Endurance Training During Lockdown

samfailed

At the start of this year I was focusing my training on endurance with the plan to complete several centuries over the summer. Whilst I'm not sure which events will still be on I still want to train towards getting some longer rides in at some point.

My normal week would involve three 1.5 hour rides plus a four hour ride on a Sunday at zone 2. During the current lockdown I can still get outside and ride but am not sure about doing long rides, especially alone. The most I'm planning to do is 2/2.5 hours in the local vicinity.

I have a smart trainer and am on Zwift but can't bring myself to go more than a hour and half.

My question is, how can I still train to improve endurance with a limit on longer sessions? I'm not working at the moment so I want to make the most of this opportunity to get myself in good shape.

Should I be doing lots of shorter zone 2 rides, does that work the same as doing one long zone 2 ride? Or should I be pushing myself into higher zones during these sessions?

fenix

Zwift have what you want. You're paying for it so you may as well use it.

https://www.bikeradar.com/advice/fitness-and-training/best-workouts-training-plans-zwift/

aberdeen_lune

Why don’t you do multiple shorter loops? Not as short as the guy who ran a marathon in his back garden but you could do 4 or 5 x 20mile loops. Not as exciting as one big loop but it gives you the endurance training. You could also very the direction ridden.

DeVlaeminck

Where do you live? I'd have thought the risk of passing on the virus on a 4 hour ride was minimal in some areas. If it's about being far from home in case of a mechanical then as above do a couple of loops, if it's about other's perception then just put strava on private. I mean you are willing to do 2.5 hours so if you are ok with that just add on 90 minutes. If you really want do one of your shorter rides on zwift to compensate so there is no increase in total time outside.

fenix

Do as the NHS workers ask. Stay at home. You don't want some nobber clipping you and sending you to hospital. It's just not worth the risk.

samfailed

I knew this would happen, I don't want another debate on this issue thanks The reason I won't be doing long rides is irrelevant and is not what I was asking!

Not sure I have the mental fortitude to doing 20 mile loops either

N0bodyOfTheGoat

IMO It's a balancing act because while you could choose to train for improvements, the longer the duration above ~45mins and the more time you spend close to or beyond FTP, the greater the risk of suppressing your immune system and catching COVID-19 and any other bugs doing the rounds.

There's a few workouts in the Zwift "TT Tune-Up" plan I was doing until I started to get ill during the plan's final week in late Feb, which are supposed to stimulate endurance power. I couldn't say if they work or not as I'm yet to test my endurance since.
https://whatsonzwift.com/workouts/tt-tuneup/

singleton

In the current circumstance, I am hoping to maintain rather than improve my fitness however, I don't see why you can't do a longer ride, as long as you are feeling healthy and listen to your body.
Not much will accurately replicate a long ride - since it trains your energy systems and toughens up your saddle area as well as training your legs and cardio.

imposter2.0

fenix said:

Do as the NHS workers ask. Stay at home. You don't want some nobber clipping you and sending you to hospital. It's just not worth the risk.

That could still happen on a 5 mile ride, or a 100 mile ride. I don't understand why people keep saying this.

imposter2.0

In any case, the guidance is to continue exercising. The 'stay at home' message is designed to minimise personal contact - which it is doing - not stop people from leaving their front doors completely.

DeVlaeminck

OK then to go with what the OP asks if you are cutting the hours then I would up the intensity rather than riding at the intensity you would have for a 4 hour ride. You can always do a few long ones once the lock down (of whatever we are calling it) it is over.

fenix

imposter2.0 said:

fenix said:

Do as the NHS workers ask. Stay at home. You don't want some nobber clipping you and sending you to hospital. It's just not worth the risk.

That could still happen on a 5 mile ride, or a 100 mile ride. I don't understand why people keep saying this.

We've already had a family member die of the virus. I don't need to leave the house to get a ride in, easier on the turbo and leaves me to have my exercise walking the dog.

This virus is only getting started. Minimise the risks to everyone.

flypast

Can you do both to achieve a long ride. Ride as far as able outside and then jump straight on Zwift for another hour or so?

ugo.santalucia

For those who think the problem are those pesky cyclists exceeding their "allocated time on the road".
This is a video of Naples yesterday... they are in full lockdown, enjoy... (skip the advert when you can)

https://video.repubblica.it/dossier/coronavirus-wuhan-2020/coronavirus-a-napoli-tanta-gente-in-strada-per-la-spesa-del-fine-settimana/357456/358016?ref=RHPPTP-BS-I252667351-C12-P4-S2.4-T1

imposter2.0

flypast said:

Can you do both to achieve a long ride. Ride as far as able outside and then jump straight on Zwift for another hour or so?

Was that a rhetorical question?

imposter2.0

ugo.santalucia said:

For those who think the problem are those pesky cyclists exceeding their "allocated time on the road".
This is a video of Naples yesterday... they are in full lockdown, enjoy... (skip the advert when you can)

https://video.repubblica.it/dossier/coronavirus-wuhan-2020/coronavirus-a-napoli-tanta-gente-in-strada-per-la-spesa-del-fine-settimana/357456/358016?ref=RHPPTP-BS-I252667351-C12-P4-S2.4-T1

If that's what the Italians think a 'lockdown' is, then it's no fxxking wonder they're in such a state...

ugo.santalucia

imposter2.0 said:

If that's what the Italians think a 'lockdown' is, then it's no fxxking wonder they're in such a state...

