Upping speed a bit

[mrcharly-YHT]

Somehow, I've lost what speed I had.

Used to cruise quite comfortably at 27kph for 3 hours or so, now I'm down to 25kph.

I have an arrow coming up in a few short weeks.

Most of my riding is the 40km-each way trip to work I do 3 days a week.

I can extend that distance once or twice, boosting it up to 80km on the way in or home.

Or I could try adding some intensity and punch my speed up a bit for parts of the ride (what runners used to call fartlek training).

Which is the best option in the next few weeks?

[Chris N]

Ride faster.  Riding further will help but working on your speed will do you more good, especially in the short term.  Though if you can hold 25km/h for three hours, you should be ok on the arrow as long as you're not going for a ridiculous distance - remember it's a team event and that you can work together to maintain pace.

[L CC]

Intervals. 2 x 20 on the way home.

[De Sisti]

Intervals. 2 x 20 on the way home.

What's a 2 x 20?

[mike]

I agree with fboab - 2 x 20s are 20 minutes of high intensity, twice, with a 5 - 10 minute gap between them.  It was explained to me that they should be hard, but not quite flat out - so you could just about do a third if someone offered you an awful lot of money, but you should be hurting from about half way through each 20 and pretty damn tired after the 2.

[Chris S]

Intervals, yes.

Also - improved core tone. Crunches, push-ups, planks, pull-ups etc. Legs are more effective when they work against a more powerful core. Also - you don't get tired so quickly, so you can ride faster for longer.

[L CC]

Intervals, yes.

Also - improved core tone. Crunches, push-ups, planks, pull-ups etc. Legs are more effective when they work against a more powerful core. Also - you don't get tired so quickly, so you can ride faster for longer.

For sure, core strength in the longer term, but mrcharly's talking about between now and the arrow.

Forgive me if I'm crediting you with ideas you don't have mrc, but it seems to me that your concern is that you'll let the team down and not be able to pull your weight?

I think the most useful thing you can do in the next few weeks is add intervals to your return journey a couple of times a week, and if you've time, make sure you've done both a 200km in 12 hours, and back to back 100km days. The intervals will boost your endurance fitness and the longer rides will boost your confidence.

[mrcharly-YHT]

Yes, I'm worried about letting the team down.

I quite regularly do back-to-back 80km days.

Will have to see if I can shoehorn in a 200 - time is a bit tight.

Will give the intervals a go, I can definitely manage those.  You'll know if I'm doing them - the pathetic whimpering will be heard from one end of the country to the other.

[vorsprung]

Could you cruise comfortably at 27kph last February / early March?

I don't know about you but I'm not at my extra special best this time of year

[mrcharly-YHT]

6 weeks ago I was able to sustain (albeit with effort) 27kph for 20km or so with Marathon Winters on the bike 

Since my mum died I've felt like all the stuffing has been knocked out of me.  Just no energy.

[nightrider]

Try hanging on to some faster riders.It's hard work but it gets you used to maintaining a faster pace.Cruising along at 25kph is fine for audaxing anyway,try not to worry.

[GruB]

remember it's a team event and that you can work together to maintain pace.

Ha, but when you are nearly dead in some flat windy wasteland and you don't feel like living any more - it is only natural for one member to soldier on - ahead 

[mattc]

6 weeks ago I was able to sustain (albeit with effort) 27kph for 20km or so with Marathon Winters on the bike 

Since my mum died I've felt like all the stuffing has been knocked out of me.  Just no energy.

Without seeing HR figures, we can't tell, but this all sounds much more mental than physical to me.

("cruise quite comfortably" , "with effort" - these are very subjective descriptions. )

Best of luck.

[zigzag]

it's all about the bike

[amaferanga]

Intervals, yes.

Also - improved core tone. Crunches, push-ups, planks, pull-ups etc. Legs are more effective when they work against a more powerful core. Also - you don't get tired so quickly, so you can ride faster for longer.

I think intervals will make WAY more difference that core work, unless he has a particularly weak core which causes issues in everyday riding.

[L CC]

it's all about the bike

I did try and persuade him on to the Tandem Insanity team...

[mrcharly-YHT]

yebbut I would have needed blocks of wood strapped to my feet to be able to reach the pedals.

[zigzag]

talking about tandems, i was quite impressed by this one at tcr show:



under-engineered brakes though..

[L CC]

ooo Big Ring. Nice.

[mrcharly-YHT]

Well the first20 min went ok, apart from the massive stitch. The second was ok for 10 minutes, then I died :-(

[arvid]

With your amount of miles, your recent speed and recent events in mind, I'd say get a week off the bike. Rest, do as little physical stuff as possible. You'll probably fly the week after, and you'll be eager to get on it again.

[LittleWheelsandBig]

under-engineered brakes though..

Not for a racing tandem.

[mike]

Well the first20 min went ok, apart from the massive stitch. The second was ok for 10 minutes, then I died :-(

going too fast then....  Back it off a bit when you try it next (but give it a couple of days )

[Chris S]

My rule of thumb when I do 2x20s is - if I feel almost OK at the half way point, I probably haven't overdone it on the first 20. But when I start the second 20, it burns like hell in the legs at first, and generally I do die before the end.

Part of the challenge is to gauge it so that you don't burn out before the end.

[mrcharly-YHT]

Well the first20 min went ok, apart from the massive stitch. The second was ok for 10 minutes, then I died :-(

going too fast then....  Back it off a bit when you try it next (but give it a couple of days )

I think I'd eaten too much at work - had some food 30min before setting off.  Then had a small hill at the start of the first 20min and got a huge stitch halfway up that.

I'll have tomorrow as an easy day, then try going for it on the way in on Friday. That will be on an empty stomach, so no excuses if I get a stitch.

This is really frustrating. I've been commuting this distance for years and winter average time was 1.5hrs, day in, day out. 1hr 25min in summer on the same bike. 1hr20min on the Ribble.
Now it's taking me 1hr35 to 1hr40min and I don't feel like I've been taking it easy.