How many days to back off training before a race?

[cobbwheels]

I'm the most un-still person on the bike. I see my support videos I'm wriggling like a snake to keep moving . Head shoulders a slight bob. May as well finish destroyed than " I could have gone harder". Not a racer of any kind , just 100% committed to myself & the bike when on it.

It can be a good thing. The best racers in TdF tend to move a lot while pedaling too. More than what I see in many recreational riders. Perhaps because pros spin bigger gears.

As long as you're not spending any effort to maintain posture and the extraneous motions are purely to exert more force on the pedals, you're good!

 

[cobbwheels]

many will argue out of saddle not efficient. but there have been many pro's ( and amateurs as well) that can excel with this style . Others sit it all out.

In my case I'm really less efficient out of the saddle. My heart rate goes up out of the saddle even if I'm holding the same speed on a climb. My technique is identical to Alberto Contador's with one exception that I keep my heel dropped at the down stroke or power stroke to keep my calves relaxed at all times.

I've tried most of the out of the saddle technique out there including Pantani's but Contador's technique is the most efficient despite all the extraneous movement. Those movements don't actually go to waste.

We can all agree Alberto Contador really excels at long range attacks out the saddle yet I've seen him on some climbing stages where he barely stood up yet still putting up a very strong performance. Have also watched Chris Froome beating him on a climb sat down almost entirely while Contador was standing most the time in the last several miles.

It doesn't to be a clear advantage between standing or staying seated while climbing at the top of the game. An good climber will win a climbing race whether he does it sat down or standing.

that avg seems to rise dramatically if I add some flats ( relative ) to my local training route.

That is strange. To most people, their average speed is about the same in a hilly ride where they finish exactly the same place they started vs a mostly flat ride.

That can only mean you're putting out significantly higher watts on the flats. It can happen if your bike fit/setup favors performance on the flats or simply the fact you're a lot better on the flats.

 

[comebackkid]

You are not supposed to do any weight training during the racing season, you are supposed to do all of your weight training in the off season. Most of your training miles should be easy miles at fifty or seventy percent effort for a couple hours, with one hard day at the beginning of your training week that includes some max effort. You will not lose fitness taking a few days off before a race doing nothing to let your muscles repair and recover, maybe even three or four days would be better, and you will be faster than if you train every day up to an event.

 

[cobbwheels]

Lately more women have pushed me off the mountain top than men. Not literally , just demonstrated superior fitness over mine. On that uphill 12 mile stretch at least .
I stay quite humbled.

Butt lifting exercises for women that are trending quite strongly at the moment would also happen to give you strong core muscles and stronger legs that would also benefit cycling performance.

Most riders only recruit their quads to pedal. Imagine if you can also recruit your glutes (butt) to pedal. Not only this can make you go faster but also sustain faster pace for longer distances. Delay fatigue, last longer on a climb. The glutes is mostly Type 1 muscle fiber. A highly fatigue, DOMS resistant, fast recovering muscle fiber type and probably the biggest Type 1 muscle fiber group in the body. It would be a huge mistake to not effectively learn to recruit and workout this muscle!

Some of these butt lifting exercises will also teach you the "muscle memory" to be able to recruit your glutes to pedal.

I personally do this butt lifting exercise with some variation. 1:40 minute mark of this video below.

The changes I've made is leaning more forward for stronger recruitment of the glutes and doing faster reps. This workout will also work your core muscles.

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View: https://youtu.be/98HAq5h2oTU?t=100

 

[cobbwheels]

You are not supposed to do any weight training during the racing season, you are supposed to do all of your weight training in the off season. Most of your training miles should be easy miles at fifty or seventy percent effort for a couple hours, with one hard day at the beginning of your training week that includes some max effort. You will not lose fitness taking a few days off before a race doing nothing to let your muscles repair and recover, maybe even three or four days would be better, and you will be faster than if you train every day up to an event.

For us featherweight riders, we do need regular strength training to help keep our bones strong. I run in addition as part of training to help keep my bones strong.

My bones have gone significantly weaker from cycling. I get sprained fairly easily. Taking up running and strength training helped reverse the problem.

My primary goal why I do this is not to win races but to restore bone strength and injury prevention for both the bones and muscles. Improvement to cycling performance would be a welcome bonus.

