Advice wanted

8119tm

Hi i am looking for some training advice as i am taking part in a sponsored cycle in Italy in September for [SIZE=-1]The Children’s Medical & Research Foundation Crumlin.[/SIZE]

looking for ways to build up my fitness and stammer this cycle is 500K over 5 days and its been 10 years since Ive done any training:eek:

last week started with short rides 3-4k on Sunday went for a ride out to see what i could do ended up doing 30k in an hour when i got back i felt like i could have done a bit more.

Thanks

Home:Ballyhoura

30km in an hour is very good altogether! Just gradually build up the time and distances and I'm sure you will have no problems! The only thing that may catch you is the recovery time so maybe trying to do back to back days of training closer to the time of the event may help. Best of luck with it!

8119tm

Home:Ballyhoura wrote: »

30km in an hour is very good altogether! Just gradually build up the time and distances and I'm sure you will have no problems! The only thing that may catch you is the recovery time so maybe trying to do back to back days of training closer to the time of the event may help. Best of luck with it!

Thanks new to all this Can you explain recovery time thanks

Lumen

Training can be as simple or as complicated as you like. A good training plan should be designed to meet your individual time constraints.

There is no one way to build endurance. Both speed work and time on the bike will help you cycle further.

You have plenty of time before September, just try and cycle moderately and consistently, making sure you end each ride feeling like you could have done a bit more.

You could do a lot worse than reading one of these:

The Long Distance Cyclists' Handbook, Simon Doughty, ISBN 0713668326
The Cyclist's Training Bible, Joe Friel, ISBN 1934030201.

The latter includes a lot of focus on competitive cycling, but is worth getting if you're the sort of person who likes detail.

With respect to recovery, this is the most important aspect of training, IMO. Putting aside all the possible technology you can use to monitor your efforts (cycle computers, heart rate monitors etc) the best way to manage your training load is to decide on a rough training schedule (say four rides a week) and manage your efforts such that you feel adequately recovered before each one.

Every ride should have a purpose, for example: speed (fast and short), distance (long and easy), quality (comfortably hard for a decent time) or recovery (slow and short).

DO NOT try and mix up your objectives for a training ride. If you attempt speed and distance in the same ride, you will achieve neither and take far too long to recover before the next ride.

Remember that in a single ride you can push yourself much harder than you need to. Successive days of training should not be difficult - if they are, you are pushing too hard.

Above all, be patient and listen to your body. The biggest risk when starting out is doing too much and injuring yourself, or setting unrealistic objectives and giving up when it doesn't go to plan.

The Ten Commandments.

Raam

One thing I have taken from reading about training is that your body only gets stronger on the days you do nothing, i.e. your recovery days. You load and stress the body when training, then take a day off to allow it to rebuild itself stronger.

8119tm

just want to say thanks for advice have a long way to go yet anything anyone can add will be greatly appreciate i.e examples of training programs diet supplements energy drinks/gels......

Lumen

8119tm wrote: »

just want to say thanks for advice have a long way to go yet anything anyone can add will be greatly appreciate i.e examples of training programs diet supplements energy drinks/gels......

Diet supplements: not necessary, just eat healthily including decent amounts of carbs and protein.

Energy drinks: wouldn't bother. Take whatever cereal bars you fancy, drink water or squash. Maybe in hot summer think about Nuun tablets or similar to help with hydration, but not necessary this time of year.

Maybe consider a protein+carb recovery drink if you're regularly in a hurry after a ride and don't have time to eat properly. Whey protein is good.

Consider drinking coffee half an hour before you ride, helps endurance.

Training plans: design your own or don't bother (read stuff above about managing your training around recovery and how you feel).

If you really want a prescriptive plan there are loads out there, for example (from here):