If you’re only training for oly distance races is there any reason to ride more than 50 mile training rides?
I have no idea what the correct answer is, but I have been doing 30 mile hilly rides for this season.
But, since I keep getting my butt kicked on the bike, I am going to up this on the weekends
to 65 mile hilly rides. I was coming home at mile 55 today when I ran over something which
blew apart my rear tire. I had spare tubes, etc., but no tire. Had to call the boss to pick me up.
Next time guess I will also add a spare tire to my stuff I haul with me.
So, it does seem like the more you can ride, or swim, or run, the better you may become.
Darn, goes against my values.
Dave
No, I don’t think you need longer rides than that. When I used to race oly distance in the 90’s (back in my 20’s), I found that I benefited from more interval workouts–gotta get used to riding fast to be competitive in the shorter distance races.
Your response is really interesting. Since I have been thinking about how to change my training on the bike for next season, this is a great thread.
This year I have been doing 30 mile hilly rides 2 to 3 days a week. Has helped, but I still would like to try and find a way to the next level.
So, I have always heard more time in the saddle was the way, so I have taken 2 60 miles rides in the hills the last few weekends.
But, your response seemed very logical to me. If I need to get faster at the Oly Distance, do I do longer hill rides, which the longer they get,
the less I can push hard. Or, is some type of interval workouts better?
Now, I thought I heard that M3 really focused on interval training on a computrainer with hard intervals? Has this worked for anyone
in the Oly distance.
Still trying to vision a process that seems logical for me.
Thanks
Dave
dave,
you need to be doing at least 175 miles/wk on the bike with zone 2/3/4/5 % of around 40/30/20/10…when you blow by moats you’ll thank me. have fun in hamburg…don’t drink the bier
In my dreams I can blow by Kevin. But the 175 miles/wk is something this seems logical to me. I have done at best 90 miles a week this season.
Still trying to figure out how to get this in and still have a life. Doing a long ride on Sat, like I did today, helps a lot. Any limit to how long
the max ride would be to get this 175? Could I do 100 on a Sat, and 2 37.5 rides during the week? Does doing all of these miles in the hills
help or hurt?
I just have to get to Hamburg first. :o( Pills are all ready to go.
Luckily I do not drink, so staying away from the beer should not be an issue. But, some places have water that is worst than beer.
So, let me ask a dumb question, so I do not assume. Zone 2/3/4/5 is increasing intensity. But, not sure what the 40/30/20/10 means.
Thanks for the inputs. I know biking from Colfax down the Iowa Hill Road to the bottom of the canyon for the north folk of the american river
was amazing. Now, climbing back 3 miles out of that place was one tough ride. I guess the studs just keep going up and down the canyons on that route.
One of these days, but want some others with me for moral support. Sure loved my 34/27 gearing for this old guy.
Thanks
Dave
Jenny Garrison said she was doing nothing any longer than 25 miles or so in her prep for Tri Nats and she won.
I was thinking I would be better served using the time and energy to improve my swimming. I have lots of room for improvement in that discipline. I’m not saying I can’t get any faster on the bike but not like swimming.
H20fun, why don’t you take a look at that free training plan from D3 multisport that they’re giving away to Team USA members and see what’s on there if you are open to switching your plan around? I haven’t taken a look, but I would imagine it’s a good plan and it’s geared towards preparation for Hamburg.
Great idea. I have signed up and looked at some of the stuff. What is interesting is I am doing a lot more training,
than this plan suggests. So, I ask myself, am I overtraining, or as Martin states, it may be hard to be over trained.
I see the logic in a good strong base as Martins states, I also see logic in shorter high intensity stuff. I guess if there
was one answer that fit us all, we would not need to ask these questions.
I do know that when I went from 1.5 hours a week of steady state swimming, to 5 hours a week of masters swimming,
my swimming went from my weakest event to my strongest.
I know my body can not handle a big increase in running, so what ever it does, it does.
But, I know am thinking of trying to increase the biking for next season, just like the swimming. Even though the interval stuff
sounds great, not sure at 50 my body could handle it. So, am leaning to just increasing the mileage in the killer hills that are so close
to my house. I am also leaning to trying to longer bike ride events that will force the mileage, and provide a safer enviornment to ride in.
Dave
Martin, is there a web site that has a listing of local area bike tours like centuries?
What part of the year do these events happen? I somehow really got to get off my butt soon for next
season and improve on the bike, or I will get my butt kicked from the studly 49 year olds I know that are moving up.
Thanks
Dave
Dave, are you planning on doing “The U.S. Open” race in Dallas in Oct? That’s become my defacto “A” race as things have turned out.
Since I have yet to prove and I can get one a plane, stay on a plane, and get home alive, it is one step at a time.
If I can, I currently hope to fly to Boston next year and race. Then fly to Canada for worlds in early June.
Then fly to Oregon in late June for Nationals. Who knows, I might even consider the Team USA boat trip
in Nov. May, I am scaring myself. But, I have to complete the one I have 10K already into first.
Not heard of “The U.S. Open”. What is it?
Dave
I guess it’ll be a big race. It’s the championship of the Lifetime Triathlon Series. At any rate it’ll have to do as a big race for me being so close.
Very cool. Hope you are signed up already!!
I have to admit, that at the moment, the USAT world type stuff is a great carrot. If I can mix this sport
with seeing the world, and representing the US, I do not know, for me, what could be better in life.
Dave
I was thinking I would be better served using the time and energy to improve my swimming. I have lots of room for improvement in that discipline. I’m not saying I can’t get any faster on the bike but not like swimming.
That isn’t necessarily a bad strategy.
There are always going to be tradeoffs. A long ride is an important component to cycling, but it isn’t the only component in triathlon and it isn’t the most important one either.
If you cut out long rides to get in more swimming, then I suggest that you ramp up the amount of time that you spend in zones 4 & 5.
I’m going to agree and disagree with MC - since you have limited training time, then I don’t see any reason for longer than about a 3 or 3.5 ride max for Oly - train by time not distance. Maybe try more frequency first before you do the longer stuff and use the other time for a swim or a brick.
Dave - just do a lot of “sweet spot” training - http://www.pezcyclingnews.com/?pg=fullstory&id=3232 - to raise your FTP.
I was thinking about that race or Stonebridge Ranch or TexasMan - you know anything about those?
Here’s a link to Stonebridge. http://www.playtri.com/
The Texas Man info can be found at www.texasmantriathlon.com
I’ll probably do the mini at TexasMan. It’s suppose to be some sort of regional championship for whatever that’s worth.