Entries Tagged 'training' ↓
December 16th, 2009 — training
It’s not the best time of the year to be cycling. It’s dark, wet and cold. In addition to the usual difficulties of cycling on British roads we have to cope with the additional challenges of the weather.
These are some of the best ways to stay motivated in Winter
Flexible Training
It’s bad training in the wet, it’s bad training in the cold. But, training in the cold and wet is too much. At the moment, it’s pretty difficult, but, if you do have some flexibility in training it’s a big boon to be able to miss the worst of the weather. Weather forecasts are fairly reliable for next 24 hours (Met Check is quite good for chance of rain). It helps to pick the best part of the day. At this time of the year, there is no harm in cutting a training session short because the weather turns bad. Similarly, if I get good weather on a usual ‘rest day’ I take the opportunity to ride.
Difference Between Tiredness and Laziness
There is a big difference between a genuine tiredness and a lethargic laziness. In winter it becomes easier to sit in front of an electric fire, watching a 5th repeat of some James Bond film. If we are genuinely physically run down and tired, the winter is a good time to take a break. And if we take a break, we should not feel guilty. There is nothing to be gained from forcing ourselves to plod along for 100s of miles when we are already run down. (in fact it will make it worse). But, if we are doing no cycling because we don’t fancy having to wash our bike or its a bit cold, that is just laziness. If we are honest we can tell the difference between the two.
Keeps Weight Down
It’s easy to eat more mince pies over Christmas, many hours on the bike will help burn off those calories – more fun that watching what you eat.
Cross Training
Some people like to keep fit by taking the opportunity to do different types of activities. – running, swimming, weights e.t.c. If you enjoy doing these other sports, then a few sessions a week in winter may well be very good. Personally, I hate going to the local swimming pool and sharing a chlorine infested swimming pool, with a lot of snotty nosed, irritating teenagers – but, that’s just me 
I think I’d rather spend 30 minutes on an indoor turbo.
Be Well Prepared.
I was training last week. At about 4pm I had a mechanical problems (front changer was not properly set so chain came off and got caught). I had to take my gloves off to fix problem. It was just about the time when the temperature started to plummet and it got dark pretty quick. I never warmed up from the 10 minutes stop. I was rather grateful not to get another puncture. I’m not the best at bike maintenance. But, it’s best to sort out any minor problems before finding them out on the road.
Think of the Long Term Benefits.
There is a huge difference to getting on the bike, with 3,000 winter miles in your legs and getting on your bike with 300 miles in your legs. I know because I’ve experienced both. The winter is the best time to build up endurance and aerobic capacity. It will improve any aspect of cycling you wish to enjoy in the summer. You will never regret training well over winter.
Ignore Weather
Sometimes, the weather can act as a psychological barrier more than anything. The cold and grey sky can give us an excuse to stay indoors. But, once you actually get on the bike, in the proper kit, it’s not such a big deal. Once you get into a rhythm of cycling, the temperature and mirky conditions are very much secondary.
Take Weather as a motivating Factor.
The Great Olympian Emil Zatopek said, bad weather is good for training. If we can train in bad weather, it makes us a stronger athlete.
Make Training Fun.
Whatever cycling we are doing, we want to be enjoying it. If we don’t enjoy the cycling but see it as something to be done another training session ticked off. It becomes like a daily job. You can train with others, or seek out new routes.
Training Log
In winter, I became careful about logging miles. It is one of the main targets I have. I’m trying to target 200 miles a week. It is something to aim for. I get a certain joy from writing down the miles completed, it gives a sense of accomplishment. I don’t want to miss a week’s training as I will have a big gap in my training log.
More on
December 10th, 2009 — training
winter training - roads are permanently damp.
After a gap of over 2 years, I finally managed a 100 mile cycle ride. It took 5 hrs 20 mins. It was fairly quick until the last 10 miles home into a headwind, which felt very sluggish.
