Originally Posted by
tenniscyclist
Just found this forum now and I'm relatively new to road cycling (I've ridden between 20-50 miles nearly 20 times in the past two years), but now I'm sold...ready and eager to buy a lighter, higher quality bike and ride 40-50 miles with a group twice a week or so. I have been cycling with a recreation-mindedgroup of about 20 of all ages...here's what happens: I hold my own with the group for about 30 miles (16-17 mph) but then my legs go...what was possible earlier in the ride is no longer possible...there's nothing left in my legs to hang with the group from that point on. Other than just riding with the group twice a week now and lagging badly after about 30 miles and having to tell a kind soul or two to continue on without me, is there anything I can do in the way of my own training/preparation to speed the process of being able to stay with the group for the final 15-20 miles? Thanks in advance.
From my perspective, you're probably really pushing for those 30 miles without realizing it, and exceeding your aerobic capacity. I love speed, and I'd push my heart rate into zone 4 regularly. The problem is that exercising at 80-90%of your max heart rate uses a different fuel than when you're exercising at 60-70%. The lower rates burn fat, which means you last longer, and since you're not creating lactate, you recover faster. My understanding is that if you train your body in the lower zones, your performance there will become more efficient, so you can go faster without exceeding that aerobic/anaerobic transition.
If you have a HR monitor, aim to just
put time in at HR zone 2 a couple times a week. Don't focus on speed or distance as much as riding within that zone for an hour or half an hour. If you're riding outside or on a smart trainer, you should see improvements in your pace as your body adapts to burn fat more readily.