Training advice please to step up a level

chamunt

I'm in mid forties and been riding since may. I go out about 3 times a week ( 30-40 miles per ride) and my av speed is around 17.5 mph for a 40 mile ride with 2000 elevation, around 19-20 mph on the flat.

I can't seem to step up from that. I've got flexible working so I can go out when I want. If I try to go out every day I don't recover in time.

Any suggestions on how to up my level.

Thanks in advance

imposter2.0

Mix it up. Ride longer distances slower, ride shorter distances harder. If you go out and do the same rides at the same intensity every time, you will plataeu...as it sounds like you have done....

mrbrightside

The answer has to be join a club, your rides are the perfect foundation. I would do similar on my own, without any real motivation to go further... Then I started club riding, between 50-70miles on a Sunday sometimes at a level I would never reach on my own. I even recorded on a 70 mile route 27+ mph for 10 minutes, hanging on for dear life.

cougie

Club is an excellent idea. Steady miles at the weekend and then ride shorter and faster in the week by yourself.

zardoz

Do some interval training.

Tom Dean

Train more and/or harder.

Calpol

I am in a very similar position to the OP. I made big gains in 2013 over 2012, largely driven by volume but with little base carried over the winter. This year I am hoping that even my 50 miles a week over the winter will allow a better start point. I am also going for a bike fit as I have a few niggles that I feel will prevent further volume or intensity efforts over and above 2013.

I suspect that I will also need to bring some variety into my training.
My thoughts so far.

Try and recruit a couple of training partners for some sessions. A couple of the lads I ride with are younger and stronger than me and this should help.

Plan a few away days/weekends in order to see some different terrain.

Cross train on non riding days. Maybe a bit of swimming or jogging to aid recovery.

Make more use of the turbo - yuk!

Ride some of the club TTs. I hate TT ing but its good training.

chamunt

Cheers everybody for constructive advice - I'll definitely take it all on board.

FatTed

I would think increase volume this year and intensity next year.

Team4Luke

madasahattersley wrote:

What Imposter said. You don't need to be in a club to get good, and club riding has quite a considerable list of downsides from a training point of view.

what like access to:-
experienced members and racing members who know what there talking about
chain gangs
use of traffic free circuits for training or fun
use of borrowed equipment
stronger riders to stay with
club 10's
open events TT or RR
HQ to turbo in

the OP doesn't say why he wants to step up a level and is there any intention to race in some form, with the speeds stated he already is very fit and quite quick, to push beyond that would take very repeated specific training sessions working with HR and power. Depends if the OP wishes to take the fun out of riding and start training.

daxplusplus

Get a decent book on training and then look to invest in where ever that takes you?

JustinW

The best way to keep making improvements is Interval training. Would recommend that you complete a fitness test using either heart rate or power so that you can make sure you ride at the correct intensities.

You want to train all systems so would need to do a wide range of intervals from short 20 second sprints right up to 20 minute time trial efforts at threshold pace. The more you mix it up the better the improvements you will get

cougie

I think Team4Luke has made some good points here.

The OP is a relative beginner so the club will be a great help.

If you're an elite athlete - then you know a lot of the stuff the club does - it probably helped you to get to where you are - and then you need to move on as you'll be the fittest of all of them.

I know my club was the starting point for a couple of professionals - it didnt hold them back - but they had to move on in time.

chrisw12

If you've got flexible working and can go out when ever you want to then why don't you?

Sorry to be harsh but the 'can't go out every day because I don't recover' is an excuse, many people ride most days of the week and ride hard, the point being the harder you train, the harder you can train.

So the 'easiest' way for you to step up would be to train more often.

chamunt

Ride with a club/group and do intervals. I'm on it! I had play around with some intervals yesterday and noticed straight away how they could help. Any suggestions on a interval set to start with - otherwise I'll do some reading.

chrisw12 wrote:

If you've got flexible working and can go out when ever you want to then why don't you?

Sorry to be harsh but the 'can't go out every day because I don't recover' is an excuse, many people ride most days of the week and ride hard, the point being the harder you train, the harder you can train.

So the 'easiest' way for you to step up would be to train more often.

I don't need to make excuses, I'm generally pretty motivated. Whenever I've tried to go out more than two days running I felt exhausted. But I take the point that more often is what's needed. And as someone mentioned, I will vary the type of rides I do. Also, I'm sure that as I get fitter I will recover quicker.

xavierdisley

Have a look at your nutrition during and post ride, that could be affecting your recovery. Not being able to ride 3 days in a row (unless you're smashing it every time you go out) implies there's insufficient recovery and/or the intensity is too high to allow it

Xav

chrisw12

chamunt wrote:

Ride with a club/group and do intervals. I'm on it! I had play around with some intervals yesterday and noticed straight away how they could help. Any suggestions on a interval set to start with - otherwise I'll do some reading.

chrisw12 wrote:

If you've got flexible working and can go out when ever you want to then why don't you?

Sorry to be harsh but the 'can't go out every day because I don't recover' is an excuse, many people ride most days of the week and ride hard, the point being the harder you train, the harder you can train.

So the 'easiest' way for you to step up would be to train more often.

I don't need to make excuses, I'm generally pretty motivated. Whenever I've tried to go out more than two days running I felt exhausted. But I take the point that more often is what's needed. And as someone mentioned, I will vary the type of rides I do. Also, I'm sure that as I get fitter I will recover quicker.

Thanks for taking what could be considered as my harsh words in the spirit that they were meant. In a way, I was having a dig at myself in that I've certainly used the 'I'll not ride tomorrow because I rode today line' when really I should have just got out there.

dw300

chamunt wrote:

I don't need to make excuses, I'm generally pretty motivated. Whenever I've tried to go out more than two days running I felt exhausted. But I take the point that more often is what's needed. And as someone mentioned, I will vary the type of rides I do. Also, I'm sure that as I get fitter I will recover quicker.

Links to Strava account .. NNNAAAAAAOOOOOWWWWWWW!

mmacavity

http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle ... h-training

secretsqizz

Best way has to be BY FAR, deepsection carbon wheels from China with Zipp or FastForward labels on them.

Markjaspi

I've been doing interval training for the last couple of weeks on my spinner and it's made a huge difference. I'm getting a number of PR's each time I go out.

Good advice chaps!