Criticise my training

[gonzo]

3 weeks ago, I hadn't really done any riding this year. Anyhow, I need to re-build my fitness from scratch. Here's what I've been doing so far;

Monday - rest
Tuesday - 30 miles out to 10 mile TT, TT 10 miles then 10 miles home
Wednesday - Rest
Thursday - same as Tue
Friday - rest
Saturday - 60 hilly miles <75%
Sunday - same as Sat

What I'm trying to do is get my base back and be able to get a 22 minute 10 time (I'll switch to the TT bike for that) by the end of the year. Things are looking quite good so far; I'm doing 24 minute 10s on a road bike with no aero kit.

For the longer rides, I'm averaging about 16mph, but these are hilly rides with around 60ft of ascent per mile. Where I live, there is no flat distance within 20 miles. I'm gradually building these distances up and hope to be doing two 100s back to back over the weekends within a couple of months.

What do you think of the plan? Bear in mind that I'm not actually working during the week, so I'm free basically every day.

[Wowbagger]

What job are you training for, Gonzo?

[gonzo]

Utterly OT, but I've applies for a handful of temp jobs, but none of them have got back to me!

At some point, I'll probably be working some days so I'll need to re-arrange the plan!

[giropaul]

The key to any plan is the objective.

What is it that you want to achieve?

For example, if it's a fast 10 then I don't think you need 100 mile rides, you just need speed, so lots of short, high effort rides. Behind a motorbike is ideal.

Some road races on fast circuits can be useful - I think you are in Bath? If so, Castle Coombe series in the week would be ideal to build some speed with some necessary stamina as well.

[gonzo]

What is it that you want to achieve?

I want to
a1) get my base back which I can then build on over the winter and next season with specific interval work to deal with sprints/hill attacks etc
a2) improve my average speed at 75% max HR
b) Improve my sustainable top end speed; I want to be able to do a 23 minute 10 on a road bike (or a 22 on a TT bike)

[mattc]

I think the 3 complete rest days is excessive. You could be doing quite a few base miles (pick your own definition of this) in that time without wearing yourself out.

Just IMHO, and assuming you're otherwise healthy etc etc ...

[border-rider]

I think the 3 complete rest days is excessive.

Possibly, but the other 4 days are pretty intensive.  I don't think that riding on the 3 rest days would add anything to the programme in terms of results, and might result in mental staleness.

But if Gonz fancies an easy, no pressure, spin on those days that wouldn't hurt either and might be useful to keep the legs moving.

[Seineseeker]

Yes, why aren't you going for a gentle spin of up to an hour on some of your rest days. I really like to have an easy 40 minutes or an hours ride after a hard ride. I've read that its good for the aching legs. I'd also make the Saturday as far as you like, if you feel like riding further why not. And ok, if we are being picky, why not once a month do a time trial test, so instead of riding 30 miles to the TT, just ride for 30 minutes and then go for it.

Thanks for the water bottle by the way.

[giropaul]

What is it that you want to achieve?

I want to
a1) get my base back which I can then build on over the winter and next season with specific interval work to deal with sprints/hill attacks etc
a2) improve my average speed at 75% max HR
b) Improve my sustainable top end speed; I want to be able to do a 23 minute 10 on a road bike (or a 22 on a TT bike)

1) Getting base back may be somewhat incompatible with speed work. However, a longish (say 4 hrs) ride on one day would help, or ride a few lower category but longer road races.

2) Ideally 1 hour behind a motor bike. If that isn't possible, track endurance sessions (Newport?) or some fast rcircuit road races (e.g Castle Coombe)

3) As above. There is a reason why the roadies always beat the testers in the Olympics or the Worlds - riding in a bunch gives speed. David Millar rides road to get condition for time trials.

As your only specific objective is a 10 time I would also suggest riding at least two of these a week, not with the idea of aleays doing a fast time. Perhaps 2 hours on the road in the morning and a club 10 in the eveneing.

[Chris S]

I'd deliberately not cycle on the rest days. Ideal opportunity for some cross-training. Go for a short run, or do some rowing or go for a power-walk.

Too much of my exercise is cycling, which means I can't run or walk far for toffee (or any other confection as it happens).

[gonzo]

I think the 3 complete rest days is excessive.

Possibly, but the other 4 days are pretty intensive.  I don't think that riding on the 3 rest days would add anything to the programme in terms of results, and might result in mental staleness.

But if Gonz fancies an easy, no pressure, spin on those days that wouldn't hurt either and might be useful to keep the legs moving.

That is pretty much what my thought process was. Living in Bath and at the top of a 300ft hill means that I can't really do easy spins in a short distance from home. Also, as was stated, mental staleness is what kept me off the bike a while back.

I like Chris' idea of doing non cycling exercise on those days. Is this going to be the right kind of beneficial?

1) Getting base back may be somewhat incompatible with speed work. However, a longish (say 4 hrs) ride on one day would help, or ride a few lower category but longer road races.