The first 40 miles I cycled towards Cirencester on fairly flat roads. Probably the highlight was taking a wrong turning and ending up on busy dual carriageway for the last 5 miles to Cirencester. There was a slight tailwind and the draft of the cars made my speed shoot up. From 18-19mph I was comfortably flying along at 25-27mph. After being on very quiet back roads, it’s such a difference cycling on a dual carriageway. The noise of the cars flying past, the speed, exhilaration and intimidation. Despite being a bit of a speed junky I was actually glad to turn off and regain the peace of the winding Cotswolds lanes.
I ate about 8 cereal bars and two bananas on the ride.
I think if you are cycling 100 miles, it is good to have a few 60 mile rides under in your legs. Also, If you do make a big jump in mileage take it at a steady pace for first 50 miles.
But, when cycling 100 miles in winter, I don’t like the idea of hanging around at slow speeds. I’m sure cycling 100 miles is much more fun in summer than December and the wettest month on record…
December 8th, 2009 — training
Winter Training
Hot Pads for Cold Feet – pack of 40 for £21
Hand Warmers – pack of 10 for £12
I have poor circulation in both hands and feet. I feel the cold more in the feet because the toes are mostly immobile whilst cycling. When the temperature drops below 7 degrees, my feet can’t survive for more than an hour without extra heat.
I have had electric socks, but last year they broke and so stick to these hot pads. (at Amazon.co.uk)
Basically, when you take them out of a plastic wrapping some chemical reaction creates heat which lasts for seven hours. I put them in my cycling shoes just above a pair of socks. They are great for long rides.
They can be expensive if bought individually, you can pay up to £2 for a pair. But, buying them in bulk means I can get them for 50p a pair. They are disposable, so its a little extravagant but before I found these I really used to suffer. I used to wear about three pairs of socks and overshoes and go from cafe to cafe warming up my icey feet (which actually puts you at risk of chillblains)
My philosophy is that winter cycling is tough enough. I always try to do anything to make the ride more comfortable, enjoyable. Hot pads are my saviour for winter riding.
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October 20th, 2009 — tejvan, timetrials, training
My last race of the year is on Sunday at Stocksbridge in the National Hill Climb. Just 0.75 miles long, but averaging about 15% and likely to be very painful, if I have any chance of getting in top 10.
The good thing is this week of training can be very light. I did one hill interval today, and will do another one on Thursday. But, apart from that, I will do little cycling this week, save a reconnaitre of the course on the Saturday before the race. The principle of tapering for a race, is well known these days. Usually, you are racing without giving your muscles full time to recover, but, hopefully by resting this week, I will be fresher for Sunday.
I won my penultimate race of year, this Sunday at Burrington Combe, organised by Bristol South. I finished 1st in 7.20, 15 secs ahead of local Bristol rider Luke Dunbar. But, unfortunately, this weekends race is a lot steeper and a lot shorter. – Just an explosion of power for 3 and half minutes, no time to get into a rhythm, just a fight against gravity!
O well, next week will be end of interval sessions up hills for quite a while!
August 12th, 2009 — training
Cycling in Yorkshire Dales
Often overlooked in cycle training is the benefit of some kind of weight training. I have heard different opinions, but, I know quite a few coaches recommend weight training to increase strength.
Yesterday, I was riding on a particularly hilly route around Otley, Ilkey and Keighley. In these Yorkshire valleys, which ever way you turn there is usually a big hill. I’ve found a route which takes in 8 big climbs which have a height gain of over 150 metres. These climbs are also quite steep – between 7% and 20%, so for most of the climbs I was out of the saddle. The distance was 44 miles, but these climbs really take something out of you. Since the climbs often took 10 minutes or more – that is a lot of time out of the saddle. This morning, I was stiff – not in the legs but in the arms and upper body!
Out of Saddle
This is what got me thinking about weight training. If we are riding comfortably on the flat, we hardly use our upper body. But, when were struggling up 20% climbs you use a range of muscles I have not really developed.
Traditionally the best time for weight training is in the Winter months, when you spend less time on your bike. Then during the season you can scale back and just maintain a minimum weight training schedule or just focus on cycling..
