Get motoring with training

irishmotorist

My rough goals for the year are :

1. To improve my sportive times on previous efforts
2. Lose weight for general health and also as a contributer to goal #1
3. Perhaps join a club and think of tinkering with racing. This is a bit of a pipe dream at the moment though.

2008 was when I first tried a sportive and did WW100, ROK, SK and ME (Martin Earley). Last year I did the Tour de Foothills, WW200 and ROK. I missed out on SK and ME because of other committments.

TdF - I hammerfested the Tour de Foothills doing the 100km in, I think, about 3 and a half hours - by far my best time over a distance. I'm aiming to repeat this sort of time as a sort of form indicator.

W200 - I did the WW200 in a smidgen under 9 hours last year. 9 hours was my stated target, but I was secretly disappointed in this as I thought I could really do it in 8 and a half hours. 8 and a half will be my stated time for this year.

ROK - I did the ROK in 6 and a half hours last year. It was only 2 mins faster than the previous year and that was on my Cayo instead of the Sirrus. I was disappointed to not be further improved, but I'm aiming to take at least 15 mins off that time this year.

SK - I forget my time for Sean Kelly 2 years ago but I'll be able to dig it up. A big goal for this is to not have to stop half way up Mahon Falls and be better prepared for it in general.

ME - Again, I forget my time for this, but I can dig it up and I aim to improve somewhat on it.

I'm also going to look at the Stephen Roche tour and the one in Kilkenny whose name evades me.

Training:
My 'methodology' has typically been to commute on the bike 3 days a week - Mon, Tue, Wed. This is 50km per day which gives me 150km per week commuting. Then to do a long spin on a Saturday, building up distance in Wicklow when weather (ice and wind mostly) permits. When that's not feasible, I have a lengthy loop that takes in Maynooth, Dunboyne, Town, and Howth that should keep things ticking over. As evenings improve, I'll look at extending the cycle home to just up that a bit.

That's the plan for now anyway. Once the ice disappears, I'll hopefully be able to get going on it.

irishmotorist

Finally got my arse in gear and went out for a 'refresher' cycle on Saturday to see if I remembered how to stay upright. It was the first time since December 17th that I was on a bike and that's the longest in about 4 years.

Just did a jaunt down the park for an hour and did 27km. Not exactly WW200 material, but I gotta start somewhere.

irishmotorist

Finally had a reasonable week. 160km so far this week but it's unlikely that I'll get out at the weekend. I had two days of commuting (25km each way, each day) but had Tuesday off so took myself out for a 60km flat spin around West Dublin, Kildare and a bit of North Dublin. It felt tougher than it should have, but should have been expected considering how out of shape I've become!

Roll on next week for 3 hard commuting days (as long as the snow keeps off) and then maybe a longer flat one at the weekend, maybe taking in Howth.

irishmotorist

I didn't get out last weekend due to pre-emptively deciding it would be too slippy, so just had my commutes last week. 150km was all it was but it felt better than the previous week (first after 'snow break'). I think the calm weather had a lot to do with it feeling better, but this week should put a bit more wind into me. Fingers crossed for next weekend!

irishmotorist

I got my usual 150km in last week - had a few soakings along the way, but that's part and parcel. Just got out as far as Howth at the weekend for one lap of the head and that was 61km for me. Weather looks potentially frightful again this weekend with this cold snap, so I'm thinking of a low west Dublin/Kildare route, finishing up with Howth head.

irishmotorist

Well, it finally happened. I finally got my first 100km spin of the year in. Went from Lucan to Newcastle to Celbridge to Maynooth to Dunboyne to City Centre to Howth, back to City Centre and home. I felt a bit tired getting up and knowing how my previous few attempts at a longer spin had left me feeling tired at the end of the 60km, I said I'd take it easy. I did at the start and started feeling my legs so improved as things went on. Good day out. 100km in a ride time of 3:43 and and an average HR of 158.

I've had the bike (Cayo) since last summer but I've only managed a handful of long spins on it. ROK has been the only sportive so far. I'm ashamed to say, but I'm still getting accustomed to using the drops properly after switching over from the hybrid. I think my time today with no drafting at all shows me that I'm getting more comfortable down there and the benefits of it.

