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Training advice

CBJ

year old fart
Mar 19, 2002
12,860
4,154
Copenhagen, Denmark
I rode Tuesday. I have time to get out tonight and plan on doing a longer ride tomorrow.

On a normal night I ride 26 miles at a good pace. What would be good tonight. Just do another 26 miles? Or can it be better just to do maybe only 45 minutes but go faster?

I normally just go out and ride but I would love to be a little smart about my riding. I do feel at the moment that my strength is my biggest weakness.
 

Heidi

Der hund ist laut und braun
Aug 22, 2001
10,184
797
Bend, Oregon
if you are serious about training you need to develop more of a plan. Just going out and riding every time isn't a plan. Ideally you need some high intensity days, some long tempo days, and recovery days.
 

CBJ

year old fart
Mar 19, 2002
12,860
4,154
Copenhagen, Denmark
I am gradually getting more serious or lets say a little smart but I don't have any specific goal. One thing I learned is my 39 year old legs needs recovery days. When the wife and kids were in Denmark for two week last August I road way to much and it hurt me.

I more looking at this as a way to have fun by doing different kind of riding and then getting stronger/quicker at the same time.
 

Biter

Chimp
Jun 23, 2006
33
0
I think a good pattern to follow would be a day of very hard short intervals (warm up, 5 all out efforts that are 5 minutes in length with 5 minute rest between efforts, cool down), a day with a long easy ride, then a day with a steady tempo ride (could be your 26 mile good pace ride) (3/5 effort), then a day of rest, then repeat.

You could substitute shorter (1 minute or 3 minute or sprints) or longer intervals (3 intervals 12 minutes long) on the 'very hard day', depending on what you want to get faster at. But either way, I think it's good to go into the days where you plan to do hard efforts in a rested state.

So the pattern is:

Very difficult and short ride, long and easy ride, Medium (3/5) difficulty and medium length ride, then rest.

The most important things are to go hard when you feel strong, go easy when your tired, get lots of rest between rides, and eat well.

EDIT: Didn't clarify that the 5 all out efforts are 5 minutes long.
 
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CBJ

year old fart
Mar 19, 2002
12,860
4,154
Copenhagen, Denmark
Thank you both - sounds like a good plan.

Biter I have really learned to listen to my body and also try to train ride depending on how I feel like. Its all for fun and to stay healthy.
 

ire

Turbo Monkey
Aug 6, 2007
6,196
4
The first step to any plan, or advice, is to decide what your goals are. Are you training for anything in particular?
 

CBJ

year old fart
Mar 19, 2002
12,860
4,154
Copenhagen, Denmark
So far this year my only plan is to do the 145 mile ride in June. Besides that I ride for fun, to have better fitness for DH and see if I can improve on my normal 26 mile rides on a weekly basis.

Besides riding I have also stepped up my core strength training on days I do not ride my bike. So far I do not know if its paying off.