Realistically, I will never go to a gym, but, you can work the major muscle groups just through following simple exercises such as
- Sit ups – good for strenghtening lower back. muscles used in cycling.
- Press ups. – good for developing muscles used when riding out of saddle on the handlebars.
- squats. – with thighs parallel to the ground – good for building quad strength.
- Crunches for abs and lower back
- You can also do strength training on the bike, by going into a lower gear and pushing a lower cadence of 50-60rpm. Concentrate on pushing down and pulling up.
Benefits of Weight Training
- Improves bone Strength
- Stronger upper body helps in longer rides
- greater protection from falls.
Limits of Weight Training
- You are not weight training to become a body builder that would defeat the whole purpose. Light weights can make the biggest difference.
- It does not really increase aerobic capacity.
- It is not a substitute for training on the bike, it is a small complement.
Personally, I will be doing a few more simple exercises like sit ups and push up, just to improve the upper body strength for the hill climb season. During the winter, I might look into weight training in more detail and start a short simple programme.
July 9th, 2009 — training
Training
If you are looking for some easy improvements to your general fitness and speed, these tips may be worth trying. Of course, there is no such thing as a real short cut. If you want to get fitter, you will probably have to spend more time training. But, still there are some simple ways to get fitter on the bike.
Train at a Higher Intensity. If you have only seven hours a week for training for a cyclo sportive, don’t just go out and ride a bike for seven hours. At least three or four hours of this training should be at a higher intensity. If you just ride in your comfort zone, you will improve your aerobic capacity, but, by training at a higher intensity, you will gain more power which will make riding long distances easier. This is the advantage of power meter training – your training can become more focused and targetted.
Hydration and Proper Food. Many newcomers and (even experienced cyclists) can make mistakes in becoming dehydrated or lacking in energy. Make sure you are fully hydrated before a ride and eat enough during the ride to maintain reasonable energy supplies. Be careful of not drinking or eating just because you don’t feel like it. Once you reach a certain level of fitness, it is said, the only limit to the distance you can cycle is your food supplies.
Finding extra Time. We all live busy lives, finding time to train can be quite difficult. But, if you really try hard, there are probably ways to incorporate cycling into your daily life. Try commuting to work (or just part of the commute). Try doing your shopping on your bike or go out for a ride during your lunch hour. If we are inventive we can find more time to cycle in the week.
Short Rides are good. Don’t think a good training ride has to be two hours plus. Even a focused 30 minute ride can help maintain fitness. It is great to develop a regularity of training even if it is short.
One Long Ride every two weeks. If you are training for a long ride, then you may get away with doing a longer training ride just every fortnight.
Ride With Other People. Riding on our own we can easily slip into a comfort zone where there is little incentive to stretch ourselves and improve. A little bit of competition / company can be good for spurring us on. Find a local club or like minded cyclist. This will also help to beat the boredom of long rides.
Lose a Few Pounds. Cycling can be a great way to lose weight. If you lose a few pounds you will notice the difference.
Spin a Bigger Cadence. Many beginners get into the habit of churning a big gear. This seems the most powerful, but these kinds of muscles can tire easily. Learning to spin a lower gear and higher cadence develops the use of your aerobic muscle fibres which help to increase stamina and ability to ride long distance. After learning to spin low gears you can then work on increasing muscle strength as well.
Identify Your Aims. Sometimes our riding lacks a clear purpose and goal. We just go out when we it’s a nice day. If we have a clear goal to work towards, it definitely helps. If we know we have a 200km cycle sportive in two months time – it certainly focuses the mind!
Going Faster with same Fitness
Pump Up Your Tyres. On my time trial bike, I pump my tyres to 150-160psi, it’s not exactly comfortable on a bumpy road, but, it is faster. Many people ride on tyres too flat. Try pumping up your tyres from 70psi to 100psi, it will make a big difference.
Change Your Chain regularly. If you’ve spent £1,000 on a brand new bike, don’t neglect to change your chain at regular intervals, a worn chain soon loses its most efficient transmission mechanism.
