[douglas]

So I do this xc race every Wednesday and pretty much every week (I go with the 2 lap group, the fast guys have a 3 lap group) I can't hang with the lead 3- 5 guys. Most of the time I have the lead in the 2nd group of riders. Seems like I can do a good job staying ahead of people on my tail, but if I bobble or whatever and they do get by they can just pull away from me.
So I've set a goal to up my training to get a little faster so I can hang with the lead group (well, and eventually be fast enough to race with the 3 lap guys)

My problem is between work, my girlfriend, family functions, volleyball every Tuesday, rain & life in general I don't have a ton of time to train.
The race itself is my best training session for the week.



So please give me some suggestions for efficient training!!

cross training?
long rides?
short intense ones?
doing some type of cardio everyday (even if it's only for 15 min's)?
buying a road bike?
buying a trainer?

 

[Westy]

-If time is a big deal, when you do ride ride hard. The only way to get better is to push yourself.

-Eat better

-Ride longer, do that third lap even if still only racing with the 2 lap guys.

-Try running. Packing up the bike and driving to the trails can take up a good part of the day, sneaking in a 15-30 minute run is a lot easier.

-Just ride and have fun. Don't think of it as training, if something is not fun don't do it.

 

[Echo]

A trainer or a road bike helps. If you don't have to drive your bike to a trail you save lots of time.

Doing cardio for less than 20 minutes is pretty much useless, you don't even really get warmed up in 20 minutes.

Stay in shape in winter using a trainer. Gets you up to speed faster in the spring and makes you faster all season.

Eat less food more often (does that make sense?).

 

[axlvid23]

do anaerrobic threshhold work(i cant spell, sorry)...which is riding at your anaerrobic threshold for a good period of time.. your anaerrobic threshold is when you are working as hard as possible and your lungs arent able to keep up with your legs. It is the piont when you are breathing really hard but not quite gasping for air.. if you dont have a heart rate monitor...get one. it is the best and most efficient way to train. you ride at your anaerrobic threshold during a race. this will make you faster. But remember to do an indurance workout as well, at least once a week...i hope i was of some help.. pm me if you have anymore questions

axl

 

[douglas]

I do eat pretty good, any paticular food you recommend?
(and yeah 5 smaller meals compared to 3 big ones)

Over the winter I would hit the tread mill at the gym, and even did a 5k in the spring.

So how good of a workout can you get from a trainer, comapred to jogging on a treadmill?

I do have a HRM, I was thinking I need to start using it again


and YES I do have FUN !!

 

[The Toninator]

I get some of my best workouts on the trainer and the best part you are building up muscle memory when doing bike specific training exercises. Jogging and treadmill just cant compare.
You need to challenge your heart. Interval training on the trainer is the way to go and do base and aerobic training on the road/trail.

 

[Echo]

Originally posted by douglas
So how good of a workout can you get from a trainer, comapred to jogging on a treadmill?

For example, on rollers here's what I was doing 3-4 times a week in the winter. It's far from a perfect workout but it did wonders for my weight and fitness. You can do the whole thing in about 1.5 hours with stretching and cooling off included.

1. Get on rollers, spin for 10 minutes to get the blood flowing. I do about 70-75 rpm, but my cadence sucks. I wish I could do better.
2. Stop and stretch for about 2 minutes.
3. Back on the rollers, spin for another 10 minutes at 70-75.
4. Stay on the rollers and do 20 minutes of intervals - 1 minute on, 1 minute off. During the "on" spin as fast as you can, during the "off" spin at 70-75.
5. After your intervals, you might need to rest your butt or puke. If you need to get off the rollers, don't rest. Do crunches or something for a couple minutes.
6. Do a 20 minute warmdown at 70-75 rpm.

That workout did amazing things for me, of course based on your personal goals and progress you could tone it up or down. You should keep your heart rate up for a good hour though at least. It also helps to have goals, such as shifting one gear higher every month or something. Having a workout partner can also help reduce the boredom.

 

[luke3.14]

it all depends on what kind of back yard you have, i have a lot of woods so i was able to build a cross country track and i ride that to train for races and other stuff, so if you do have woods in your back yard go out and make a nice track with all the stuff that a real race course would have.

 

[luke3.14]

a road bike would also help out too, when i cant ride on my track in my woods i use my road bike and go out for a 20 mile ride which keeps my legs in good bike shape.

 

[RockTumbler]

Some things are sacrificed for getting fast on a bike such as time and pain. Get up early and ride a road bike or mountain!

 

[Repack]

Joe Friel's Training Bible worked wonders for my gf. She went from mid-pack sport finishes last year to a second place expert finish at Mt. Snow Nat this year. She also does the majority of her training on the road. One tip I have heard from a number of people is that come spring time, you should have 1,000 miles minimum of trainer miles if you can't ride outside.

 

[douglas]

Originally posted by luke3.14
it all depends on what kind of back yard you have, i have a lot of woods so i was able to build a cross country track and i ride that to train for races and other stuff, so if you do have woods in your back yard go out and make a nice track with all the stuff that a real race course would have.

Yeah, I am sure having a practice XC race course in your backyard would help

There's a flat field (not mine) and then a highway, so no corse in my the back yard

 

[Serial Midget]

Who said jogging and or running just does not compare to cycling??? As far as a cross-training goes, running is one of the best things you can do to build up endurance and strength. It is also excellent for reducing your % of body fat. Plus it gives your spin specific muscles a chance to recover in between hard training runs.


For 30 minutes of steady spinning on a stationary trainer with moderate resistance burns about 294 calories.

For 30 minutes of steady running at a very moderate pace of 9 minutes per mile will burn 462 calories.

Now burning calories isn't your prime target but this does demonstrate how running does actually campare to cycling.