tips for training for 1st race

[senzed]

Hi,
I want to start road racing next spring but i have no expereince with road bikes at all. I'm 16 right now and I'm in fairly good shape.
I do about 70-80 miles a week on my mountain bike since early july (saving up for a road bike). there is this 12 mile route i do about 6-8 times a week. it takes me around 45 minutes to do it.
I have no idea if my 'training' is working at all, since my time of that 12 miles has not improved over the last month. Is there any specific training that i should do, such as intervals or more hills since i'm really bad with hills. Should i do more/less miles each week? I have no idea how to start. any suggestions would be appreciated.
Since I plan to get a race license next spring, I've got a good 6 months to train.

thanks.

 

[serottarider]

Hi there,

You're riding your mountain bike between 4 and 6 hours a week if I'm reading this right. It also sounds as if you're riding that 12 mile loop once each time you're out.

Because you're a newish rider, with about 6 or 7 weeks of riding under your belt, plus the fact that you're 16 and therefore still growing, it may be just a little early to get into speedwork yet.

What I'd suggest you do is that you vary your weekly training a bit. Increase the mileage on one or two of your rides until you're doing the 12-mile loop twice. Please don't increase mileage more than 10% in any one week. Take one day each week as a day off the bike. Don't even think of riding on that day!

Is there a club in your local area? If there is, see if they offer a Junior development program. That way you'll be working with experienced coaches and riders who can help you to avoid some of the potential pitfalls involved with training.

The Chris Carmichael/Lance Armstrong Performance Program book is a great starting place for advice in the absence of a club or a coach.

Good luck!

 

[2LAP]

Which country do you live in?

 

[senzed]

I also found this hill. It's about 150 feet up and 1 mile long so it's not that hard to do, but it's still a bit challenging to me. Should I devote a day or two each week just to doing that hill over and over again to improve my climbing or does the 12 mile loop have an equal effect since it also includes a few, but not very many hills.

I live in massachussetts.

 

[senzed]

and If I were to work on my climbing, should I go with longer, less sloped hills (a mile at 3-4%), or shorter much more sloped ones (1/4 mile at 10-14%).

 

[2LAP]

Originally posted by senzed
I also found this hill. It's about 150 feet up and 1 mile long so it's not that hard to do, but it's still a bit challenging to me. Should I devote a day or two each week just to doing that hill over and over again to improve my climbing or does the 12 mile loop have an equal effect since it also includes a few, but not very many hills.

I live in massachussetts.

Sorry, I don't know much about massachussetts (there are some good setups in the UK). Find your self a club and a coach as a priority.

Training over and over up a hill is never going to be a good way to train. Check out the threads talking about VO2 max, LT and interval training (particularly those by RicStern).

 

[2LAP]

Originally posted by senzed
and If I were to work on my climbing, should I go with longer, less sloped hills (a mile at 3-4%), or shorter much more sloped ones (1/4 mile at 10-14%).

That depends upon your goals and how you ride the hill (intervals, intesity, rest, repetitions, sets, etc.). There are too many variables to answer a question like that.

Perhpas if you provide more information

 

[senzed]

I'm not even sure what my goals are yet. maybe I'll find out later on.

can you give me a link to a good VO2 max or LT or interval training threads?

thanks.

 

[zakeen]

Well personally ridding that hill a few times will do you some good! In the Head! thats what counts at your age! Not your training!

Sorry 2Lap!!!

You say the hill is 1.6km long, once a week I would advice you do that hill three times in a row, pushing a little gear SITTING DOWN!! while riding up hill sitting down makes you have the perfect and efficent padel technic!! Dont do this hill had for your heart rate but it might feel hard on your legs!

There is two different types of training, your heart and your legs! We are only training your legs here for technic.

Now you saw you are 16! Dont even think about VO2 Max or anything like that! You are so young it is not funny! Just ride what is fun and dont over do it!

I would say in a week:
2X long rides
2X That hill 3 times, with warm up and warm down!
2X a middle length ride

thats a six day week! So have a day off! You do have six months and its a long time, long rides are a good base for you the 3 times up that hill will be good for you head and technic! You will also find it is good time trial work! And the middle length rides are a recovery and just to add a few more miles in!