Anyway, aside from today, I've just been doing the commute since my last post. This week was just a one-dayer for me but today has me on the right track.

With a month to go for the Kare Tour de Foothills, I reckon that I'm starting to feel on track for it now.

irishmotorist

Just as a separate thought for my general training, I'm trying my best to concentrate on my pedal stroke for all my cycles - commutes and longer spins. I find that concentrating on pulling back and up is helping my hamstring development. The only problem is that I often forget to remember it (due to concentrating on traffic or other banalities) so end up practicing the full 360 for half of a commute/spin. It is one thing that I think is really important though. The hamstring is a big muscle so by ensuring I develop it, I reckon I must be improving myself more than just having smooth stroke.

irishmotorist

I just got two commutes done last week but got out for another 100km on Saturday. It was the same route as a couple of weeks ago. I felt a bit better for most of it but the headwind all the way home from the top of Howth Head had me beat. Legs felt empty but I did get the odd burst of energy after having some water so maybe I dehydrated slightly. Also, I had a little less to eat on the road, so that possibly contributed. Anyway, very similar time - 3:47.

I'm planning a similar one this weekend with perhaps the knockmaroon hill on the way home just to put a final kick in and add a few KM.

Lumen

You want to go faster, but where is the speed work?

irishmotorist

I'm not very scientific with my approach to training. I've read a couple of books with examples of training methods - different drills etc. and I don't feel inclined to go for them. I like being out on the bike to just go for a good cycle and I think that if I was getting into timing 1 min at this or 10 mins at that, it would take away from my enjoyment of the thing.

That said, I do see the obvious benefits of a proper training system. Without changing my routine too much, I use my commute to try to go at that at a reasonably high intensity for most of it - apart from the bit through town where safety demands a higher weighting. The long spin at the weekend is designed (in my head) to get hours on the bike and distance into the legs. I'm hoping that in a few weeks once I start getting a bit stronger, I'll be able to start bringing more intensity to the longer distances - just as a result of getting fitter, lighter and stronger.

I'm not great on the bike and will never be a world beater and don't particularly want to. I'm aiming at the sportives and by just trying harder (not necessarily smarter) I want to improve my times and enjoy the days.

Ryder

Just as an alternate view.....bringing some structured intervals into your long spins would increase your fitness, speed and as a result - enjoyment. For example doing 3 10 min intervals as part of your long spins would be more definate and easier to manage than simply trying to aim for a higher intensity

Lumen

irishmotorist wrote: »

I'm not very scientific with my approach to training. I've read a couple of books with examples of training methods - different drills etc. and I don't feel inclined to go for them. I like being out on the bike to just go for a good cycle and I think that if I was getting into timing 1 min at this or 10 mins at that, it would take away from my enjoyment of the thing.

That said, I do see the obvious benefits of a proper training system. Without changing my routine too much, I use my commute to try to go at that at a reasonably high intensity for most of it - apart from the bit through town where safety demands a higher weighting. The long spin at the weekend is designed (in my head) to get hours on the bike and distance into the legs. I'm hoping that in a few weeks once I start getting a bit stronger, I'll be able to start bringing more intensity to the longer distances - just as a result of getting fitter, lighter and stronger.

I'm not great on the bike and will never be a world beater and don't particularly want to. I'm aiming at the sportives and by just trying harder (not necessarily smarter) I want to improve my times and enjoy the days.

It's not necessary to be obsessive about structure to reap some benefits.

A few weeks ago I was reading in a magazine an account from a pro cyclist in the Sky team, describing what he did on a training camp. He basically said "I just go out and enjoy myself for three hours or so, but make sure I do at least one hard climb at threshold".

Obviously three hours for a pro cyclist is a fairly short ride - nowhere near the limit of his endurance.

Point is, maybe just mix it up a bit with different rides having different objectives: short and fast, long and slow, medium tempo etc.

If you're only doing long rides you won't get faster quickly, if you see what I mean.

