My race calendar!



Vo2

Member
Aug 11, 2001
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Hey guys, check-out my main race calendar for the next few months. Tough times ahead!

  • 21/10/2001 Sasol Polymer Challenge 100km
  • 28/10/2001 Amashovashova Classic 100km
    (Robert Hunter and the Lampre Daikin pros are also participating!)
    Route description: http://www.rightonthenight.co.za/A_route.htm
  • 18/11/2001 Pick&Pay 94.7 Challenge 94.7km
    How's the route profile of this race? Scary! :eek:
    route_profile.gif
  • 1 more race during November 90km
  • 2/3 races during December. Both approx. 100km
  • 01/2002 Hyper to Hyper 100km
  • 2 more races in January 100km
  • 02/2002 Edenvale Classic 80km
  • 02/2002 Ride for Sight 112km
  • 02/2002 NECSA Classic 100km
    Last race before the big one!
  • 11/03/2002 Cape Argus Cycle Tour 109km! The BIG one!
    One serious race this! Read the route description! It will bring tears to your eyes!
    http://www.cycletour.co.za/content.asp?cId=41
What ya guys think?
 
Mate thats gonna be a tough 97km, i take it your a good climber?
 
hmm sounds like you have WAY more cyclists over there we would not have 3500 race bikers or even decent bikers over here i dont think we enen have that many bikers.

though sa is twice as populated still sounds like a lot of bikers.
sounds like you sa's like 100ks the best? hey i got to ask
how can a sprinter be competitive on a stage with mountains? the climbers (like you ;D) should win. I Like Climbing too.
man thats a busy calender we arnt hafe as active here in qld there might be a big race every few months :), I read somewhere that because of bunching the better riders do not always win. is that true?
 
Wow, ever thought of going pro? With that kind of racing, I take it you spend 20-30 hours a week of training?
 
Hehe! I like climbing. I'm of smallish build. Smaller cyclists usually climb better. I love the feeling of my legs burning up a climb. It somehow makes you forget about everything else in your life. It's just you, your deepest thoughts and that climb, man against nature. (sorry, got carried away there :-[)

Nicholas, in SA we call the 100k races 'century's', 'cause you feel a 100 years old when you finish ;D (joking). It's sad to know that Aus doesn't have races such as these. Of everything, I'll probably miss the racing the most.
I read the article regarding bunching in the news link aswell. Quite an interesting debate. Good discussion point, I think.

Altwegg, I'm way to old to turn pro now buddy! I've reached the stage where my biggest enemy is myself. Pushing myself harder and harder all the time. I'll leave the pro racing for you younger guys ;D So get training!
 
Lance armstrong is not short though ;D im not that short either 175cm . Hey so how can a sprinter be competitive in a mountainous stage? that buch atical must have some truth?
 
Lance is from a different planet ;D He's the exception to the rule. I'm also about 175.
 
Vo2: I just started training a month or so ago. How long till I can be race ready? I read Friel's book, but he says that his training program is for guys who've been cycling for at least 2 years.
 
That depends what your'e training for. Most cyclists don't do enough endurance training. So I suggest you get your endurance levels up. Go for long medium paced rides often. Also, cyclists tend to focus on their strong points. If they are strong climbers, they practice climbing alot. Train your weak points more than your strong points.
How often do you race, if at all?
 
I've never raced on a bike. I am palnning to, but do not know how much fitness is enough. Been training just 2-3 months.
What kinds of workouts would you recommend to a newbie who has around an hour to train 4 times a week?
 
Altwegg, the best advice I can give you is to join a club, or hook up with other cyclists in your area. I know this is difficult, because of your limited time, but training on your own cannot produce the same results as training with a group. First of all, you don't push yourself hard enough when training solo. You will bail out when you feel tired, as you only have yourself to convince. Training with others gives you some sort of reference. Within a week you will know where your weak points and your strong points are. If you constantly get dropped on the climbs by your buddies, then you know that you need to focus on climbing.
Are there any fun rides in your area, maybe 30 or 40k rides? If there are, participate in them. You might find yourself 'competing' against a bunch of cyclists that have no intention of exceeding 20km/h, but at least you will have a target.
As I have posted before, if you are the only cyclist in the area and you want a training partner, get yourself a heart rate monitor. They are great for setting targets and referencing yourself against.
Hope this helps, let us know if you need any specific training advice. I sure we can dig up some useful stuff for you.
 
Sad to say, I do not have any training partners. However, an Aussie who has been assigned to work in this country has contacted me and we should be having rides before work in a few weeks time. For now, I just train alone. Don't get me wrong though, I never bail out of a workout. I sometimes even extend/intensify the workout :)

Thanks for the advise ;D
 
I don't know how accurate this is, but my calculation that I read many years ago is like this...

220 minus your age. = maximum heart rate. Exercise should be between 60% to 80% of this figure for optimum training benefits...

I'm 40.

220 - 40 = 180. My maximum heart rate.

180 X .8 = 144

144 should be my optimum heart rate. (Max for training.) Anything higher should be detrimental.

180 X .6 = 108.

Anything less than 108 and I may as well be sitting in front of the TV.

I forget where I got this formula from but although it is not perfect, it seems to gel with what the experts come up with.

THerefore if I'm training and my heart is between 108 and 144 I am doing some beneficial training.

I also remember reading that you have to keep this rate up for at least 20 minutes before you deplete the sugar in your system and start burning fat.

40 minutes at these rates is a good workout.

If you plan on doing longer rides, then consult an expert.... or take it easy till your heart can handle this kind of pace at longer tome intervals.

A 5 hour ride with a heart beat of 80 is probably not as good as a 1 hour ride at 120 beats per minute....

I'm only a beginner though....