One Month Of Training?
Caller
Posts: 124
I've got plenty of time on my hands for the next month and would like to try and do some training that will help to see the biggest improvement in that time.
I don't excel in any particular area but I think my climbing is my weakest area. I've got a reasonable fitness level at the moment but nothing to shout about.
What would be the best training to do to over the next month to see the biggest improvement in my climbing and overall fitness in that time?
From reading here, the general consensus seems to be that the best way to train for climbing is to do plenty of climbing. Anything more specific than that?
I don't excel in any particular area but I think my climbing is my weakest area. I've got a reasonable fitness level at the moment but nothing to shout about.
What would be the best training to do to over the next month to see the biggest improvement in my climbing and overall fitness in that time?
From reading here, the general consensus seems to be that the best way to train for climbing is to do plenty of climbing. Anything more specific than that?
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Comments
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what are you training for ?0
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It seems to me that with lots of time the best thing is to get out and ride-good timing with the weather btw.
You need to be careful when stepping up your training dramatically, i suppose its a bit of a catch 22, the fitter(more trained) you are the easier it is to do long hours on consecutive days. But then you probably wouldn't need to step it up in those circumstances...
So maybe try day 1 -long steady ride. day 2 -hillrepeats(1hr-ish).day3 repeat.
shorten/lengthen sessions as required, take a rest day if you need one.
Most of us couldn't go out and just do hills every day, so one day general riding/fitness. Other day specific hill session.
Maybe once per week extra long ride with lots of climbing??
Only you know what you're capable of, i guess the skill would be to push yourself hard enough without overstepping the mark. Have fun.Death or Glory- Just another Story0 -
mattshrops wrote:It seems to me that with lots of time the best thing is to get out and ride-good timing with the weather btw.
You need to be careful when stepping up your training dramatically, i suppose its a bit of a catch 22, the fitter(more trained) you are the easier it is to do long hours on consecutive days. But then you probably wouldn't need to step it up in those circumstances...
So maybe try day 1 -long steady ride. day 2 -hillrepeats(1hr-ish).day3 repeat.
shorten/lengthen sessions as required, take a rest day if you need one.
Most of us couldn't go out and just do hills every day, so one day general riding/fitness. Other day specific hill session.
Maybe once per week extra long ride with lots of climbing??
Only you know what you're capable of, i guess the skill would be to push yourself hard enough without overstepping the mark. Have fun.
Thanks Matt.
I'll probably aim for something like you're suggesting, I'm currently thinking along the lines of:
Day 1 - Long ride
Day 2 - Hill reps
Day 3 - Rest
Day 4 - Long hilly ride
Day 5 - Rest
Day 6/7 - One rest day and one MTB ride
I'll try it for a week or two and see how I get on. What's the worst that can happen!0 -
The weather will play havoc with your schedule0
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Caller wrote:I'll probably aim for something like you're suggesting, I'm currently thinking along the lines of:
Day 1 - Long ride
Day 2 - Hill reps
Day 3 - Rest
Day 4 - Long hilly ride
Day 5 - Rest
Day 6/7 - One rest day and one MTB ride
I'll try it for a week or two and see how I get on. What's the worst that can happen!
three rest days in a week ?0 -
Substitute 1 for active recovery, and add a tempo ride0
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Loads of 1.5-3 hr tempo rides where you push a little on the hills and sometimes go for a longer ride and take it slightly easier.
I think this whole 'climb more to be a better climber' is bad advice for UK cycling. The hills are generally too short and steep to have much benefit and far better would be doing loads of work to increase your threshold power. This means you end up being able to climb short demanding hills without going into the 'red' anything like as much, so you can either do it far more often without suffering as much or can push it even harder if you do choose to go into the red. I've never done hill work and always focused on threshold development and now cruise up hills I used to have to stand and fight up, and low and behold I also go up faster than I used to!
Dedicated vo2 intervals, like 3-5 min hill repeats will help with top end power but the gains are relatively quickly achieved and short lasting, as well as very demanding workouts in themselves that demand recovery days before you're likely to do mor equality sessions. They obviously have a place but if you have loads of time for a month then spend it doing tempo and occasional threshold sessions and save the intensity for when you don't have much time or know you will have a day off due to other stuff - or perhaps when the weather won't let you do much else.....
I have almost a month of unrestricted time that started yesterday and plan exactly the above - loads of essentially tempo rides with lots of different routes, good recovery the rest of the days and good nutrition. Fingers crossed the weather plays ball as well.
Your Past is Not Your Potential...0
