Looking into Racing In the next Couple of Months!!

[Magic Bubble]

Hey Guys

I’ve been cycling for a little over a year now where i originally started off commuting to work and back and did the odd weekend group ride...

I guess u can say ive caught the bug and am absolutely hooked on it and over the last 8 or so months all ive been doing is riding every day!!

Ive consistently been doing 300 – 400kms a week which is all i have time for but over the last maybe couple of months ive been doing around the 500kms mark...during the week mon – fri i do 60 – 70 kms a day usually feeling fresh and tend to punish myself no matter what i set out to do....tues and thurs i usually do a group ride where we ave between 35 and 40 depending on who’s there on the day!! (and when im feeling fresh i love to jump up the front and do a bit of work)

On sat i usually do a group ride (60kms med – fast ) then usually do another loop by myself afterwards to get the extra ks in my legs (maybe 100 – 120k day)

And Sunday i meet up with a bunch of guys who go up into the hills and do some really good hill climbs ends up being a very hard 100k day...

When in the hills i start off F@kin shthouse....really bad for maybe the first couple of climbs...then mid ride i finally find some form and at times am amongst the first few to get to the top and grab some points (this ****s me) usually on any ride i struggle in the first 30 min to an hr...any idea as to why this is??

Im really keen to start racing..im in relatively good shape but have fears that i might not be good enough or fit enough to do a 100- 130ks at race pace...and a few guys i ride with are doing 600 – 900k weeks which makes me think im not doing enough training!!

Also i feel as tho im struggling to get stronger...with all the extra ks ive been doing i dont feel any diff if anything iv lost some form :S

Just want to ask what would be the best prep for a 100 – 130k road race???

I have my moments where i feel fantastic and all i want to do is attack or stay up the front...and otherdays where i have my *** hangin out the back and in some cases spat out!

Any advice would be much appreciated

Cheers MB

 

[cromagnon]

I only timetrial so all I can say is power profiles of races are very erratic so it's going to hurt a beginner to racing no matter what training they've done. Stay out the wind, keep expectations low, observe the conventions, don't cause a crash or p1$$ anyone off, don't mouth off - listen to advice - and try to enjoy it.

 

[Tapeworm]

Wow, lots to cover but here goes...

Racing is difficult to summarise. The best form of training you can get is racing, and the best racing comes from training.

Have no expectations during your first few races. You may find yourself getting spat out the back in short order, you may find yourself in lead bunch heading for the finish line (and you ask yourself, "How did I get here?"...name that song )

You will soon find out what kind of racing you enjoy and that which you are good at (not always the same thing). If you feel good at the 30km mark perhaps try a longer warm-up, it can make all the difference.

Don't measure training by kms. It is easy to get into the "How many kms have you done" ****ing contest with other riders. I have seen this before, guys knocking out 600km+ per week and getting smoked because they are fatigued or lack intensity in their training. Train smart, quality over quantity. You don't need to do 130km rides to win a 130km race.

Don't drink the kool-aid of component manufacturers. The new bling wheelset, whilst a nice bit of kit, will not propel you to go 5kph faster, the carbon frame won't launch you up hill. If you can afford it, and like it then knock yourself out, just don't expect miracle.

Actually don't drink the kool-aid of a lot of the myths in cycling (which are legion). Read a lot of these sorts of forms, there is often a few professional coaches etc who lend their advice. Seek and ye shall find.

Try time trials. A very good measure of fitness (especially if you train by power) and excellent training, good for your mental tenacity.

For a 100-130km road race prep it would depend on how much lead time you have. A classic training program would have several weeks (or months) of base kms - easy pace most of the time, building in duration/distance. Then start to focus on intensity, 2 x 20mins efforts at your TT pace (see above) is an excellent way to build up your baseline aerobic fitness. Then working on some VO2 max stuff is always good to, especially in races. Things like 6 x 30sec all out efforts etc are good for the breaks.

Specificity is the key to any training where you want to excel, ie: don't work your sprints if you are looking at a good time trial.

Hope this helps!

 

[Steampunk]

The new bling wheelset, whilst a nice bit of kit, will not propel you to go 5kph faster, the carbon frame won't launch you up hill.

WHAT??