My Issues

Hi i am 26 from Sydney just looking for a bit of help/advice. I have always been someone who has failed to have the motivation to go out and train and just tend to more race each week. This hasnt been as bad as it sounds as i have won alot of races due to the lack of training but these mainly being summer criterium races. I think i could have been a pretty good rider if i trained and getting results without training makes me wonder what i could have really done with the correct training and guidance.

My problem is i still race A grade over the summertime club criteriums at all the different clubs races but find that i struggle alot these days and get dropped alot more and races are full on flat out from the word go. Most people would probably say well easy solution drop back to B grade but with that said if i drop back to B grade i will win the races i did drop back for one race and every rider in B grade complained that i was there and that i am an A grade even though i struggle in A grade. So it seems that for me to make something of my life in bike racing i guess i am going to have to start to train.

Now i currently work mon - fri from 9-5 i leave home at 8am and get home from anywhere between 5:45 and 6pm so i am sort of limited in training time on the road considering we are coming up into the winter time where it will be getting dark. What should i do training wise to

1. Get and keep myself motivated to actually train and stick at it to get myself into a competitive form and see what i am actually capable of?
2. What sort of training should i look at doing taking into account my working hours?

I do own a indoor trainer but have found after 30mins i am ready to hop off more due to lack of motivation to keep on going.

Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated if anyone wants to try and help me out.

Also one more thing normally over winter time when i race road opens i tend to find once a race reaches 70kms or more i start to cramp up. Normally during the race i am always drinking and eating. I have tried using heat creams and stretching before races. I have taken supplements/vitamins to try and help prevent it like increase salt etc that can relate to cramps but nothing has prevented the cramps which in the end reflects in the race as i loose contact with the group due to cramps. Would possibly my case of cramps be just related to not enough miles in the legs and 70kms is pretty much all they can handle?

 

Cramps are almost always caused by a lack of training over a particular distance or intensity, as you have analysed for yourself already. It's fine to train a 100km at easy pace each day for a month. But at the end of the month your legs will only be trained to handle a 100km at easy pace. The moment you lift the pace for an extended period of time, your legs will start complaining, and hence the cramps.
Train like you race or race like you train.

 

When time for training is a limiter, you have to train efficiently. High intensity training is the most efficient training. You can perform it on the road as well as on a trainer.

Regarding your lack of motivation, well I guess you have to accept, that if you want something you gotta pay for it

 

Gistane, as for your lack of motivation - you have to enjoy what you are doing!! There is no use doing a half hearted training effort when your heart isn't in it - you will not get any better and this will demotivate you even more. You are obviously a talented cyclist but talent can only get you so far - think how much better you can be if you train!!...but you need to love what you do. Ask yourself why are you doing this...what is your goal???

A friend of mine used to swim at national level....said he woke up one morning and thougtt ' i don't enjoy this anymore'..so he quit.....he now cycles


Maybe you could do some cross training (swimming, running??)..not that this would do much for your cycling but it may reaffirm why you like cycling.... Also do you ride/train with other people....best way to motivate yourself.....meet some great people through cycling....

good luck

c

 

I normally train by myself due to the limited time that i have. I actually went out yesterday did a tough ride for just over an hour. Got a nice course i ride through off the main roads about 3.1k in distance and atleast 2km of that would be hills. Did some hard efforts up the main hill every 2 laps. If i can atleast do that every day i will start to get somewhere