Dont push each session to see if you are getting fater or not!

What is a long ride???

Thats up to you! I dont know you level but a long ride should be easy completed on a easy level! You should not be dead afterwards!

good luck!

 

[senzed]

thanks a lot

 

[zakeen]

Dont over train!

You learn from your mistakes! trust me!

 

[senzed]

speaking of which, I should probably be trying to up hte intensity every week so that I'll be imrpoving right?
Do i want to increase the distance a bit more every week, or should i try to increase the speed? about the speed thing, I never seem to get any faster. I still get the same time for the 12 miles now as i did 2 weeks ago. are there any specific excercises (maybe intervals) that I could to to improve my speed?

 

[2LAP]

Originally posted by zakeen
Well personally ridding that hill a few times will do you some good! In the Head! thats what counts at your age! Not your training!

Sorry 2Lap!!!

>I mean't that riding up and down a hill wasn't a good way to train because 1. its dull, 2. its unplanned, 3. you don't know how your body will respond. More riding should be done at a range of intensities and definatly with a club and guidance from a coach.

You say the hill is 1.6km long, once a week I would advice you do that hill three times in a row, pushing a little gear SITTING DOWN!! while riding up hill sitting down makes you have the perfect and efficent padel technic!! Dont do this hill had for your heart rate but it might feel hard on your legs!

Now you saw you are 16! Dont even think about VO2 Max or anything like that! You are so young it is not funny! Just ride what is fun and dont over do it!

>At 16 you are metabolicaly like an adult so all of the training for adults will be appropriatly, it just needs to be scaled for your previous training, individual ability, age, etc. There is no need to pay attention to the terms LT or VO2, but the suggested sessions would be good ones for you to ride.

 

[zakeen]

Originally posted by 2Lap

At 16 you are metabolicaly like an adult so all of the training for adults will be appropriatly, it just needs to be scaled for your previous training, individual ability, age, etc. There is no need to pay attention to the terms LT or VO2, but the suggested sessions would be good ones for you to ride.

2laps going to hate me!!!

I dont beleive that a 16 year old can be compare to an adult at all. When I was 16 I was weak as!!! I did even ride a bike! Top pros are old! Look at the UCI Top 100 they are around 27 and older you might find 5 huys in the total of 100 that are younger! so if there is a difference from 23 to 30 then there is a difference from 16.

I believed that when you are under 19 you are only talent! you can improve who you are with training but not buy huge amounts! Top Pros arent Top Riders when they were 23, the top guys are the ones that did not give up and kept at it!

So dont over do it! To improve your speed you cant just do your laps faster, Try doing a little interval work! try 30seconds on and then 2mins off. The 30 seconds is a fast pace that you can complete and finish the session with. The 2mins is for recovery so that you can do your 30seconds hard again.

This rides overall time will be slower then your normal ride. The object is if you put all of those 30seconds together you might have ridden you would have done about 18 - 30second rides at a pace that you could not do out right!

Meaning 18 - 30second efforts is 9mins, so 9mins out of the 45mins it takes you to complete a lap is hard. But if you rode for 9mins straight at the same tempo as you did efforts in that lap, it should not be possible, then so you are riding to slow in your efforts!

This is how interval helps you to improve! because at the end of the session you have completed 9mins of hard ridding that you could not do normally! but your legs have dont them!

There are many ways of explaning this and it is quite hard!

OK have a look at this link below, this should help a little!:

http://www.zakeen.com/zkn_training/session.php?session_id=37&athlete_id=1&season_id=1&week=3&day=3

there is a graph with 21 sprints up a mountain. I use mountains to do my sprints cause its harder, DONT YOU DO THIS!!! but if you add up the times that I sprint up this mountain and put them together it is a very fast time!! I am not able to do this together, but give me a break between I can complete it! understand! So when I am resting in bed I have completed half this hill flat out at a very fast pace! - this is how interval work is done and why, it also gives your heart rate a good workout and improve recovery!

