Getting fitter - just do the miles or scheduled training?
Discussion
Been a mtber for nearly 2 years and road biker for the past 2 months!
Started riding to loose weight, which I have done (nearly 3 stone) but I still want to drop maybe another stone if possible.
I have now reviewed my diet, dropped the booze etc and it's slowly going down.
So I have always ridden in a group - and we are a bit competitive, we have entered a few various road and mountain races as solos this year - but me and another lad who are quite equally matched have got the same start time on one race, he beat me by 15mins last year so I want to win this year!
I am riding Tuesday nights approx 25miles on road, Thursday nights 20 miles off road and then every Sunday either road (40+milers or off road 30+Milers).
I need more stamina, I've got the power and get the speed up but I am running out of puff about half way to two thirds up the bigger climbs.
So do I just get the hills in - more the merrier and they will get easier? Or is there a specific way to train to get more stamina?
I've also got a turbo trainer but don't really use it that much!
Started riding to loose weight, which I have done (nearly 3 stone) but I still want to drop maybe another stone if possible.
I have now reviewed my diet, dropped the booze etc and it's slowly going down.
So I have always ridden in a group - and we are a bit competitive, we have entered a few various road and mountain races as solos this year - but me and another lad who are quite equally matched have got the same start time on one race, he beat me by 15mins last year so I want to win this year!
I am riding Tuesday nights approx 25miles on road, Thursday nights 20 miles off road and then every Sunday either road (40+milers or off road 30+Milers).
I need more stamina, I've got the power and get the speed up but I am running out of puff about half way to two thirds up the bigger climbs.
So do I just get the hills in - more the merrier and they will get easier? Or is there a specific way to train to get more stamina?
I've also got a turbo trainer but don't really use it that much!
It never gets easier you just go faster for further.
You do not say how far your ride/race is so it is hard to say how far you should be training.
You get better at hills by doing more hills and weighing less, power to weight plays a part here. But you have to have a balance for a healthy body.
You do not say how far your ride/race is so it is hard to say how far you should be training.
You get better at hills by doing more hills and weighing less, power to weight plays a part here. But you have to have a balance for a healthy body.
Its also dependent upon the time you can invest on the bike and the quality of training available. For short races, I'd say definitely follow a structured plan, you need to be fast out of the blocks and then just turn yourself inside out for an hour or so, and thats what most training programmes will do, as 60 minutes is the length of most Cat 4/CX races. Interval training sessions etc are usually only 45-60 minutes long though and for longer races like mtb enduros, you need to get used to how your body will feel 4, 5 or 6 hours in.
For longer races, building up your endurance is obviously critical and I've always found it hard to monitor training on longer rides so usually just go out for a while and enjoy the ride albeit whilst trying to keep the tempo up, basically making sure there is a difference between "riding your bike" and "training".
The simple answer is to mix it up, intervals etc as well as distance.
I've "competed" in 8 hr solo mtb races and can see the benefits of both methods, the interval training will have helped on the climbs, only 1 notable climb per lap, and the longer road rides got me used to being on the bike for that sort of duration.
For longer races, building up your endurance is obviously critical and I've always found it hard to monitor training on longer rides so usually just go out for a while and enjoy the ride albeit whilst trying to keep the tempo up, basically making sure there is a difference between "riding your bike" and "training".
The simple answer is to mix it up, intervals etc as well as distance.
I've "competed" in 8 hr solo mtb races and can see the benefits of both methods, the interval training will have helped on the climbs, only 1 notable climb per lap, and the longer road rides got me used to being on the bike for that sort of duration.
Edited by anonymous-user on Sunday 8th March 20:01
Having posed a question late last year about turbo trainers and interval training, I am now very much of the view that interval training works wonders. I'm relatively new to all this and I never grasped when people talked/wrote about 'junk miles'. I do now. I use the turbo trainer for both stamina and strength and it only take a couple of months to feel a real difference. Try it, along with an HRM and a decent plan. There are plenty around and some good people here who will no doubt advise you accordingly.
