Originally Posted by
700wheel
Thank you for replying. All of the information you provided is very useful, specially the third and fourth link. That's the kind of information I was looking for. Just a general guide as to what kind of exercises these guys do and how much. I realize that it's all relevant to a persons fitness level and that's why it's hard to come up with one training program that fits all. I know something about nutrition so that I won't have a problem with.
Originally Posted by
carleton
Everyone here has been in your position and it comes up a few times a year. "If it comes up so often, why isn't the answer stickied up top?!" Well, asking about training plans is like asking, "How long is a piece of string?"
It is very, very difficult to prescribe a months long personalized training program via a message board. It just is. Mainly because there are micro, meso, and macro things involved.
- Macro: Your annual plan...or even multi-year plan. Remember, it takes 4 years to become good. It takes 8 years to become great.
- Meso: What your focus is during a particular phase of the year (off season, winter training, pre-season, race season, peaking...etc...) to meet the Macro goals.
- Micro: What you do during a particular workout to meet the Meso goals.
The most you can hope to find on the inernet is for people to paint in very broad strokes and talk in generalities (e.g. "Focus on raw strength in the winter." or "Focus on top speed during the weeks leading up to your big event for the year."
And as 700wheel notes, you may be able to find some generic plans that would benefit most new racers.
That being said, the most effective way to use this forum in particular is to ask specific questions ("Is the XYZ frame available in 60cm?") or for opinions with boundaries ("What do you think of ABC cranks vs XYZ cranks?"). Open-ended questions ("What's the best frame?") usually don't get you the info you are looking for.
I hope this helps.
It does help, thank you. Like i mentioned earlier I can imagine that it's all relevant to a persons fitness level and depending on where you're at your training routine will look completely different. It's basically the same for any other sport. I was just curious to know what the experienced guys do for training and what that looks like.
Originally Posted by
Baby Puke
What kind of races do you do on the track?
I don't race, however, I do keep up with the fit guys who come out on their road bikes, and the majority of the times I over take them, not because I'm "faster" necessarily but because I just have way more endurance than they do. The track I go to is flat, it's out in the open so the wind it brutal. For me to hold 21-22mph for 20 miles in under an hour (after 20 that's when my back starts to hurt, but just the other day I pushed it to 26 and I completed it in an hour 10 minutes) it takes everything I got.
Originally Posted by
brawlo
Firstly, I'm a self classified sprinter, so take whatever I write with a grain of salt, but I've been around the game for long enough now to know a few things.
On the surface, your Monday ride seems like a tempo style effort. Is it on relatively flat ground? Also from what you've posted I'll assume that enduro style races are what you're aiming at.
Intensity is what you want IMO. Solid 45-60min crit style race intensity and the corresponding strength and fitness are what you want if you're aiming to be at the top in track enduro. I watched a friend train for worlds last year. He was absolutely smashing his goals. Strong as hell on a 45min road TT and our club races of up to 45km, but when it came to the track scratch/points/ITT, he was left eating dust. Sure he was strong, but these track events are a different beast at the higher levels and hitting hard and bouncing back to hit hard again and again are what it takes, and you need to train for that. What exactly that involves I can't actually answer, but I'm going to have a crack and say shorter intervals at high intensity with reduced rest once the season draws near. Leading up to that time, just getting fit enough to handle the workouts is what you want, with what you're doing even may be enough for now.
I finally made my ascension into club A-grade and open event B-grade when I was out on the road working my way up to hanging with the fast guys on their early morning bunch ride. There was no holding back on the tempo to keep it together, it was hold on or see you back at the coffee shop. I was my fittest when I became able to consistently hold on for the sprint to the city limits
My monday effort is completely flat. Picture a running track, but with a bike lane on the side, that's what it looks like. The whole thing is one mile long. I try to aim for endurance because that's what has given me the best results to be honest. Sometimes I switch it up, for example this monday instead of going balls to the wall, I did the same effort instead I slowed down after 10 miles, drank a little bit of water, and then kept going. On some weeks I'll do the monday effort two days in a row, then do a recovery ride the next day, then hit it hard again the following day, then finally on the fifth day I do a full body workout.