Increasing av speed for sportive in April

voodooman

Ok

I commute 2x week (25 miles round trip), and do spin 2x week - and am aiming to lose a stone (give or take) by April.

I've done two longer rides (32 and 40 miles, HR av 150) the last two sundays, and averaged 16 mph on both. Wondering what might make a difference in about 10 weeks? I know long slow distance might help, but how can that fit into the real world of parenthood and work?

I'd describe myself as reasonably fit, enjoy running and the cycling is replacing football and cricket as just getting too old to run around a park with lads in their 20s.

Any ideas gratefully accepted, especially if it doesn't take up too much time.

imposter2.0

Turbo + interval sessions = sorted.

mikenetic

Turbo and interval sessions will definitely help. You need to make your training sessions efficient & effective, and that requires a plan. A few questions might help round out the answers a bit:

How long is the Sportive? Is it flat, or hilly? Have you ever done the distance before?
Do you know what your maximum heart rate is? Are you familiar with training in Heart Rate Zones?
Do you run a cadence meter on your bike, and if you do, what RPM do you tend to turn?
How heavy are you, could you lose some weight in the form of reducing fat?
How comfortable are you with eating during a ride?

If you want to go faster over longer periods then you're aiming to increase the amount of power you can put out aerobically. Given the time you've got, typically that'll involve training that keeps you in relatively high HR zone, while spinning a decent cadence. You don't have to do this for hours on end. Slow base miles can help, but they are aimed at long-term physiological adaptations that do work, but might not give you best benefit if you have 10 weeks. You're conditioning your engine for this event, so make sure the training is appropriate for that.

You don't have to do relatively high intensity sessions for huge amounts of time to get improvements. You need to leave space between the session though, as the physiological adaptations you're after happen when you're resting/recovering. I did two 60-minute sessions of Trainer Road's Sweet Spot base plan per week, plus a weekend ride and after 8 weeks I was putting out measurably more power. Also, by eating sensibly, upping the level of protein in my diet and not 'pasta-compensating' for my increased calorific consumption I naturally lost some fat.

Going for a low cadence that grinds it out might make you stronger, but you'll be prone to muscular fatigue, or if you overdo it, injury.

Losing weight in the form of fat will help, especially if it's hilly. Climbing speeds can be really helped if you have a decent power to weight ratio, even more so if you have a low body weight.

If it's flatter then learning to ride in an aero position will also help, as it reduces drag, wasting less of your available power. However, it takes practice to be able to sustain a good power output when riding flatter or in the drops. Flexibility and core strength help.

If you do a couple of decent, hard, training sessions a week, plus a weekend ride you should see noticeable benefits. Unless you're one of those poor unfortunates who genetically isn't a good responder to increased physiological loading. Some people get more benefit from the same training than others.

Take a look at the trainer road section, or their site for some more background on what you're aiming for.

Finally, you'll need to be able to eat on the go for the typical Sportive distance. If you don't know already, work out what your body likes. Personally, I prefer water, bananas and flapjack to sports drinks and gels, but get to know what works best by experimenting before the event.

dw300

sorted - Turbo = interval sessions