Cat 3 Winter Base Hours

How many z2-z3 base hours are the cat 3's putting in these days?

 

I'm not in Cat 3. I don't know where I am in.
But the more base hours the better no matter what Cat you are in (I doubt you can put up more than 30 hrs/week )

 

About 11-12 hrs total this week. Will increase over the next month. Includes some z1 and z4. Depends where you live. Here in the NorthEast we've had a lot of days recently where it hasn't gotten above 20F, and I don't know many riders who will put in more than 2 hrs on the indoor trainer, usually up the intensity and shorten the time. Right now "passing time" until temp hits 25F, then out for 3.5 hr ride.

 

Just so nobody out there gets any crazy ideas about notions like this, I have to say that this is not true at all. There are limits to what the body can absord; beyond that point you are simply risking overtraining. Training volume should be increased on an annual basis much the same way it is increased from week to week ... in small/moderate amounts and in relation to the event/race you are training for.

 

It seems alot of cyclists still don't understand what the word progression means regarding endurance training. I think it could be stemming from the obsession with the pro cyclist and in particular what Lance Armstrong does. It's all about building to the next level whatever that goal maybe.

 

You got it.
The bike is very seductive in this way. Since there is no significant orthopedic stress or technique component to slow you down, if you are determined enough and eat/drink enough, you can really push yourself way beyond what is appropriate on any given day or over a short period of time.
Regarding pros, I can't stress enough how most of us should never, and I do mean never, *attempt* to train the way they do. Not only have they spent many years of training to get to their level, they are also genetically predisposed to remarkable abilities of adaptation.

 

Eight hours a week, all on my fluid trainer right now. Once it gets below 40 F, I truely prefer riding indoors over outdoor riding. Hopefully once the weather turns warmer will be doing 12hrs/week. That's the plan anyway.

 

Yes, I understand this. It's impossible to ride 30 hrs/week in winter and with full time job. But still the more the better with being informed on how much hours one can do per week.
I do now 5-6 hrs/week on a trainer and skiing. Bad (very bad - snow storms) weather, very cold outside (-15 C and lower). But my physical conditions allow me to do more - 8-9 hrs. That should be better for my cardiovascular capacity. And I know if I were doing 10 hrs I would overtrain.
That is the more the better up to 10 hrs for me.

 

If stuff didn't keep getting in the way, I'd be doing almost no planned L2, 2 to 4 hours of L3, 2 sessions of L4 and one of L5/week for a total of about 8 hrs/week.

Unfortunately stuff keeps getting in the way

oh, and I just upgraded to 3 but having raced against many of those guys as a 4 I think that will work just fine.

 

It's not how many hours of training you get, it's what you do with the hours you do have that matters most....

L

 

CAT 3 - Northeast US Rider

Period Month Total Hours in Last Week of month
BASE NOV 12
BASE DEC 14
BASE/BUILD JAN 16
BUILD FEB 18

We scale up each week thus the first week in Feb is 12 Hrs, 2nd 14, 3rd, 16, last (short) 18.

Feb always represents our largest month on the bike.

Good luck.