burnt matches



slowfoot

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Jan 18, 2008
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why do you only have so many bursts (matches) in the tank.

firstly, i am into my second year of internse riding.
i am finding (as the veterans predicted) that i can ride my legs to their limit only several times before i am spent and cannot recover even with several minutes of resting in the pack.
this usually happens on hills of which there will be around 5-10 that push me to my limits on our 45 mile rides.
which energy system is the limiter?
are there any tricks that you can use to increase the number that i can do?

i realize that the ultimate answer is better conditioning with intervals but i am looking for less obvious answers.

thanks
dave
 
slowfoot said:
why do you only have so many bursts (matches) in the tank.

are there any tricks that you can use to increase the number that i can do?

i realize that the ultimate answer is better conditioning with intervals but i am looking for less obvious answers.

thanks
dave
Aside from better conditioning, you can make sure that you are not pushing big gears up those hills. Spin up the hills rather that standing climbs. Avoid opening gaps where you have to make up distance, instead anticipate where the pack picks it up and make sure that you are in good position. when you burn a match, you want it to be in 110% of FTP as opposed to something dramatically anaerobic. Stay within the threshold.
 
Increase your CTL and your matchbox will get fuller. :) You can certainly try doing more L6 interval rides, but unless you have a generous amount of base you'll probably be even more tired and frustrated.

As Andy Coggan would say "it's an aerobic sport dammit!"
 
Piotr said:
Increase your CTL and your matchbox will get fuller. :) You can certainly try doing more L6 interval rides, but unless you have a generous amount of base you'll probably be even more tired and frustrated.

As Andy Coggan would say "it's an aerobic sport dammit!"
as i've been lurking here for several months i now understand what you all are talking about.
i've been shifting my haphazard intensity rides, to rides of lower efforts (no pm yet) at more consistent effort levels with days of SST intervals interspersed.
the L6's take way too much out of me and my knees so i'll pass those . one can eat only so much ibuprofen you know.

last week i hit 250 miles (about 3 times my normal mileage). ended the week with a 100 mile ride (92 degrees!!).
this week i need to recover though.. i now understand how overtraining feels:(
i plan a few "soft " rides then ramp it up again next week. i'm no SOT but
am seeing the gap between me and the "race " crowd narrow.

thanks to all of you for the advice

dave
 
slowfoot said:
as i've been lurking here for several months i now understand what you all are talking about.
i've been shifting my haphazard intensity rides, to rides of lower efforts (no pm yet) at more consistent effort levels with days of SST intervals interspersed.
the L6's take way too much out of me and my knees so i'll pass those . one can eat only so much ibuprofen you know.

last week i hit 250 miles (about 3 times my normal mileage). ended the week with a 100 mile ride (92 degrees!!).
this week i need to recover though.. i now understand how overtraining feels:(
i plan a few "soft " rides then ramp it up again next week. i'm no SOT but
am seeing the gap between me and the "race " crowd narrow.

thanks to all of you for the advice

dave
Unless there's an awful lot of steep climbing in a typical week then on that basis you train, what 4-5 hours/week typically? I think that might have something to do with it. ;)
 
slowfoot said:
as i've been lurking here for several months i now understand what you all are talking about.
i've been shifting my haphazard intensity rides, to rides of lower efforts (no pm yet) at more consistent effort levels with days of SST intervals interspersed.
the L6's take way too much out of me and my knees so i'll pass those . one can eat only so much ibuprofen you know.

last week i hit 250 miles (about 3 times my normal mileage). ended the week with a 100 mile ride (92 degrees!!).
this week i need to recover though.. i now understand how overtraining feels:(
i plan a few "soft " rides then ramp it up again next week. i'm no SOT but
am seeing the gap between me and the "race " crowd narrow.

thanks to all of you for the advice

dave
Lol Dave. Don't quite know how to take that comment.:rolleyes: As for SST, I don't have time for any as I'm in far too much of a hurry to reach an FTP of 350Watts and time is perhaps running out for the Sillyoldtwit. (66 two months from now) Sure I train fanatically, (boringly some will say) but I also rest well and never stop thinking about POWER, POWER and more POWER.
In the 'Killing me' thread, I sometimes say; hopefully I will blah blah blah. However, in truth I don't think like that, I just say I'm going to do it, and do it I do. (So far) Today did an interval at 400W after 2 L4 intervals. Didn't doubt my abilty to do it - not for 1 second. Now I'm already thinking past 400 watts. As long as I find I can turn the pedals at higher and higher wattages, shall continue to do so.
Most importantly, I never stop imagining I'm only in my mid forties.
The brain can fool the body - believe me. ;) Tyson
 
"Most importantly, I never stop imagining I'm only in my mid forties.
The brain can fool the body - believe me." SOT

So true!
the body really doesn't care, it just responds to the demands placed on it , within the limits of course. but we never know where that limit is until we try!

you're efforts have given me great encouragement!!
i'd better get crackin'.

dave
 

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