Beasty

irishmotorist wrote: »

That said, I do see the obvious benefits of a proper training system. Without changing my routine too much, I use my commute to try to go at that at a reasonably high intensity for most of it - apart from the bit through town where safety demands a higher weighting.

How far is your commute? I understand what you are saying about the bit in town, and I manage to largely avoid this in my commute. However I do try and treat every commute as a time-trial - looking to better my previous best in similar conditions. My basic commute is around 23km each way, but I often extend it on the way home, and will include hills and/or faster routes. By keeping track of my time and the conditions (particularly wind speed and direction) I can easily see the improvements I have made over an extended period (I am about 1 kph faster now than I was at this time last year, which in turn was about 2 kph faster than the year before)

irishmotorist

Ryder wrote: »

For example doing 3 10 min intervals as part of your long spins would be more definate and easier to manage than simply trying to aim for a higher intensity

Lumen wrote: »

Point is, maybe just mix it up a bit with different rides having different objectives: short and fast, long and slow, medium tempo etc.

That's a good idea and something that I hadn't really considered or thought of before. For intervals, I had been thinking that I'd need to find a straight stretch of road with no lights and watching the HRM like a hawk, and that would be that spin over and done with. I never thought of including it in the middle of a long spin.
I'll revisit some of the material I've seen before, but would it be an idea to try 10 mins at moderately high intensity for me 3 times on a long spin?

irishmotorist

Beasty wrote: »

How far is your commute? I understand what you are saying about the bit in town, and I manage to largely avoid this in my commute. However I do try and treat every commute as a time-trial - looking to better my previous best in similar conditions. My basic commute is around 23km each way, but I often extend it on the way home, and will include hills and/or faster routes. By keeping track of my time and the conditions (particularly wind speed and direction) I can easily see the improvements I have made over an extended period (I am about 1 kph faster now than I was at this time last year, which in turn was about 2 kph faster than the year before)

It's similar enough - 25km each way - done 3 times a week. I live in Lucan and work in Dun Laoghaire and go through the city centre. Now that the evenings are longer I'll be hoping to add a bit onto the way home and maybe the way in too, now that I think about it.
I'd be kind of similar - head down and belt it as much as road and conditions allow. I'll always keep an eye on my times but once the shorts come out, that's when I've traditionally noticed that my times improve. It's a rare winter morning that I break 50 mins rolling time (I'm guessing reduced fitness and extra clothes contribute to this) but I'm always pushing it.

irishmotorist

I've been doing a little bit of work on the commute with increasing my tempo and am working on an altered route that will be more useful for that kind of thing. I'm enjoying that and can see it helping.

With regard to the long distance stuff, I'm just finding it hard this year. I'm inclined to put some of it at the feet of the weather but perhaps I'm just need to motivate myself a bit more. Since the last log here, I did the Tour de Foothills with a cycle down there too but was too wrecked to cycle home so had to call in for a lift. Over the last few weeks, I've returned to more proper parts of Wicklow for a few spins.

The first spin was up Sally Gap then left over Luggala and back home via Djouce and Enniskerry. 100km and a bit wrecked.

Then, despite not feeling into doing anything, I just took a spin up to the viewpoint at the top of Kilakee Road. Went reasonably hard at it (for me) and was surprised at being able to maintain a higher tempo than I usually would. Gonna work on this one!

Last Monday I had plans for about 140km but found it too cold once I was out (and got demotivated) and instead of heading around the lakes after Sally Gap, just went straight to Laragh and home from there. Low point of the day was a puncture half way between Sally Gap and Laragh and then I proceeded to pinch my spare tyre while installing it and punctured that too. Bloody idiot! Got it mended with my puncture repair kit (lesson for you there kids!) and trundled around the rest of the route. It was 105km and I felt active enough after it, but disappointed with not getting a bigger distance.

I'm gonna try for the 140km again this weekend but the success of that might be weather dependent.

I've left it so late getting big spins in, if I don't get a few consecutive weeks of big ones in starting now, I'm considering just trying to hammerfest the WW100 instead of not getting any enjoyment out of the WW200.