4 rides a week

[Toolish]

I am looking to establish a pretty standard weekly structure for the next few months. I have time for 4 rides a week, what should they be.

At the moment one is gonig to be a long ride, on is going to be intervals based around 2 x 20, what should the other 2 rides focus on.

I know it is a very open question but asking anyhow!

[foo on patrol]

What are you wanting to achieve, as in goals?

[toolonglegs]

a VO2 session,threshold,sprints,SST and endurance...depends where you are now and were you want to be.
2x20 can mean a lot of things....90%-100%-110%...etc.
Power meter?...good at perceived efforts?.

[twizzle]

Four days is too vague, how many hours?

[Toolish]

Sorry about the vagueness of the question.

What are you wanting to achieve, as in goals?

Main aim to get quicker over the 90km bike leg of a Half Ironman triathlon, also will hopefully be doing some road racing, but main goal is longer TT''s as part of triathlon.

a VO2 session,threshold,sprints,SST and endurance...depends where you are now and were you want to be.
2x20 can mean a lot of things....90%-100%-110%...etc.
Power meter?...good at perceived efforts?.

What do all those things at the start mean?
No power meter, is on the top of the list for the next thing I do. Ride based of heart rate and RPE at the moment. 2 x 20's I do is basically a 20 min TT (just under full TT effort actually) with 2 min gap then another 20 min TT. Heart rate wise I make sure to stay in Zone 4 of the Friels zones for the 20 mins.

Four days is too vague, how many hours?

Long ride up to 4 hours but I don't have the fitness for that yet. 2 other sessions of an hour and the last session I can probably stretch to 90 mins.

Hope hte extra info helps...should have included it for a start!

[toolonglegs]

For TT's you need to improve your ftp pure and simple.Loads of SST (sweet spot training ) & threshold work then I suppose more VO2 / above threshold efforts coming into your goal events to get a good peak before tapering a touch for race day.
But if you haven't got the fitness for a 4 hour ride yet then I don't think 20 minute intervals are needed yet either ...personally I would get involved in some 2 to 3 hour bunch rides that push you a bit (but not too much) and build up your fitness level while having fun.You would want to be able to cope with hard 2hr rides at least before really getting specific.
also IMO 2 minutes between 20 minute intervals isn't enough...make it 10 minutes.
Getting a power meter (especially for TT"s!!!) will help you immensely...pacing well by power in a long TT (2 hours plus) will possibly improve your time by up to 20% in a fairly short time.
But I am no expert...just know what works for me.
Talk to someone like ALex...he does basic plans pretty cheap IIRC.

[twizzle]

Four days is too vague, how many hours?

Long ride up to 4 hours but I don't have the fitness for that yet. 2 other sessions of an hour and the last session I can probably stretch to 90 mins.

Yep... not enough. Pick up a copy of "The Time Crunched Cyclist". It's a training program for people on restricted training hours. Hours in the saddle is extremely important for building of aerobic base, and the rule of thumb is 10+ hours a week. If you can't get the hours in, then you have to go for intensity instead, but you end up with a very small competition window - only a couple of weeks. FWIW - I ramped up too hard through Sept/Oct after a slow winter and ended up peaking in December.

[Toolish]

I have ordered the Time Crunched Cyclist...while I await arrival I will be doing more 2 x 20 and building the long ride up. Thanks for the input!

[steve-waters]

*** I am no expert or trainer ***

Toolish - I think TLL touched/said it - you need to focus on your base first this will be in Zone 3 at a guess (the 70% - 75%) and lots of it. It is all about time on detention.

Mix in small amounts of high intensity stuff to keep a bit of sharpness but this is not the focus in the early stages, it is the Zone 3 stuff that your body needs to adapt to for the endurance required for the Half IM.

Also if you are new to the cycling thing you should also focus on riding technique - this will greatly improve efficiency and performance.

I presume you are also training for running - which is probably taking a similar approach build the base first this will help with performance in the long run and injury prevention as your body adapts to the rigours of increased training.

Once you have a good solid base then get concerned with 20 min TT's, threshold work, sprints etc etc.....

All this is coming from a non-expert Alex has the knowledge - but the basic jist of my reply is work for long term results and sustainability not try cheat and get super quick pay back that will either burn you out or not allow you to reach full potential.

And remember the most important part of all of this is to have fun!!

You got a Half IM in mind at this stage that you want to do?

[Xponti]

I agree, I am currently doing the Time Crunched Cyclist and the BIGGEST thing BEFORE doing the 8 week program is that you haven't burnt yourself out with other high intensity workloads. Go and do some endurance rides with your HR between 50% and 80% max, (preferably in the lower range of this, the Pro's when they are doing Endurance Miles sit at low speeds 30-35km/hr). When you get the Time Crunched Cyclist, work back 8 weeks from when you want to peak, and aim to start your program from there, otherwise you will peak too early. As has been said, you only have a small window before your performance will decline.

This program is not easy if you are doing it right. Your legs will be tired, you will be tired, but you WILL pick up speed and time over the 90KM. I have found that about 80km is the limit on a hard road race before I start to feel like I am going to cramp, and my legs start to go, but for a paced TT this program will improve your times.

Good luck with your training.

[Toolish]

Thanks all for the replies. Probably should have given more background.

I have been riding for just over 2 years, only really average 3-4 hours a week on the bike. I did Shepparton Half Ironman last year and did the bike leg in about 3:05. Goal is to get that down to 2:45 for this years event (assuming it is on).

Since starting this thread I have been doing 4-5 rides a week. 1 long ride in Zone 2, 2 x interval sessions and a Zone 3 test session around a standard track. The 5th ride is just a Z2 cruise if I find time. Once a month I am doing a 20km TT to measure progress.

Has only been a month, but I am feeling stronger on the bike over shorter distances, need to build endurance back up a lot though. It is hard to find time for a long ride week in and week out so I have missed a couple which doesn't help.

[snark]

... preferably in the lower range of this, the Pro's when they are doing Endurance Miles sit at low speeds 30-35km/hr ...

Am I the only one who felt somewhat deflated at "low speeds"?

Cheers,
Simon.

[steve-waters]

ah yea just slow speeds for miles and miles....

[Xponti]

... preferably in the lower range of this, the Pro's when they are doing Endurance Miles sit at low speeds 30-35km/hr ...

Am I the only one who felt somewhat deflated at "low speeds"?

Cheers,
Simon.

Sorry, For the Pro's that is low, as I understand it. I had the pleasure of chasing down the Dutch squad at the Worlds when they were out for an easy spin the day before the race. I absolutely hammered myself to catch them, and then only got them because they stopped at a red light (see even the pro's obey traffic laws). I then sat on the back for a bit while they meandered along at around 30-33km/hr.

[foo on patrol]

The idea is, to get your legs used to doing the distance and incorporate intensity into your normal training.