that twice extend it by 5 miles and so on (take a rest day after this ride as this is when you may encounter aches from being in the saddle for longer), if you have a hilly route you can do then look at something like a 20 mile route with a few hills and then finally it may be worth having a day where you do hill repeats if you have one decent incline to tackle nearby. This will be the least enjoyable ride of the week but they'll build strength and comfort with your bikes gearing rapidly. This is probably the other day you ought to take a day off after as it will be hard. Read here for a guide on hill repeat technique, there's lots to be read from a quick google search - http://www.strongercyclist.com/hill-repeats/

So as a guide perhaps do:
Day 1 - 30 miles
Day 2 - Hill Repeats
Day 3 - Rest
Day 4 - 20 miles hilly
Day 5 - 30 miles
Day 6 - 40+ miles
Day 7 - Rest

Most importantly - listen to your body. If any of these feel unduly difficult compared to if you were to do them as a one off then you're overtraining and the rate of improvement will be adversely affected so back off on one or more of the exercises until you find an intensity that's right for you. You could probably drop one of those 30 mile rides no problem at all if you're finding it hard initially. These exercises probably won't ever feel any easier, it's just that you'll begin doing them faster, so arm yourself with a stopwatch or even better one of the many iPhone apps/GPS devices so that you can follow your progression and not become demotivated by the apparent lack of development.

Nutrition is also key here and I'm another big fan of protein shakes taken straight away after a work out. For me at least, they make a huge difference to how my muscles feel the following morning and allow me to train harder than I would without taking protein supplements.

Forgot to also talk about post-ride stretches. It's tempting after a hard ride to put the bike away, jump in the shower then put your legs up but before you finish up it'll be really beneficial to stretch away at the muscles you've just worked. There's so many different ways of doing this but maybe look here for a starting point - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RLrfCb6eElA

Your not kidding thats agood training session!

I intend to do LeJog next year and a C"C later this year so I want to do some really good training. As I live near Blackpool there aren't that many hills that are seriously good, unless I go upto the Lakes.

What protein shakes do you recommend? I've been told top get stuff from myprotein.com but there is so much stuff there its impossible to decide hwat I need and what I don't. Anything on whats good to eat/drink during a ride would be helpful too. Thanks.

Pick one

Rigged

thegodplato wrote:

Your not kidding thats agood training session!

I intend to do LeJog next year and a C"C later this year so I want to do some really good training. As I live near Blackpool there aren't that many hills that are seriously good, unless I go upto the Lakes.

What protein shakes do you recommend? I've been told top get stuff from myprotein.com but there is so much stuff there its impossible to decide hwat I need and what I don't. Anything on whats good to eat/drink during a ride would be helpful too. Thanks.

MyProtein looks good and loads of people rave about it. It's pretty cheap too which is a big bonus.

I'd say number one is to find one that you don't mind drinking. Some taste like crap quite frankly and if you don't want to drink it pretty soon you just won't.

The second consideration is the nutritional aspect. You can get all-in-one style supplements that pack in a protein, carbs and lots of other things but I'm not such a fan because it makes it slightly more difficult to regulate how much you consume so I look for something that's high protein, high amino acids, but low carbohydrate and obviously low fat. Something to be aware of is that some protein powders include creatine, which is a substance that is supposed to help the body absorb protein, but also has some questionable health effects. Some people swear by creatine's benefit whilst others are concerned by possible health implications. Personally, I steer clear of creatine but perhaps read for yourself and make your own mind up about possible risks & benefits.

My preference for protein shake is Sci-MX Ultragen Whey Protein (Banana). It's not the cheapest or most expensive but it has a good nutritional value and I like the taste when mixed with milk. I'm not a fan of these things with water alone but I know others don't mind them. I also like mixing in a real banana in the blender to make it taste better...when I can be bothered with the washing up anyway! When I come to the end of the tub I have (i buy 2.28KG at once so it could be a little while!) I'll be giving something from the MyProtein line a try...I've seen they have very cheap sample packets available which is ideal to find what you like and what seems to work best.

Nutrition whilst out riding is something I'm more new to and have less experience of the options. Basically you want something high in sugar and quickly digestible so a ripe banana is ideal. There's plenty of gels made for the purpose but I've not yet tried any to see how well they work in comparison to the standard banana.

turboslave

You don't need to train any more as you are already covering 60% of your goal milage, you will get an extra 20% from being in a large group/event and the last 20% will be tough but manageable. Just ride your bike and get the miles in upto the event and back off 4-5 days before the event.

Enjoy your riding.