A week in 'training'

[quote="huw williams"][quote="-Adam-"] No running

[Dombo]

I hear a lot about "junk miles" on the bike being ineffective for training. I have a couple of sportives lined up this year - nothing major like etape or marmotte, just the Dragon and the hilly Evans thing, which looks to be a combination of Andrew's excellent grimpeurs ride in Kent and TOSH or Legs of Steel. I used to regard the CR as bordering on junk mileage but if I move up a group and try hanging onto the 19s then there must be some benefit? Or am I talking out of my a***?

[Robh]

[quote="Dombo"]I hear a lot about "junk miles" on the bike being ineffective for training. I have a couple of sportives lined up this year - nothing major like etape or marmotte, just the Dragon and the hilly Evans thing, which looks to be a combination of Andrew's excellent grimpeurs ride in Kent and TOSH or Legs of Steel. I used to regard the CR as bordering on junk mileage but if I move up a group and try hanging onto the 19s then there must be some benefit? Or am I talking out of my a***?

[huw williams]

[quote="Dombo"]I hear a lot about "junk miles" on the bike being ineffective for training. I have a couple of sportives lined up this year - nothing major like etape or marmotte, just the Dragon and the hilly Evans thing, which looks to be a combination of Andrew's excellent grimpeurs ride in Kent and TOSH or Legs of Steel. I used to regard the CR as bordering on junk mileage but if I move up a group and try hanging onto the 19s then there must be some benefit? Or am I talking out of my a***?

[EdO]

I'd definitely recommend moving up a group (Training group in your case Mark) than putting on ankles weights. That's crazy talk

[Toks]

[quote="Dombo"]I hear a lot about "junk miles" on the bike being ineffective for training. I have a couple of sportives lined up this year - nothing major like etape or marmotte, just the Dragon and the hilly Evans thing, which looks to be a combination of Andrew's excellent grimpeurs ride in Kent and TOSH or Legs of Steel. I used to regard the CR as bordering on junk mileage but if I move up a group and try hanging onto the 19s then there must be some benefit? Or am I talking out of my a***?

[Ivor]

[quote]Are you doing the commute on a mountain bike, if not, why are you going so slowly.

[quote="huw williams"][quote="mlocke"]A normal week in ‘training’
Would appreciate comments, suggestions and or ridicule from those with more experience / expertise than myself.

[Dombo]

[quote="huw williams"]

You are talking out of your arse - the hilly Evans thing looks likely to be as 'major' as anything in the UK

[huw williams]

Depends on what kind of rider you are of course but I reckon the KotD might well be as hard as the Marmotte.

I find the Dragon, Etape and Marmotte are 'easier' in terms of climbing because they tend to be long steady climbs (Alpe d'Huez aside - there's nothing steady about that) so the stress factor is never too high in pursuit of gold standards. The Surrey Hills is different though - that often feels VERY hard if you go for a fast time (sub 4 hours) as there's no other way to get up some of those shorter steeper climbs (21% being the worst) than at very high intensity. The Evans KotD combines the best of the Surrey Hills with a lot of the Hell of the Ashdown which is hard in its own right.

So I'm preparing for a much tougher day in Kent/Surrey than I am in France

Are you doing the Dragon again this year? If so be warned - that new start is Devilish and will add a good 45 minutes of hills (before you go up the first big climb of Bwlch) onto last year's route

[Dombo]

Yep, signed up for the Dragon. Taken on board your comments re KotD and shall treat it with the respect it deserves.

[huw williams]

[quote="Dombo"]Yep, signed up for the Dragon. Taken on board your comments re KotD and shall treat it with the respect it deserves.

[mlocke]

Cheers for the info guys - I will respond to some of the comments in a little while

Cheers

Locky

[Andrew G]

Just get the miles in and eat flapjack .

Re junk miles, it's a lovely subject and a phrase interpreted in as many ways as LSD is so I'm not going to bother going down that route - what's "junk" to one rider isn't to another.

I don't think it's rocket science - if you're training for short events (sprint tri, 10s & 25s, crits) then shorter hard intensity stuff will work well. If you're training for longer events that need more endurance (3-4hr RR, 100s, sportives) then you need some endurance training. No doubt I'll be shot down as per usual but if I'm going to do 100 mile TTs or say a 6 hour sportive then I'm not doing it based on short hard efforts which allow me to cover the first half quickly and then hit a wall. If you're doing a sportive with lots of steep/long hills then train by riding up steep/long hills.

There's exceptions to every rule, but there's no need to do 4/5 hour tempo rides to race 10s in the same way riding 100s off the back of short intervals isn't the wisest plan.

Firstly cheers for the info guys I will try to take it all onboard – those useful bits atleast

The weights

I think one or two go the wrong end of the stick with regard to the weights. They are on my bike, under my seat post and another at the front. Both are on my heavier commuting bike.

My theory behind this is that a heavier bike would make riding generally harder so that when I get back on my lighter racing bike the ‘training’ effect of being on the heavy bike with additional weight would be felt.

Moving up a group

I still have to be careful of my hip and back. I still feel the effects of the injury from last August most days after doing some form of exercise be that Swimming, Running or Cycling. I recently got back from a long weekend in Paris where I walked miles and it was more painful as a result than it has been for some time.

For this reason I do not think that jumping straight into the training group is an option as if I aggravate it this could put me back months again. Therefore I would like to take smaller steps and be happy that the parts of my body can cope with the stress before moving up again.

The socks

Black is the new white! 

Commuting / Junk Miles

Firstly, I commute on my heavier racing bike but with a bag.

To answer the questions with regard to the speed: I haven’t been too fussed with the speed/intensity of my commute as I have used it as a means to get somewhere. I hate taking the train and it saves me nearly £7 a day which I can use to buy other things. I find it is quite stop – start due to traffic and lights, but this has helped to improve my track stand skills which I use to impress the car drivers while waiting for the lights to change (that is until I fall off  )

Previously when my commute was longer – about 16 – 18 miles each way I was actually much quicker as there were faster sections in which the average could be upped.

Nothing to prepare for the specific demands of it

I agree & disagree with this comment really. Correct me if I am wrong here but I think the point you are making is that the sprint is a short high intensity race so I should be training that way?

However, for the last 6 weeks I have been learning to swim which has involved three sessions a week in the pool. For me as someone who was worse than Mr Green at swimming before the lessons began this has been quite physically draining. Therefore I have cut back on the intensity of other events (particularly the running) to allow me to have more energy for the swimming.

Prior to the swimming lessons (which end next week) I was running a three mile course 3 times a week. These runs were reasonably intense and my times dropped dramatically from around 29mins to low 22mins in the course of a couple of weeks. I think that a realistic target for me in the 3.5mile run would be just under 20 mins (I aint no gazelle)

Surely as I have been running, cycling & swimming this is specific training as it is the events that I will be competing in - albeit at the wrong intensity!

My Goals

My main target is the Tri in August

Secondary target is Palace and trying to do as well as possible

The Plan

- I think I may persevere with the weights on my bike for a bit longer as I cant see how this can do any harm (I felt the effects on Saturday)

- Two, four mile runs a week building on the speed with a target time of 25mins

-Keep up the swimming trying to go minimum twice a week building on the swimming specific fitness

- Still commute 3-4 days a week but have slow days with other days including specific intense efforts. This will be easier once the nights get lighter.



[quote]you're a slightly above average club cyclist