seriously unfit

[john74]

hi everyone, i have returned to mountain biking after a 10 year break and want to do some 100k endurance events next year, i know i dont stand a chance of winning but i would like to come in the top 60% basically i have given up a 40 a day smoking habit 6 weeks ago, changed to a completely healthy diet, and im riding off road about 4 hours a week averaging about 8 mph. has anyone got any tips or advice about training for these sort of events. if it helps im 32 years old 13 stone and 5 ft 10" tall. any help would be great.

 

[LeojVS]

I dont have ay advice, as im not in soprts science or anything, but I will say good for you!! You will notie a HUGE differance with everything you do in life when you re fit and healthy.

Best of luck to you, dont over do it, and keep motivated!!

Perhaps someone here can help you....NUDGE NUDGE to the knowledgable people here

 

[HowardSteele]

hi everyone, i have returned to mountain biking after a 10 year break and want to do some 100k endurance events next year, i know i dont stand a chance of winning but i would like to come in the top 60% basically i have given up a 40 a day smoking habit 6 weeks ago, changed to a completely healthy diet, and im riding off road about 4 hours a week averaging about 8 mph. has anyone got any tips or advice about training for these sort of events. if it helps im 32 years old 13 stone and 5 ft 10" tall. any help would be great.

Not that i'm in any way an expert but i have thought along your thoughts.
Get out there and see what your limits are and then work on your weeknesses
I do about 8-14 hours a week mountain biking,and i would have no problem ridding and finishing a 100 k event ,racing for a position is another story,My weekness would be average speed.
so i'm 46 and then i'd go for my class vet's or masters whatever,the Mtb;rs i know that participate in those catagrys do some serious training they ride 5-6 times a week and then add either gym or running as cross training.From their accounts nothing beats TITS.

 

[Rhubarb]

Not that i'm in any way an expert but i have thought along your thoughts.
Get out there and see what your limits are and then work on your weeknesses
I do about 8-14 hours a week mountain biking,and i would have no problem ridding and finishing a 100 k event ,racing for a position is another story,My weekness would be average speed.
so i'm 46 and then i'd go for my class vet's or masters whatever,the Mtb;rs i know that participate in those catagrys do some serious training they ride 5-6 times a week and then add either gym or running as cross training.From their accounts nothing beats TITS.

I find TITS helps me to no end as well. I get as many TITS as I can find and put them at then end of a long rides. It encourages me to no end and I dig really deep just to get to the TITS as quickly was possible.

Yay for TITS! They really do help. Nothing beats TITS except of course more TITS!

 

[li rider]

go slow and steady. add 5% to your weekly mileage and 5% to your longest ride each week. as for speed, can't help you since I'm stuck on that myself.

hi everyone, i have returned to mountain biking after a 10 year break and want to do some 100k endurance events next year, i know i dont stand a chance of winning but i would like to come in the top 60% basically i have given up a 40 a day smoking habit 6 weeks ago, changed to a completely healthy diet, and im riding off road about 4 hours a week averaging about 8 mph. has anyone got any tips or advice about training for these sort of events. if it helps im 32 years old 13 stone and 5 ft 10" tall. any help would be great.

 

[john74]

what are TITS. i mean i know what tits are. but what you on about.

 

[Cyclist14]

Time In The Saddle

 

[daveryanwyoming]

go slow and steady. add 5% to your weekly mileage and 5% to your longest ride each week. as for speed, can't help you since I'm stuck on that myself.

You've answered your own question there

Time in the saddle alone will never bring you speed. It will bring you much needed tough skin where it counts, will help with bike handling and will help with pure endurance (that is, the ability to spend a long time in the saddle). If you want to go faster you have to work your higher energy systems, starting with tempo work and then adding sweet spot (sub lactate threshold) and progressing to threshold work. If you want to go really fast you have to eventually work in VO2max, anaerobic endurance and if you want to sprint then some focused neuromuscular work.

I do plenty of long steady rides and am a big fan of base work but time in the saddle alone won't get the job done if you want to get faster. FWIW 5% per week is an awfully conservative ramp. If you've been doing 20 mile rides you can bump to a lot more than 21 miles. If your long rides have been comfortable at 100 miles you can easily go to more than 105 with attention to pacing and feeding yourself.

Good luck with your goal, 100km on a mtn bike (all off road or some pavement thrown in?) is a good goal and not unrealistic if you've got a while to train up to it. My wife started cycling this year and within a couple of months we did some 100km rides which she enjoyed. Racing that distance and being competitive especially if its all off piste.....well that's a bigger challenge

Good luck,
Dave

 

[Archibald]

I too am aiming for completing the 100km Otway Odyssey (in feb) mtb marathon.
at the moment, "training" is simply just getting out and riding as much as possible to establish that base level of fitness to be able to do the (probably) 8hr of riding.
I'm also doing things like 6, 8, 12 and 24hr endurance events and setting new targets to accomplish at each event with regard to number of laps and number of kms completed.
also just did the khs epic mtb marathon as a "tester" or guide to how i may fair in feb and how much i'll need to improve...
the enduros are great, as you can do them with friends in teams, which makes it more enjoyable than just slogging it out by yourself, and you can go at your own pace.