First ride, gonna start "training"

Hello All,

The warm weather has finally melted the snow in front of my shed so I
can get to my bikes without digging, and the roads are clear and dry.
So I took my road bike out for the first real ride of the season.

It was a beautiful 12C (54F) and sunny with a mild breeze. The ride was
just to stretch my legs and check the bike. And to get my butt used to
a bike again. I meandered around the local roads for about an hour. I
plan on doing the same today. No HRM, no computer, just tooling around.

So in a few days I'll be ready to start training. This year I am in the
best pre-season condition I have ever been in, due to lots of XC
skiing. I have about 6 hours per week available for training, plus some
freebie hours in the form of commuting 25km each way, but that is
irregular so I don't count it.

Suggestions on a training plan? I'm not overly structured, so complex
record keeping, and that sort of thing is never going to happen. My
goals are to improve my power output at LT. Explosive power is not
important, and I expect my endurance to go along for the ride. I'm
never going to be at the level where I need to specialize such that one
aspect of my fitnes will necessarily suffer to accommodate another.
Basically I just want to get better.

Suggestions?

Joseph

Joseph,

The only thing I can suggest are climbing...climbing...climbing. The
area I ride is composed of long steep hills. This has helped me shave
46 pounds and on the flats I can really move.

On 15 Apr 2006 04:45:33 -0700, wrote:

Hello All,

The warm weather has finally melted the snow in front of my shed so I
can get to my bikes without digging, and the roads are clear and dry.
So I took my road bike out for the first real ride of the season.

It was a beautiful 12C (54F) and sunny with a mild breeze. The ride was
just to stretch my legs and check the bike. And to get my butt used to
a bike again. I meandered around the local roads for about an hour. I
plan on doing the same today. No HRM, no computer, just tooling around.

So in a few days I'll be ready to start training. This year I am in the
best pre-season condition I have ever been in, due to lots of XC
skiing. I have about 6 hours per week available for training, plus some
freebie hours in the form of commuting 25km each way, but that is
irregular so I don't count it.

Suggestions on a training plan? I'm not overly structured, so complex
record keeping, and that sort of thing is never going to happen. My
goals are to improve my power output at LT. Explosive power is not
important, and I expect my endurance to go along for the ride. I'm
never going to be at the level where I need to specialize such that one
aspect of my fitnes will necessarily suffer to accommodate another.
Basically I just want to get better.

Suggestions?

What discipline?

What are your relative strengths and weaknesses? Find the big dates on the
schedule and work back from there.

Ron

Javier wrote:
Joseph,

The only thing I can suggest are climbing...climbing...climbing. The
area I ride is composed of long steep hills. This has helped me shave
46 pounds and on the flats I can really move.

It is sort of rolling terrain around here. I could make a trip of it
and drive to a 4km long 6% climb, but all the real long climbs are too
far a way for regular use. I like climbing, but I'm slow. I use it as
prep for going fast on the flats as you do. Good job on the 46lbs!

Joseph

RonSonic wrote:
On 15 Apr 2006 04:45:33 -0700, wrote:

Hello All,

The warm weather has finally melted the snow in front of my shed so I
can get to my bikes without digging, and the roads are clear and dry.
So I took my road bike out for the first real ride of the season.

It was a beautiful 12C (54F) and sunny with a mild breeze. The ride was
just to stretch my legs and check the bike. And to get my butt used to
a bike again. I meandered around the local roads for about an hour. I
plan on doing the same today. No HRM, no computer, just tooling around.

So in a few days I'll be ready to start training. This year I am in the
best pre-season condition I have ever been in, due to lots of XC
skiing. I have about 6 hours per week available for training, plus some
freebie hours in the form of commuting 25km each way, but that is
irregular so I don't count it.

Suggestions on a training plan? I'm not overly structured, so complex
record keeping, and that sort of thing is never going to happen. My
goals are to improve my power output at LT. Explosive power is not
important, and I expect my endurance to go along for the ride. I'm
never going to be at the level where I need to specialize such that one
aspect of my fitnes will necessarily suffer to accommodate another.
Basically I just want to get better.

Suggestions?

What discipline?

What are your relative strengths and weaknesses? Find the big dates on the
schedule and work back from there.

Ron

The discipline is more or less long time trial. Tour-rides they are
called around here. No sprinting, no one tries to drop anyone, no
breakaways, it's just about riding as fast as you can in a group
hopefully. I will participate in many rides, but the events that I care
about a

28 May 165km road rolling

24 June 540km road some moderate climbs

12 August 250km road flat

26 August 89km mtb some steep climbs

My main weakness is that I am 225lbs which is hard to move uphill. I
have pretty good endurance. I can ride forever (almost) and rides less
than 5 hours feel short. In the weight department it is not realistic
that I will ever be less than 210lbs. According to a test I did in
February my LT (3.6) is at about 310W, 163BPM. I'm 35. Measured max HR
186.

