I wanna train for the tour de france...

[Eichers]

Originally Posted by enfyre . ... And even if you managed to reach a maximum genetic potential above all other maximum potentials, you will then need a good doctor to administered your drugs, and a consultation with Lance Armstrong on how to not get caught.

Hmm, so Lance Armstrong is now a consultant. That being the case he should know all the doctors you will need to assist you ... they should be able to mutate your heart and body to the required level, with minimal traning ( ... only joking, please do not take this seriously /img/vbsmilies/smilies/smile.gif)

Actually kms are the deal (main currency - only 2 countries in the world that use imperial measurements). Such a shame they did not make a metre and yard the same length then imperial measurements could finally become decimal (ie 10tm/100cm/1000mm to a Yard) ... a logical conclusion

Seek advise from a Sports trainer to improve your lung capacity and fitness and Good Luck /img/vbsmilies/smilies/smile.gif

The previous posts indicate the target to achieve is 27mph/43kph avg for 100mi/160km and be able to do hour long climbs ... sounds tough but its very achievable. I know 2 guys at work who only do charity rides (quite a few) and they recently averaged that speed for a 100kms (which had a few small climbs). They can do it (and it took them about 1.5 years to achieve this), so you can do it ... have fun /img/vbsmilies/smilies/smile.gif

 

[danfoz]

Originally Posted by San Remo GT .


If I stray much above 20mph I get out of breath very quickly. I had a lung test once and they reckon its lower than average so I dont know if I can work around this. I obviously wanna get fitter but I often find my legs have got the strength but I just use up more air than I can maintain if you see what mean. I think my cardiovascular system is a bit ****ed. Any advice on sorting that out as this is my priority before I can work on outright performance.

I know that the meat and potatoes of cycling performance, the aerobic engine, will take several years of consistent training to max out. One of the heavy hitters, Friel maybe?, describes this in terms of Central (vs. Peripheral) conditioning theory. Lots of volume, which leads to a bigger left ventricle in the heart (determines amt of blood moved w/each stroke). Built up by doing primarily L2/L3/L4 miles, In contrast to the peripheral engine, which responds well to high intensity but which maxes out after a few months of specific training. The "time crunch" plans seem to be based on maximizing the latter.

My own problem when in a racing mood is to ride heard for 8-9 months and take the rest of the year off boozing it up. I haven't been able to stack consistent training results on top of one another so I am in essence a perennial Cat4. That's fine w/me. I don't race for income, just fun, and I love drinking lots of beer almost as much as I enjoy racing. In fact for those 3-4 months off the bike I may even enjoy it more. My plan works for me, it's basically a plan to maximise fun, not fitness and performance.

I think even if not genetically gifted, and possible even if genetically constrained, that those stacked training results resulting from consistent, higher volume training can take one pretty far into the race game - pretty far being Cat2/3. Some "natural talent" may be needed to progress further into the elite ranks, and beyond into the pros.

 

[JSWin]

Sounds like gladiators. They'll try to knock the rookie down. There's a lot to be said for people who act like this. Running with the pack in a race. All the advice on the thread is interesting, makes sense. Probably professionals are not into cheeseburgers, at least when they are training.