love their videos and workouts, are no more than 80 minutes (maybe one video) and they push you hard. I have also found that endurance nations “outseason” plans are effective too, a lot of bike focus and some run. Don’t know about p90x other than its in a song and some dude has sex after it…if that’s always the case, F triathlon, I’m in!!!
bike every day
.
yes!
although, I overdid my LMD this weekend. Not even that long, but a bit too hard, as I have my first tinge of tendonitis when I awoke this AM. But the warm days onlt last so long in WI this time of year, so you take advantage when you can
years ago a friend asked, as we were riding, “Don’t you ever do 17?”. I replied, “I do 17 all the time, 53x17”
love their videos and workouts, are no more than 80 minutes (maybe one video) and they push you hard. I have also found that endurance nations “outseason” plans are effective too, a lot of bike focus and some run. Don’t know about p90x other than its in a song and some dude has sex after it…if that’s always the case, F triathlon, I’m in!!!
Just a quick note, it is www.thesufferfest.com
Perhaps maintain the core work and flexibilty from Pilates/P90x but drop the rest. I would think that getting smooth and efficient on the bike over the winter would help. Train on Rollers. They are so nice for fixing inefficient pedal strokes and tense upper body. Yes, you need to ride a lot more but appropriate recovery and getting efficient would do you a lot of good.
My 2c
Since you will be in my age group soon, take what I say with a grain of salt.
Eddy Merckx said–Ride lots
Personally a computrainer can help, power meter can help. Mostly increase your intensity.
Bike position is important. For me it helps more in running off the bike than my bike splits.
Any person of any age that can’t find an additional 10 hours per week to do something that they enjoy (or want to improve upon) needs to further evaluate their lifestyle commitments. Yes, we all have circumstances and responsibilities that drive our “less desirable” life activities, but if you’re committing all of your waking hours to fulfilling obligations - at the expense of personal enjoyment - then chances are you’re not entertaining the idea of being an endurance athlete to begin with.
No one is saying that you need to ride full tilt for 200 miles each week. Ride easy, and ride for enjoyment. Even easy miles are better than no miles at all.
I assume you don’t have kids!
Any person of any age that can’t find an additional 10 hours per week to do something that they enjoy (or want to improve upon) needs to further evaluate their lifestyle commitments. Yes, we all have circumstances and responsibilities that drive our “less desirable” life activities, but if you’re committing all of your waking hours to fulfilling obligations - at the expense of personal enjoyment - then chances are you’re not entertaining the idea of being an endurance athlete to begin with.
No one is saying that you need to ride full tilt for 200 miles each week. Ride easy, and ride for enjoyment. Even easy miles are better than no miles at all.
I assume you don’t have kids!
Well, you assume incorrectly then. I have two kids, 4 and 5. I also have a wife, a full time job, a house with a mortgage, weekly activities with the kids, two cars, a dog, a cat, and a partridge in a pear tree. But your assumption is probably fair. People that commit time to enriching their personal lives probably have fewer obligations than you.
The best way to get faster on the bike is to ride your bike and get comfortable riding your bike. Especially efforts, 2 hrs with 6x 2.5min -5min efforts will help you top end more than riding 4 hours at a endurance pace ever will assuming you have a decent base.
What can the OP expect to gain from 2.5-5 min efforts (and what intensity - you didn’t specify) during the winter months?
Perhaps maintain the core work and flexibilty from Pilates/P90x but drop the rest. I would think that getting smooth and efficient on the bike over the winter would help. Train on Rollers. They are so nice for fixing inefficient pedal strokes and tense upper body. Yes, you need to ride a lot more but appropriate recovery and getting efficient would do you a lot of good.
My 2c
Red. Herring.
During the winter months I would argue that shorter hard efforts may, will help to improve overall speed on the bike. Especially for the distances he is planning racing. Its a tough distinction to make as I’m not saying to go out an hammer every time you’re on the bike. Especially with your location, I’m sure nobody wants to spend 4 hours on a trainer. Least I hope not.
But 5min lactate threshold slowly building to 5 min max efforts over a period of time, built into an exercise routine will help to build upper increased threshold power. On a similar note pyramid style efforts are a possibility, so when you get on the bike out of the water you know your limit and can pace yourself to a comfortable zone for the distance you’re looking at.
We aren’t racing grand tours and we don’t need all the volume of base that I feel is too commonly prescribed to an athlete who races maybe a dozen events a year.
OK a little more back ground on me. Last year I didn’t ride or run any from Nov- March only the P90X, I had bike splits of 23+mph in several sprints and 22+mph in a few Oyl. tri’s. I’ve been an endurace athlete for 40 years and have to say I was faster and placed well years ago but it was mostly based on my running, I have PR’s 5K-15:20 and 10k-32:15 but calf injuries have slowed me to a crawl as a runner. My season will start the last week of May and run through Aug. I think my plan has changed some based on what I’ve read on here more riding 4-5 rides a week. I’m not sure how long my 54 year old body can carry a high mileage work load and then the rigors of a 3 month race season? Granted I’m more interested in the last 8 weeks of that season so we are looking at 8 months out on the high season racing. I’ve never really focused on fast riding other then the pace line thing, I have put in the miles to complete two full ironman races but… this is a different bird and I’m really sure what kind of improvment I could expect at this age. Time is not a big issue I have a kid that is a high school swimmer to follow this winter but I have always found time to work out and using a trainer makes it easier but a little more boring, my concerns are burn out and injury. Thanks for all the posts its helping me shape my off season training plan.