The problem is that the city is very congested, lots of people living in very few sq, miles... then you have a lot of small retailers of bread, meat, fish, groceries etc... they are all still allowed to go out to shop for food... it's the run up to Easter, which is a big thing in the South of Italy... so that's the perfect storm for you.
My point is not much how badly they behave, but that the real problem is that we have to go out to buy food... here is not as bad, because it's mostly large supermarkets

mrb123

ugo.santalucia said:

For those who think the problem are those pesky cyclists exceeding their "allocated time on the road".
This is a video of Naples yesterday... they are in full lockdown, enjoy... (skip the advert when you can)

https://video.repubblica.it/dossier/coronavirus-wuhan-2020/coronavirus-a-napoli-tanta-gente-in-strada-per-la-spesa-del-fine-settimana/357456/358016?ref=RHPPTP-BS-I252667351-C12-P4-S2.4-T1

The best bit was the guy pulling his mask down to smoke a tab!

harry-s

I wouldn't get too hung up about getting in long rides, you can still build your endurance up with shorter turbo sessions, as long as you work to a plan. Pay someone to put one together for you, or see what you can find online or on Zwift. I did a Lejog ride last year (1000miles in 10 days), and (mostly because I was recovering from an injury) I'd say 90% of my prep in the 6 months leading up to it was on a wattbike. No problems during the ride.

samfailed

harry-s said:

I wouldn't get too hung up about getting in long rides, you can still build your endurance up with shorter turbo sessions, as long as you work to a plan. Pay someone to put one together for you, or see what you can find online or on Zwift. I did a Lejog ride last year (1000miles in 10 days), and (mostly because I was recovering from an injury) I'd say 90% of my prep in the 6 months leading up to it was on a wattbike. No problems during the ride.

Now that you say that, I remember Mark Beaumont saying that the majority of his training for the Round the World record were 25 mile rides at higher intensity!

bobmcstuff

imposter2.0 said:

fenix said:

Do as the NHS workers ask. Stay at home. You don't want some nobber clipping you and sending you to hospital. It's just not worth the risk.

That could still happen on a 5 mile ride, or a 100 mile ride. I don't understand why people keep saying this.

If you are out for 20 minutes or 7-8 hours is clearly going to have a big impact on the chance of you having an incident. Risks are usually presented in terms of fatality or injury per unit time or distance (e.g., https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/447674/pedal-cyclists-2013-data.pdf) so the duration of exposure is a key risk driver.

However the risks are still very small: using the linked data (UK 2013 stats), the risk of being "killed or seriously injured" in a 5 mile ride is about 5.2x10^-6 (5.2 in a million), and for a 100 mile ride it is about 1x10^-4 (1 in 10,000). This still is a two order of magnitude difference in the risk of placing a demand on the NHS/emergency services.

Probably there are other factors to consider which don't show up in the data, such as if you live in a built up area the risk close to your house is likely to be higher than the risk in the middle of the countryside, so the 5 mile ride round your house might include all the most dangerous bits of the 100 mile ride (admittedly unlikely).
Also most cycling injuries tend to involve other vehicles, and there are far fewer vehicles on the road at the moment, which you would expect to affect the risk level.

I personally don't see the problem in going for a solo bike ride down some quiet back lanes, but really it's not my business what other people decide to do.

bobmcstuff

samfailed said:

harry-s said:

I wouldn't get too hung up about getting in long rides, you can still build your endurance up with shorter turbo sessions, as long as you work to a plan. Pay someone to put one together for you, or see what you can find online or on Zwift. I did a Lejog ride last year (1000miles in 10 days), and (mostly because I was recovering from an injury) I'd say 90% of my prep in the 6 months leading up to it was on a wattbike. No problems during the ride.

Now that you say that, I remember Mark Beaumont saying that the majority of his training for the Round the World record were 25 mile rides at higher intensity!

I've trained for lots of long rides, including multi day tours etc, using primarily TrainerRoad 60-90 minute workouts. I can recommend those as a sensible way to increase endurance, but any similarly structured plan will do the trick.

mr.b-campag

flypast said:

Can you do both to achieve a long ride. Ride as far as able outside and then jump straight on Zwift for another hour or so?

How about this, but the other way 'round i.e. do an hour on the turbo and then two hours (or whatever) outside locally?

kevin_stephens

I’m just enjoying the privilege to get out, doing 90 minute to 2 hour very hilly loops at max effort, takes 2 or 3 days to recover between them. I’m doing Trainer Road intervals on rainy days. I didn’t ride much last year so starting from a low base but it’s rewarding to see the segment times come down and looking forward to my next ramp test. My understanding and hope is that this approach will make much longer hilly rides a lot easier post lockdown. Fingers crossed