Find a Better Position. If comfortable try a slightly more aerodynamic position. It will be worth more than saving kilos of weight from your bike.
see also: tips to increase efficiency of cycling
June 26th, 2009 — training
A slow recovery ride
After a 50 mile TT on Saturday my legs have felt heavy this week. Usually after a long ride I like to go out the next day to spin the legs. Light exercise is one of the best ways to aid recovery and avoid getting too stiff. Because I was staying near the Yorkshire Dales with my parents I ended up riding 40 miles to Burnsall and Grassington. It was more of a tourist ride than a training ride, averaging 17mph and taking time to take a few photos e.t.c. After racing yourself into the ground it’s nice to ride a bike just for the sake of enjoying it. 40 miles is quite a long recovery ride. But, just going out for an hour can help.
View from Wharfe Valley
A short ride is particularly helpful if you have been racing and have accumulated lactic acid in the legs. A steady ride can help to get rid of the lactic acid. But, even if you have just ridden a long ride, a short ride the next day can help.
Post Ride Recovery Drinks
During a long ride, you may have become dehydrated and depleted your carbohydrate stores. You may not feel like eating and drinking but your body may need it. In this case recovery drinks can definitely aid recovery. Typically, they have a mixture of protein and carbohydrate. Most people think about food and drink before a ride, but, neglect proper rehydration and nutrition after a ride. But, this time period is important for helping the muscles to recover. We should always think we are eating for the next day. The problem with recovery drinks is that they may not taste too good and it can be a hassle to mix the powder and drink. But, to aid the fastest recovery they will help. It is also good to just eat sensibly. After a long ride, I often start eating easy to digest fruit like melon, apple. If it has been very hot and sweaty, I will make sure I take something salty.
Recovery Drinks at Evans Cycles
Stretching and Recovery.
After a long ride and tired muscles, stretching seems the natural thing to do and try and relieve the tired muscles. Stretching exercises
Massage and Recovery.
Massage is very effective for aiding recovery. Every professional team will have a professional masseur. See if you can persuade a close friend / partner to learn the art of massage.
Principles of training – stress and recovery
May 29th, 2009 — training
Cyclist on Road
Readers Question: After many years out of the saddle I have decided to get back into cycling and have entered the London to Southend Charity Bike Ride (100Km). I started training at the end of March and now do 3 x 10 miles rides in the week and I’m upto 30 miles at the weekend (adding 4 miles every 2 weeks to the weekend ride).
What do you suggest is the mileage I need to get to so that I can achieve the 100km ride on 19th July, am I doing enough training and what would you suggest for a training schedule in the last 2 weeks before the ride and what type of diet should I follow in the week preceeding the ride?
It sounds quite a sensible training plan. With 2-3 months training under your legs 100km won’t seem so bad. Ideally, for a 100Km ride you would have done a distance 60-70% of final distance. Two weeks before ride might be a good time to do a longer ride than usual. If you are reasonably comfortable riding 60-70km, the jump to 100Km won’t seem that much.
I don’t think you need a special diet in the weeks leading up to the ride. However, people often underestimate how much food they need to take on when cycling. For a 100km ride you will want to be taking on food during the ride. A good breakfast and then a couple of bananas and cereal bars during the ride are ideal. Often when people run out of energy on long rides, it is lack of food / water as much as lack of training. (cycling and food)
When you reach a certain level of fitness the distance you can cycle is only really limited by the amount of food you can take on.
For example, someone training for a 12 hour or 24 hour time trial aiming to do 250 or 400 miles, may do a weekly ride of 100 miles. But, it is not necessary to have ridden full distance.
If I was training for a 100 mile time trial, I would be more concerned at developing speed for riding 25-50 miles quick than I would in riding lots of 100 mile rides.
Riding 100 Km Unprepared
Some people may find they are down for a 100km ride and despite best intentions have done little training. I think if you have done no cycling, 100KM would really not be advised. You could probably just about crawl around and cycle 100Km, but your legs would feel painful for the next 3-4 days and I doubt whether it would be enjoyable.
If you have been doing training of 50-100Km a week, you will probably be fine in completing a 100km. Just take it steady, especially in opening miles. There is a huge difference between riding 100km fast and riding 100km slow.
