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Hi, You need to start doing some intervals where you hit your VO2 max. Typically, your HR serves as a proxy for VO2 - and if memory serves me right 95% of MHR is right around 100% VO2 max. To read more on this topic check out the articles at Peak Performance Online (with ideas for interval...

Hi, The key to using a HRM is to set up HR zones. There are a bazillion different permutations but to summarize - Determine your Maximum HR max. There are formulas (220 - age). Many people find these useless because they are not even close to their actual MHR. Serious Cycling by Burke...

Hi, You'll find out how prepared you are when you do your first race! If you're ready emotionally then give it a go. The only caveat that I would add is that you should be regularly riding with a group and know how to ride in a paceline. SR

Hi, if you enter a TT race then you can begin the timer 1 minute before your start time - then when its time for you to start you will have one less thing to remember (you can focus on accelerating instead of fiddling with the switches on your HRM) and you won;t get half way through your race...

Hi, re TT question One possibility is that you're starting the climb too hard/too fast ( this is a common mistake) - so you run out of gas before you get to the top of the hill. Try easing up going into the climb and for the first half of the climb. Then in the second half of the climb, get...

Hi, Yes more weight can often put you at a disadvantage when climbing compared to lighter cyclists. However, there are hills and there are hills. On shorter hills (and where I live its mostly shorter hills because there are no mountain ranges) burly sprinter types can often power their way to...

Hi, Check out the USCF website to see whats on the calendar so far for 2004. You can also check Bikereg.com. SW

"and for how long..." the rest of your life. :)

oh.....

Hi, I have a similar experience - when I work out for 30-45 minutes on my rollers, my heart rate will continue to ratchet up. At the end of my work-out my overall average HR is higher than I would see for riding outdoors (in comparison to something like a club ride). I put this down to three...

Hi Aztec, I might have misread a couple of your replies but it sounds like you're riding at 14 mph because you're trying to keep your heart rate in the 130-150 bpm range to build aerobic endurance (in contrast to someone who's averaging 14 mph because thats about as fast as he can ride). If...

Hi, I'll take another stab at an answer - if you're looking for some quantitative measures for fitness for Cat 5 racing then here are some other indicators - * if you can avg 18 mph for solo rides for 1-2 hours * hang with a group ride avg'ing at least 20-22 mph for 1-2 hrs (you'll need the...

Hi, For the 22/23 mph ride, we're lucky in that the traffic is pretty light. There are only a few stop signs/traffic lights. We're riding through a rural area. And the total ride is about 45 miles/sub 2 hrs. I didn't realize that you were riding 80+ miles at 20 mph avg. This is a decent avg...

Hi, If you think you might be ready for Cat 5 racing then you are ready. I don't do any heavy mileage, don't cycle every day, am not especially athletic and started doing Cat 5 races when I was 31 (am 35 now). If you're already doing regular group rides averaging 22-24 mph for a couple of hours...

Hi, If you want to go faster then I'd recommend something like - a) pick up one of the books like Burke's Serious Cycling or Friel's Bible - read it and start trying some of the ideas. b) ditto above - but specifically start adding some interval training to your weekly riding schedule c)...

Hi, In answer to question 1, the reason why its easier to hit a higher HR running than biking is because when you run you have to support your whole body mass; whereas when you are cycling, your body is supported on the saddle. This means that your heart has to work harder when running than...

Hi What he might be trying to say is that in a TDF stage which lasts perhaps 6 hours, if you look at the percentage of time spent anaerobic (equating to the state that you are in when performing ST intervals) then its a very small percentage of total race time (Burke publishes some times in...

Hi TiMan, You might want to check out Eddie Borysewicz's Complete Book of Bicycle Racing. Its a little dated (HRM had only just appeared, Power meters didn't exist) - but the book is aimed at providing a year round program for the aspiring junior who wants to race and go to the district...

Hi, This is a little late for the 2002 season - but will give you something to read and think about during the winter. Check out this link - http://www.pponline.co.uk/encyc/0958.htm In fact there are a whole host of articles about VO2 max training on this site. The training for cyclists is...