As Pablo says mix it up. I'd be wary of the phrase "junk miles" - it has to be fun. If all you're doing is flogging yourself on a programme for months on end, you'll lose motivation.
How far is this event you want to do? Can you ride the route repeatedly beforehand? If it was me I would try to train at a longer distance than the main event, that way you'll have something in reserve. But life will probably get in the way and make that difficult if not impossible.
How far is this event you want to do? Can you ride the route repeatedly beforehand? If it was me I would try to train at a longer distance than the main event, that way you'll have something in reserve. But life will probably get in the way and make that difficult if not impossible.
nammynake said:
Is there a local club you can join? If so, get out on their chain gangs and weekend rides. No better way to boost fitness than getting slightly out of your depth and clinging on for dear life. Mix that with longer steady rides and importantly decent rest in between.
This is pretty much what I did last year. My club mates have also been a huge help in terms of advice and inspiration too, many of them with far more experience (and of higher cats) than I realised at first. The race i want to win is only 42miles, all off road but 3000ft of climbing.
Will look at interval training.
Luckily we have some nice big hills around here (windermere) so will keep battling on.
I always get up the hills, all we going great powering along and then its like a switch is flipped and i lose all power, get breathless and start struggling
Will look at interval training.
Luckily we have some nice big hills around here (windermere) so will keep battling on.
I always get up the hills, all we going great powering along and then its like a switch is flipped and i lose all power, get breathless and start struggling
Blakeatron said:
The race i want to win is only 42miles, all off road but 3000ft of climbing.
Will look at interval training.
Luckily we have some nice big hills around here (windermere) so will keep battling on.
I always get up the hills, all we going great powering along and then its like a switch is flipped and i lose all power, get breathless and start struggling
First thing to do is set your available training time you can commit to. Then in the week you can mix up some intervals and use the weekends for the longer endurance building rides. You're lucky you have the hills for some quality repeats Will look at interval training.
Luckily we have some nice big hills around here (windermere) so will keep battling on.
I always get up the hills, all we going great powering along and then its like a switch is flipped and i lose all power, get breathless and start struggling
Blakeatron said:
The race i want to win is only 42miles, all off road but 3000ft of climbing.
Will look at interval training.
Luckily we have some nice big hills around here (windermere) so will keep battling on.
I always get up the hills, all we going great powering along and then its like a switch is flipped and i lose all power, get breathless and start struggling
Sounds like you might be attacking too hard too soon, try to pace the hills so you can accelerate over the last 2-300 m and get back up to normal speed as you come over the top, rather than being so knackered you coast over the top and for the next few hundred metres .Will look at interval training.
Luckily we have some nice big hills around here (windermere) so will keep battling on.
I always get up the hills, all we going great powering along and then its like a switch is flipped and i lose all power, get breathless and start struggling
When is the event? 42 miles, how long does that take you, 4 - 5 hrs? If it is fairly soon, I'd just train off road and do the hills as hard as you can. If your mate beat you by 15 mins last time out, that's quite a lot of time to make up. Did you have longer breaks than him? I tend to stop every 2-2.5 hrs because I find it helps recharge the batteries, but when you think I'll just stop for 5 mins, it can suddenly become 10-12 without you realising.
You might be right about going at it too early - hadn't thought that!
It's in June, I did it 4hrs 2 mins last year, but did get stuck behind a big group on the biggest climb - he also managed to get in a quick group which probably helped.
I also cramped up at the end so pulled over for 5 minutes or so, I'm using the pills in my water now and not had any problems since.
It's in June, I did it 4hrs 2 mins last year, but did get stuck behind a big group on the biggest climb - he also managed to get in a quick group which probably helped.
I also cramped up at the end so pulled over for 5 minutes or so, I'm using the pills in my water now and not had any problems since.
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