BUT WHAT YOU SEE DONT DO! I MEAN THIS, if you are a first rookie you must start from scatch! thats why I do 1 mins on and 1 min off and I advise you do to 30seconds on and 2 mins off. You will improve this later but that is later and do a couple of weeks with 30/2:00 then 30/1:45, 30/1:30,30/1:15,30/1:00 and maybe 45/1:00

all depends on how you feel! and where you are at!

But remeber you are young and have years to go and if you ever want to be a top cyclist you wont peak untill you are 28-31! so dont rush!

 

[ric_stern/RST]

zakeen,

see the aerobic condition/too much speed work thread

Ric

Originally posted by zakeen
So dont over do it! To improve your speed you cant just do your laps faster, Try doing a little interval work! try 30seconds on and then 2mins off. The 30 seconds is a fast pace that you can complete and finish the session with. The 2mins is for recovery so that you can do your 30seconds hard again.

This rides overall time will be slower then your normal ride. The object is if you put all of those 30seconds together you might have ridden you would have done about 18 - 30second rides at a pace that you could not do out right!

 

[senzed]

how many times should I do intervals each week? They sound wicked painful if they were to be done mroe than 2 or 3 times a week.

 

[zakeen]

SLOW DOWN!!!!!!

Only once for you!! and easy! very easy.

remeber your 16 please take it easy

@ricstern - I dont know what you mean by looking at that link. can you explain more please!

 

[ric_stern/RST]

Originally posted by zakeen
SLOW DOWN!!!!!!

Only once for you!! and easy! very easy.

remeber your 16 please take it easy

@ricstern - I dont know what you mean by looking at that link. can you explain more please!

Zakeen,

You mention 30-sec type intervals a lot on the previous page. This link/thread http://www.cyclingforums.com/t38207.html is questioning the validity of such short intervals.

Ric

 

[zakeen]

well...... I beleive its very important, for racing!!! might not improve much of your tech figures, but the topic above states for a road road.

Road race is one of the only races from start to finish where it uses all systems, yes, you are crusing at the start and then you make a attack(sprint flat out) and then you TT to get away from the group, come to a hill pushing it hard, get caught, more attacks, someone counter attacks and sprint finish.

The heart goes up and down and up and down! Interval sessions are a race simulation, you can be the best TT in the world but you will get dropped if there are to many attackes in your race or you will get beated in the sprint!!

He wants to train for a road race, and when they do there first attack, his heart will be ready with an interval session!

I fully understand where you are coming from but forums are open for many different ideas.

You can be the best rider in the world on paper but someone next to you who will want it more and desire it more will beat you! Interval sessions are geat for your head and I think thats where 60% of racing comes down to, whats in your head!

 

[ric_stern/RST]

I don't disagree that 30-sec intervals (etc) aren't important -- however, they're the "icing on the cake". The original poster is looking at long term development, which i suited by increasing fitness all round (e.g., LT and VO2 max).

The ability to recover from an attack etc is how well your aerobic system is developed, which relies on a high power at LT and VO2 max, neither of which are very well trained by 30-sec intervals (although they will add some fitness).

People tend to get dropped, not because they can't generate a high enough power output, but because they can't recover from it. This requires a high aerobic capacity. For example, i can attack as hard as any euro pro, but i don't recover from the effort as quickly as they do, and can't settle into a rhythm (power at LT) that's high enough for me to stay away.

Even sports psychologists will tell you, that in (endurance) cycling far more depends on your physical fitness than your mental state.

Ric

Originally posted by zakeen
well...... I beleive its very important, for racing!!! might not improve much of your tech figures, but the topic above states for a road road.

Road race is one of the only races from start to finish where it uses all systems, yes, you are crusing at the start and then you make a attack(sprint flat out) and then you TT to get away from the group, come to a hill pushing it hard, get caught, more attacks, someone counter attacks and sprint finish.

The heart goes up and down and up and down! Interval sessions are a race simulation, you can be the best TT in the world but you will get dropped if there are to many attackes in your race or you will get beated in the sprint!!

He wants to train for a road race, and when they do there first attack, his heart will be ready with an interval session!

I fully understand where you are coming from but forums are open for many different ideas.

You can be the best rider in the world on paper but someone next to you who will want it more and desire it more will beat you! Interval sessions are geat for your head and I think thats where 60% of racing comes down to, whats in your head!