2) Ideally 1 hour behind a motor bike. If that isn't possible, track endurance sessions (Newport?) or some fast rcircuit road races (e.g Castle Coombe)

3) As above. There is a reason why the roadies always beat the testers in the Olympics or the Worlds - riding in a bunch gives speed. David Millar rides road to get condition for time trials.

As your only specific objective is a 10 time I would also suggest riding at least two of these a week, not with the idea of aleays doing a fast time. Perhaps 2 hours on the road in the morning and a club 10 in the eveneing.

Until I can get a part time job, I'm somewhat stuck doing training on very little money. This means avoiding pay for sesions and road racing which is annoying really as one of the things I need to work on is group riding; I fall to pieces when I go in a bunch, which is why I focussed my efforts towards time trialling in the past rather than road racing which was far more fun and suited my style of riding.

Also, I think that you've probably over-estimated my experience gp; I only held a 3rd cat racing licence and have a 10 mile PB of 22.24.

Thanks for the advice everyone!

[gonzo]

A slight change of plan. On Saturday, I did 85 very windy (12-20 mph constant wind) and hilly miles (over a mile vertically) at an average of about 16mph. Bearing i mind that is only after 3 weeks of training after nothing else this year, that ride's made me really want to do a 12 hour in August.

Anyhow, because of this, I feel that I really need 2 long rides at low intensities every week.

I'm assuming that the 10 mile efforts are upping my speed in general and not just my speed at the top end. Is this right?

[vorsprung]

Which 12 hour are you going to do?  I've never done a time trial before and I was gonna do the mersey roads but I can't get supporters sorted out.

Anyway, If I was training specifically for a 12 hour time trial at 70% ish for 12 hours I'd do one ride a week of maximal duration, ideally 12 hours but if that isn't possible just long.

The other ride I'd do for 30% of 12 hours ie under 4 hours but at a higher intensity, say 80%

Yes, I know that this is in the "bad" intensity zone for training but I've read about this in a couple of places and tried it in a small way on my turbo (100 minutes at 80%) and it seems fair enough, although recovery is slow

I will be doing a little speed work this month.  Not quite sure what approach I will take but I will start by going fast

[mattc]

I'm assuming that the 10 mile efforts are upping my speed in general and not just my speed at the top end. Is this right?

Yep - there seems to be a lot of "science" that now supports this. No need to push any harder - stick to the effort level that you can maintain for 20mins or so.

[gonzo]

Yep - there seems to be a lot of "science" that now supports this. No need to push any harder - stick to the effort level that you can maintain for 20mins or so.

I'm glad that it's helping as that effort is stopping my training becoming utterly dull!

Vorsprung; I'll probably go for the KCA (kent) 12 hour. I've never seen advice that says that you need to do the target distance every week, most say that 75% is adequate. I'll probably do the distance once before the event though just to check the limits I can subject my body to (food intake/water etc).

For the 12 hour, I intend to sit below 75% the whole way to maximise fuel burning efficiency. The 10 mile TTs are intended to up my speeds for a given heart rate and the long ride is there to increase the efficiency of my fuel burning.

I must admit, the 2nd long ride a week has ceased to be; I'm doing hill reps in its place as the boredom of two days of 6 hours back to back is too much.

[Blah]

Where are you doing your hill reps Gonzo? I've found Claverton to be ideal especially with the Warminster road closed for road works. I then either go down Brassknocker for a quicker repeat, or down North Road for a few miles in between repeats.

[gonzo]

Up Bathwick cooling down by going through uni then back down North road. I like this route as I hold the uni record up it (4.16) and would like to break this again before I leave!

Is Claverton the one up past the american history museum?

Ever considered doing the 5 hills challenge?

[Blah]

Up Bathwick cooling down by going through uni then back down North road. I like this route as I hold the uni record up it (4.16) and would like to break this again before I leave!

Sounds [expletive] quick to me!

Is Claverton the one up past the american history museum?

Yup. There will be a Blah shaped cyclist puffing and panting up it early on Saturday.

It's good cause it's hard but also nice and quiet. Never timed Bathwick.

Ever considered doing the 5 hills challenge?

I didn't know it existed. What is it?

[gonzo]

Bathwick's great fun if only for the looks that people give you after they see you going up for the 3rd time! I'll probably be back out there on Sunday.

I didn't know it existed. What is it?

You have to go up 5 different hills and also travel between them as quickly as possible. It's Bathwick, Claverton, North road, Brassknocker and one other I think (Widcombe I guess). The record was apprently set by some guy before he went off to Europe to turn pro. It's about 55 minutes.

[tonyh]

Up Bathwick cooling down by going through uni then back down North road. I like this route as I hold the uni record up it (4.16) and would like to break this again before I leave!

I took 12.54 this morning. Not a big threat to your record!

[gonzo]

The more you do it, the faster you'll get!

PS. That training was sufficient to get me comfortably through a 12!

[tonyh]

The more you do it, the faster you'll get!

Sadly, this seems to working in reverse in the 60s !