I think the key is not taking up too much weight. The strength training session for cycling should feel relatively easy as opposed to traditional strength training. Running will expose you to large momentary (impact) loads which helps restore bone density and also helps make you more resistant against workout-related injuries.

It has been an eye opener for me to read and actually experience what cycling will do to your bones and injury potential.

 

[Fourlegsgood2wheelsbad]

You are not supposed to do any weight training during the racing season, you are supposed to do all of your weight training in the off season. Most of your training miles should be easy miles at fifty or seventy percent effort for a couple hours, with one hard day at the beginning of your training week that includes some max effort. You will not lose fitness taking a few days off before a race doing nothing to let your muscles repair and recover, maybe even three or four days would be better, and you will be faster than if you train every day up to an event.

Its just one race!
I knew I'd not be in competitive shape for my age bracket so soon back in the game. So rather than DFL a criterium or road race - the event I am doing is timed but in heats according to expected ascent time. So I am racing myslelf, my time from same timed hill climb in 1996.

Soon it'll be fall and I begin running again both asphalt and trails. I get zone 5 easily running hills and get a bigger afterglow from running compared to cycling . I can race and place in 5K's at 59 because the smart ones went to cycling. I stand out . On bicycles I am just another guy with a credit card and oakleys!

Make this clear , I hate running and every step.

 

[Fourlegsgood2wheelsbad]

For us featherweight riders, we do need regular strength training to help keep our bones strong. I run in addition as part of training to help keep my bones strong.

My bones have gone significantly weaker from cycling. I get sprained fairly easily. Taking up running and strength training helped reverse the problem.

My primary goal why I do this is not to win races but to restore bone strength and injury prevention for both the bones and muscles. Improvement to cycling performance would be a welcome bonus.

I think the key is not taking up too much weight. The strength training session for cycling should feel relatively easy as opposed to traditional strength training. Running will expose you to large momentary (impact) loads which helps restore bone density and also helps make you more resistant against workout-related injuries.

It has been an eye opener for me to read and actually experience what cycling will do to your bones and injury potential.

I feel mixing running in ( treadmill primarily )during riding season helps make tougher butt knees ankles feet. Not much just maybe once -twice a week. I prefer barefoot on treadmill. I had a body density scan about fairly recently . As expected "increased risk for fracture".

I've recently re-added added creatine to my nutrition , said to improve bone density(?) Regarding the workouts I feel I must continue , I'm desperately attempting to gain weight I don't hold fat . I'm about 15 LBS under my ideal weight. When I had my daughter 25 years ago I was a fit 155.

. In 2021 I needed suspenders to hold me pants up at 118 LBS, I'd been lower
( there's an underlying medical condition but don't want to pull that card)
Now my pants fit without a belt. No fat , just my butt grew back out. 138LBS this AM.

 

[cobbwheels]

I feel mixing running in ( treadmill primarily )during riding season helps make tougher butt knees ankles feet. Not much just maybe once -twice a week. I prefer barefoot on treadmill. I had a body density scan about fairly recently . As expected "increased risk for fracture".

I've recently re-added added creatine to my nutrition , said to improve bone density(?)

Sounds good to me. I simply drink fortified milk for calcium and daily dose of natural sunlight (vitamin D) when doing strength training in the morning.

It just doesn't feel right when you can't run because running hurts your joints. It happened to me after years of cycling with no other forms of exercise.

 

[cobbwheels]

Im expecting a fairly large ride tomorrow and a little hesitant.
This year has been crazy - since acquiring my new bike a few stats I was putting together reviewing my garmin data . I'm super pleased regardless how it might compare to others. If it's bragging so what. I know many are faster!

Missed replying on this but congratulations and good luck! Just pace it well, no pressure!

 

[Fourlegsgood2wheelsbad]

Sounds good to me. I simply drink fortified milk for calcium and daily dose of natural sunlight (vitamin D) when doing strength training in the morning.

It just doesn't feel right when you can't run because running hurts your joints. It happened to me after years of cycling with no other forms of exercise.

My (free everywhere on Craig’s list ) treadmills side bars and ft bars help me save the joints . I often use them for assistance “ upper body running” so to speak . Just imagine waterskiing , being towed from the waist. Treadmill to asphault not such a shock after only cycling.