I'd like to get a 10km TT time of under 14 minutes, avg approx 44km/h
on a regualr road bike. Last year I could do about 16 minutes, 38km/h.

Joseph

wrote:
Hello All,

The warm weather has finally melted the snow in front of my shed so I
can get to my bikes without digging, and the roads are clear and dry.
So I took my road bike out for the first real ride of the season.

It was a beautiful 12C (54F) and sunny with a mild breeze. The ride was
just to stretch my legs and check the bike. And to get my butt used to
a bike again. I meandered around the local roads for about an hour. I
plan on doing the same today. No HRM, no computer, just tooling around.

So in a few days I'll be ready to start training. This year I am in the
best pre-season condition I have ever been in, due to lots of XC
skiing. I have about 6 hours per week available for training, plus some
freebie hours in the form of commuting 25km each way, but that is
irregular so I don't count it.

Suggestions on a training plan? I'm not overly structured, so complex
record keeping, and that sort of thing is never going to happen. My
goals are to improve my power output at LT. Explosive power is not
important, and I expect my endurance to go along for the ride. I'm
never going to be at the level where I need to specialize such that one
aspect of my fitnes will necessarily suffer to accommodate another.
Basically I just want to get better.

Suggestions?

Joseph

Like Eddy said, "ride lots".....

On 15 Apr 2006 05:52:25 -0700, wrote:




My main weakness is that I am 225lbs which is hard to move uphill. I
have pretty good endurance. I can ride forever (almost) and rides less
than 5 hours feel short. In the weight department it is not realistic
that I will ever be less than 210lbs. According to a test I did in
February my LT (3.6) is at about 310W, 163BPM. I'm 35. Measured max HR
186.

I'd like to get a 10km TT time of under 14 minutes, avg approx 44km/h
on a regualr road bike. Last year I could do about 16 minutes, 38km/h.

Joseph

What is your body fat percentage? If you are 210lb, with low body
fat, then you are in good shape.


Life is Good!
Jeff

Qui si parla Campagnolo wrote:
wrote:
Hello All,

The warm weather has finally melted the snow in front of my shed so I
can get to my bikes without digging, and the roads are clear and dry.
So I took my road bike out for the first real ride of the season.

It was a beautiful 12C (54F) and sunny with a mild breeze. The ride was
just to stretch my legs and check the bike. And to get my butt used to
a bike again. I meandered around the local roads for about an hour. I
plan on doing the same today. No HRM, no computer, just tooling around.

So in a few days I'll be ready to start training. This year I am in the
best pre-season condition I have ever been in, due to lots of XC
skiing. I have about 6 hours per week available for training, plus some
freebie hours in the form of commuting 25km each way, but that is
irregular so I don't count it.

Suggestions on a training plan? I'm not overly structured, so complex
record keeping, and that sort of thing is never going to happen. My
goals are to improve my power output at LT. Explosive power is not
important, and I expect my endurance to go along for the ride. I'm
never going to be at the level where I need to specialize such that one
aspect of my fitnes will necessarily suffer to accommodate another.
Basically I just want to get better.

Suggestions?

Joseph

Like Eddy said, "ride lots".....

That was always my favorite cycling quote, followed closely by, "Racing
is my life, the rest is just waiting." I believe from Coppi.

riding lots given my available time was my previous "technique", but
I'd like to make the most of (or at least more) the time I have
available.

Joseph

Jeff Starr wrote:
On 15 Apr 2006 05:52:25 -0700, wrote:




My main weakness is that I am 225lbs which is hard to move uphill. I
have pretty good endurance. I can ride forever (almost) and rides less
than 5 hours feel short. In the weight department it is not realistic
that I will ever be less than 210lbs. According to a test I did in
February my LT (3.6) is at about 310W, 163BPM. I'm 35. Measured max HR
186.

I'd like to get a 10km TT time of under 14 minutes, avg approx 44km/h
on a regualr road bike. Last year I could do about 16 minutes, 38km/h.

Joseph

What is your body fat percentage? If you are 210lb, with low body
fat, then you are in good shape.


At 210 I would have quite low body fat. So if I were at an elite level
I would always be at a disadvantage. But at the hobby level, I believe
differences in training effectivty are more important than genetic
advantages or disadvantages. I know I'll never be a really fast
climber, but if I develop my condition enough, I'll never be the last
guy despite my weight.

Joseph

If I was you I'd find a course to do a 10km TT on and make that a
weekly ride... and a way to gauge your fitness. Also do intervals once
per week... vary the duration and rest intervals, but make sure that
you are doing something sensible. Each of those can be done in under an
hour. Maybe one long ride at a good pace... and the rest depends on
what you feel like.