Sometimes I ride 70 – 80 KM and it is effectively a recovery ride because I am just riding at a gentle pace and not doing any intervals.
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May 19th, 2009 — training
Sometimes I go out with the intention of having a fast training ride, but, when I start cycling I don’t feel like it, so it ends up being a slow ride. At least it gives you chance to admire the scenery and take the odd photo, like the one above.
If you really don’t feel like training hard, there’s no point making you do it. So long as you don’t feel like going slow every day!
For all our rain, England is pretty green place
May 18th, 2009 — training
Start of hill-climb
I see cycling as a hobby more than anything. I race throughout the season, but, spend far more time training than racing. I don’t see training as a means to an end but often enjoy the training as much as the racing. If you spend 10-15 hours a week training it is important that you enjoy it. Often we are putting more thought into the goal than in the method of getting there.
These are some tips to Enjoy Training
Don’t Just Think of the Goal.
It’s good to have targets, especially if you want to take racing seriously but look upon training as an integral part of your cycling. If you just train because you want to win a race or complete a cycling sportive, training becomes a duty and responsibility. It becomes like work where we only do it to get paid at the end of the day.
Be Careful What You think about.
When you’re riding on your own for 2 hours or more, it is a real pain if your mind gets into a negative spiral. You start inwardly complaining about the injustice of bad drivers or dopers in sport and before you know it, you’ve spent 2 hours with negative thoughts going around your mind. Thinking to yourself about bad things isn’t going to change anything, but it will make you more miserable and you won’t enjoy your ride. The best thing is to cut off the train of thoughts early. I really try hard not to think about the dopers in procycling as it sets of my mind for ages.
Train in the Way You Enjoy.
I just love cycling up hills. I don’t know why. Especially long, gradual climbs. Often I ride 15 miles to Stokenchurch so I can climb up a 2.2 mile climb on the old A40. But, if someone gave me an interval training schedule for a turbo trainer, I would be depressed just thinking about it. I have tried training on a turbo, but, it seems like an eternity just to do 20 minutes. I’d rather get wet and risk traffic than be stuck indoors in my garage.
Morale Boosters.
One of my favourite training schedules is to pick a windy day. Then find a nice flat road with a strong tail wind. Then just do a short intense effort with the wind at your back. This gives you a great feeling of speed. Your training really hard, but, you get a great feeling of speed as well. True you have to ride back with a head wind, but for this you just stop looking at your speedometer. For example, the other day, I rode a flat 6 mile stretch with tailwind in 11 minutes – average speed 31 mph. It was great fun riding so quickly! Similarly when do hill intervals I like to pick a hill with gradual gradient and tailwind, then when you do your interval you feel you are flying up the hill.
Train With A Specific Target.
If you want to ride just to enjoy the ride that is fine. But, if you want to ride to train – have a specific goal in mind. Either see it as a recovery ride, or a ride to stretch and improve yourself. It is good to have certain distances that are timed so you can measure improvements throughout the year – getting seasonal pbs e.t.c Being focused in training gives it more value.
Training with other people.
Training with other people is great for longer rides. The company helps the mind from going round with its own useless thoughts. It is important to find cyclists with similar aspirations and similar standards. If you’re a racer you might be frustrated with CTC rides which can have a maximum speed limit.
The After Effects of Training.
Often training can be hard, but, after finishing the ride you get a feeling of real satisfaction. Even in your fatigue you feel a sense of achievement and purpose. This is one of the great things of cycling. The after effects of a hard day in the saddle give you a good feeling. This is something to remember if the actual riding is hard.
Don’t Worry about Rigid Training Regimes.
I have sometimes bought books on training and they have pages of training plans like 10 mins at 75% HR, then 10 minutes at 85% HR, then 10 minutes at 80% HR e.t.c They can seem complicated and difficult to remember. But, I don’t think it is indispensable to follow these very prescriptive and detailed plans. Have confidence to go on feel, cycle fast when you come to a hill. Rest going down the hill.
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