Riding versus Training
Originally Posted by
bruised
I'm just over a year into riding a bike after many years as a couch potato. Progress has been good…but…..I'm feeling like my fitness has hit a plateau. I'm sure it's a normal consequence of 'adaptation'….
So I've thought about it and what I've come up with is this - there's a big difference between riding and training. I've been focused on the former and have given little thought over the months to the latter.
I've been thinking about this transition for a while but I haven't been certain that I wanted to apply myself and make the extra effort. Now I'm thinking that it's the only way to advance.
So I'm wondering - have any of you over 50's been through this thought process? Sacrificing some of your recreational riding time and introducing more intense training methods, to try to boost your fitness? I'm not talking about tackling the occasional hill, I'm thinking of something more structured.
I don't want to race or do anything competitive …Thoughts…ideas….tips….feedback….suggestions....all would be appreciated.
Originally Posted by
Gyrine
You might take a look at Carmichael's "The Time Crunched Cyclist." He offers very detailed training plans that have no other purpose than to improve your stamina and pace. Just a mix of hard training and regular rides. His program lasts 11 weeks with hard training 2, sometimes 3, times during the week and just rides on the weekend (occausionally with some short intervals).
Originally Posted by
Jim from Boston
...writing [my preceding post] does motivate me after summarizing my, "Thoughts…ideas….tips….feedback….suggestions...." as requested above.
… The RPE (Rating of Perceived Exertion) scale ranges from 6 to 17, with descriptions of the intensity (10x the RPE is an approximation of the heart rate at that level of exertion). Jim's scale is the equivalent on a 0 to 100 scale, easier to think about:
6, resting...10 to 20
7, very, very light...20 to 30
9, very light...30 to 40
11, fairly light...50 (my usual happy-go-lucky pace / exertion)
13, somewhat hard...60
15, hard...70
17, very hard (lactate threshold; breakpoint between hard but steady breathing and labored with gasping)...80 (my max HR)
19, very, very hard...90 to 100.
So on my ride this morning, I formulated for myself my
“Time-restricted, Personally Ambitious, but Non-competitive Cyclist Training Routine.”
Using the mileage goals in my
aforementioned Ten Week Century Training Schedule, for weekday rides (of from 14 to 30 miles):
- First mile at RPE about 30 -50
- Next five miles at RPE 50 (one year I monitored the mileage at which I spontaneously felt completely warmed up, at about 6 miles)
- Then at RPE 60 for usual terrain (increased RPE as a function of power and cadence)
- RPE at 70 up hills
- RPE of 50 to recover on downhlls for a minute or two
- RPE of 50 for last 2-3 miles
- For long (40 to 75 mile) week end rides, ride a comfortable pace
Addendum: See follow-up post #38.