 

[cobbwheels]

My (free everywhere on Craig’s list ) treadmills side bars and ft bars help me save the joints . I often use them for assistance “ upper body running” so to speak . Just imagine waterskiing , being towed from the waist. Treadmill to asphault not such a shock after only cycling.

That's good you also run in asphalt. I run for real but only in the parking lot though where surface is made of smooth cement. Really good for making strong joints and having good posture stability. It seems to help in cycling as well.

 

[Fourlegsgood2wheelsbad]

That's good you also run in asphalt. I run for real but only in the parking lot though where surface is made of smooth cement. Really good for making strong joints and having good posture stability. It seems to help in cycling as well.

Sand and barefoot is my favorite . Not often I am near the ocean however.

 

[Fourlegsgood2wheelsbad]

All of this thread came to mind yesterday AM as I pushed through sets of dips and chest -tri's. Then rode last night ( at I least didn't do legs early that day) Today's is bi's and back.

Like riding or running high the weight resistance workout is highly habit forming. Maybe I just want to be in pain or complain?

 

[cobbwheels]

Like riding or running high the weight resistance workout is highly habit forming. Maybe I just want to be in pain or complain?

The body releases natural endorphins during high intensity workouts. Endorphin is derived from the word "morphine" for obvious reason. Can make you feel good. That's why it can be habit forming.

Chronic inflammation on the other hand is bad. Like when you keep exercising with sore muscles. Never giving them time to recover. It can lead to a number of problems that are difficult to cure, including DNA damage, arthritis, and even cancer.

Simple thing I do is when my legs are sore from a long or hard ride, I don't do weight training on the legs the next day and if my legs are sore from weight training, I don't do long or hard rides on the next day.

If you ride the same day you do weight training, keep the two sessions apart as much as possible and limit your reps on weight training so your legs are still fresh and not sore immediately after weight training. This will leave you "hanging" in feel like you still want to do a lot more reps but resist the temptation to do so. Good training requires a lots of discipline. Both when to take it hard and when to take it easy.

Out of the saddle zone 5 sprinting is to be treated in the same category as strength training with weights. Keep it separate from long or even medium duration rides when training. The only time it's okay to sprint during a long ride (preferably keeping all the sprints in the last few miles of the ride) is when you're in a race. But never do it during training from high probability of muscle injury that can set you back big time. Same thing with weight training.

 

[Fourlegsgood2wheelsbad]

I'm doing very little leg work outside of my rides from this point on about 30 day out from event. And won't ride on ruined legs! Of course I'm super careful injury wise. At this age takes forever to heal .

Far as ride length my furthest ride has been 38 miles! However have several 62 and 72 mile challenge rides on the calendar for sept -oct 2023 those will be much further than I'd rode since early 90's. In this second love affair with cycling , I can play hard for a bit but anything more than 3 hours stops being fun.

 

[cobbwheels]

Starting tomorrow, I'll be training with two 8.5 kg (18.7 lbs) dumbbells. A total of 17 kg (37.4 lbs). I'm currently at 13.5 kg (29.7 lbs) total.

Right now, my legs can train with those weights + my body weight with relative ease on reps. I did the reps for as long as 30 minutes and nowhere near "failure"

My arms are a different story on the other hand. In pain past twenty minutes just holding the weights and not flexing any muscle. I'll probably need to hang on to 17 kg for a while until my arms catches up in strength. Obviously I can't workout my legs with heavier weights if my arms can't hold bigger weights.

Quads a lot stronger than it used to be yet, did not get visibly bigger at all. I gained some 2 lbs but I think most of it in fat because I've not been doing my 71 mile rides for the past couple of weeks.

 

[RoadRover]

Hey there! It's great to hear that you're training with weights to strengthen those muscles. When it comes to cycling, building strength is important, but remember to focus on enjoying the ride too! If your arms are feeling the burn, maybe start with lighter weights and gradually increase. And don't forget to stretch and take breaks to avoid injury. Keep it up! ‍

 

[Fourlegsgood2wheelsbad]

"Hey there". ;( 0 ); my gape
cheers , OP

 

[RoadRover]

Hey OP! It's great to see you're keeping up with your training! Remember, cycling is all about finding joy in the ride, so don't forget to have fun along the way. If your arms are feeling tired, try starting with lighter weights and gradually work your way up to avoid strain. And don't forget to stretch and take breaks to prevent any potential injuries. Keep up the great work! ‍