Cheers blanche.
I'm curious to see how I would get on in another one next year, based exclusively on road work?
The build would be ;
3 month long cross season.
A low key road season
several 200/300/400km Audaxes
A 12 hour TT
Plus regular weekly club commitments.
I've done 11 solos in the past so know the pitfalls, plus I feel like I've had a good and needed break from them.
I only started this thread out of curiosity to see what the top riders are doing, I wasn't really looking for training advice for myself, although it's always worth picking up tips wherever I can.
At 48 years old and 95kg, no amount of training is going to get me up to elite level.
You gave away at least 4 laps, how much further would that have moved you up
do you vary the pace of your rides much?
There is also the sampling rate of the powermeter to take into account. Most are around 1 second, but Mountain Bike power output can change even within a second, which might be missed in the data.
Yes, good point. I would've thought that tools like Quadrant Analysis in WKO would be very useful though.
erm, my tuppense is less scientific.
Dont use powermeters, and even my diet is at best shit.
I would stick to 12 hours or less events, for some reason 24hrs hasn't done anything for me to compete in them.
Stick to doing mainly road miles, and some road races, things that teach you to have good pedalling technique and different ranges of power and increase/decrease in speed.
I just like getting out and riding, i dont do hill reps etc, just do what i feel, but i try and do at least 2 group sessions a week.
You also get to a point in these events when your default speed, the speed you slow down to when ( inevitably at some point) your body takes a break, is still actually quite quick compared to other around you, and this may take a while to recover from, or until you call on yourself to attempt to up the tempo ( being caught ). Its also mental attitude, your mind plays numbing tricks on you at best of times telling you to quit and its getting through these ( and mechanical issues).
Great thread! I'm nowhere near as fit as I should be and this sort of thread is inspirational. I was once told that summer races are won in winter. If only the winter was 25 degrees and light until ten....
" I was once told that summer races are won in winter."
100% - and youd be surprised how little more you actually need to do in winter(as long as your consistently riding at a good pace) to see a marked improvement on your results (unless your expert/elite and everyones serious)
I was once told that summer races are won in winter."
True, but be careful. For years I worked hard over winter and it was always commented on that I seemed to be going strong, but come May I'd start going backwards. Peaking too soon.
Great thread.
Training's great, I like doing it as much as the next person, but choosing your parents well is the best prep you can possibly do. As has already been said - those doing well at 24hrs will be doing pretty well at 2.
There are plenty of compelling arguments out there for the training only affecting a relatively small percentage of overall performance & the remainder is a combination of mental ability plus genetic potential.
I love the feeling of going out on a baltic, wet and dark winter training ride, knowing that most others wont bother.
but choosing your parents well is the best prep you can possibly do
very true, unfortunately...
You can make up a lot for it though by having the right head on your shoulders though.
I created a training plan based on this
http://www.mont24.com.au/gear/?IntCatId=25&IntContId=7531
to fit in with my life and it was still tough, I didnt manage to follow it to the letter.
Thats was to compete in my first 24hr Solo Mayhem. I'm a fairly old git with lots of previous injuries but I didn't want to just survive..
I finished 28th, mostly due to waiting on the last lap as I didn't want to do the final lap and finish an hour later, I really didn't like the course but I was surprised how good I felt. I could have gone faster in two ways, stopped less and upped the pace but I wanted to be very careful not to blow up.
I quickly discovered I needed a HR monitor and a turbo trainer!!
Lots on here are more accomplished and focused on training than I but I can see there is loads of great advice.
The biggest realisation was when Mike Hall said don't stop, that is the killer, amazing how a slower pace without stopping is faster over 24hrs.
5mins a lap over 24hrs is 125mins or 2 hours, 2 laps!!!
I will be aiming to compete more in future I think...
First lap was a nightmare too with someone being taken off course due to injury causing a huge queue and a half hour wait...forgot that..
I finished it thinking I would only do the one and that team racing was more fun, but having then raced 24/12 in a team, i found myself wishing I was solo!! Go figure..
Nicolai would be a good strong choice by the way Graham, but I've said that before...
amazing how a slower pace without stopping is faster over 24hrs
It's just like when you overtake a caravan on the motorway. A couple of hours later you pull in to a service station have a quick wee get on the road again drive for another 2 hours and then pass the same dam caravan.
Ha, dead right, why I was always quicker on my old BMW bike, it wasn't fast but it had a HUGE fuel tank!
I tend to plough my own furrow that can involve 24 hrs at a stretch and I've found commuting by bike to be destructive for training. Too unfocused (neither fast or slow, traffic, lights) and too easy to do when you should be resting instead. I got on better with working from home and training on the turbo in the winter. It was lucky that I could do that but it made me realise not to lean too much on the commute.
If you have lots of other life commitments, poor quality bike time is poison.
Being a novice enduro rider for several years I still find the bulid up fantastic with training but then post event I feel deflated and riding efforts drops for a good 2-3 weeks. Anybody else get this ?
Considering going the turbo trainer route. Single so I can put it in front the TV and I could do some serious base mileage. The one really positive thing about training is my riding pleasure has improved, Im quicker, better rider now that I have a good fitness level. Im enjoying my MTB a lot more.
Is there a good site that explains how to train using a power meter?
Fantastic thread, inspirational stuff, makes me want to ditch the road bike next year.
Is there a good site that explains how to train using a power meter?
i found the 14 day program on this http://www.training4cyclists.com/vo2-max-booster-program-%E2%80%93-intervals-targeted-for-vo2-max/ to be good. You need a good base of course, which is painful and ever so boring to build on a turbo.
I used to extend my ride home from work (to about 1.5 hours) and ride at the weekend 3 hours plus to prepare for the 12 hour i was doing. It was my first one (and last) and came 5th i think in my group. You need motivation, mine was to beat the lad 10 years my junior that worked in my bike shop. You might also need some paracetamol, i know i did.
Basically you need a good base, to circumvent fatigue and injury - and available 'top end' speed, that you may never use during the race, but will mean that you are always working at well below your max, and not burning your matches.
Above all - never give up, and never stop, until you have destroyed the junior employee/mate/old fat lady/yourself etc.
I might do another one some day, knee permitting - good luck.
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