phillydcbiker

Can anyone here provide me with some advice for my scheduling situation? I’m going to race for the first time this collegiate season. Races are on the weekends. Right now my academic schedule consists of one class mid-afternoon Monday, classes from 1pm-5pm on Tuesday and Thursday and one class mid-afternoon Wednesday with a Lab at night.

The problem comes in with the last class which I am trying to schedule. There are two times available – either Tuesday/Thursday 11-12:30 or Wed 9 Am/Friday 1pm.

Right now I have most of Monday, Wednesday and all of Friday free and this will let me ride more or less anytime during the day.

I’m not sure though if that is helpful, considering races are on the weekends. I’d likely be recovering on Monday and it probably would not be wise to push myself on Friday, the day before races.

Currently that just leaves Wednesday for hard riding. I could also train on Tuesday/Thursday before 1PM but I’m likely going to have to put that class in at 11AM.

Is it realistically feasible for me to get any meaningful training in before 11am two days a week? I know that leaves 4 or 5 hours (If I get up at 6 or 7AM), but since I’m not really a morning person I don’t know if I’d be able to do that.

If you were in my shoes, what would you do? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Duke of Kent

I'm in the same situation, but have it a little worse. I have 17 credit hours, with 24 total hours of class time. Also, I have to work 3 mornings a week from 7:30 to 11:30. Our group rides will move back, later in the evening, as the time change happens and the days get longer. Most days, I don't get out until 4 or 5 due to afternoon labs. As such, I can only make it to 2 of the 4 group rides each week. One of those is one of the two hard rides for the week, luckily.

Here's my solution: I ride my rollers/trainer for the same length of time that it would normally take me to complete the day's planned route, at the same heart rate level. Similarly, I put the resistance at a level which forces me into the same cadence and gear ratio that I normally use. (I used my friend's powertap to test this, and came up with nearly the exact same data) As soon as it gets warmer, I might start riding outside at night.

What conference and category will you be racing in?

merlinextraligh

realize that most of the other people on here have jobs , and work schedules like 8am to 6pm 5days a week, plus night meetings, business travel, work at home in the evenings, and still find time to train. Your schedule sounds like a dream. Enjoy it while you can.

jtenright

most of us get up @ 7-8 or earlier to ride.

I flipped my schedualo this year
so I have all morning classes and am done every day by 1PM, that lets me ride every day if I want, but I suffer, b/c I don't get to do the moring group rides and its windy as hell in the afternoons here.
but then again it takes more motivation to wake up @ 7 every day to ride.

I find it easier to skip days in the morn than in the evening.
just ride ride ride, if ya wanna be competative you just have to

Duke of Kent is doing it right...if you run out of daytime get a trainer and ride indoors to keep the legs moving on you off days

ed073

+1 to that.

pinky

ah you poor old men, ive got till 12 every day cept tuesday, saturday and sunday to ride. On those days, I have ALL day...god bless college.

trekking_TW

realize that most of the other people on here have jobs , and work schedules like 8am to 6pm 5days a week, plus night meetings, business travel, work at home in the evenings, and still find time to train. Your schedule sounds like a dream. Enjoy it while you can.


+2

I ride at 5am 1-2 days/week and during lunch 3-4 days/week. All with 6 hours of sleep most nights!

You college riders need to enjoy your schedules while you can!

Phatman

for the next five years, I want to do 12 credit hours per semester...the way I see it, it gives me plenty of time to ride, AND it'll extend my graduation so that I can ride in college for longer that before...the way I see it, its a perfect arrangement.

what the hell was I thinking taking 16 hours?

Vinokurtov

Get tough.

You want to be strong, then get up early. I've got teammates with an 8 to 6, a wife and 3 kids, and manage training hours in the teens/week.

Sheeesh.

UmneyDurak

Damn that is a light schedule! My classes usually begun 10/11 AM and I didn't get home untill around 12 am (sometimes later). Add on top of that 1 hour commute!
Short answer yes you can get plenty of trainning before 11 AM. Although I wouldn't recommend a lot of late night partying.

Chipracer

Are you suggesting that he has an easy schedule?

I think college students have it pretty bad as far as schedules go. I am a full time student (17 credit hours), I am a Biology major so that means for every three hours of lecture I also have 3 hours of labs, not to mention study time, extracurricular activities, and I have 2 part time jobs that I work 15 hours a week at each. I have a schedule 7 days a week. Im trying to figure out how I am going to race this spring, guess I'll have to quit a job or two

UmneyDurak

Yes he has an easy schedule.

Demit

How much training/what kind do you want to do?

by the way, how do you other collegiate cyclist train?

Right now I'm either indoor trainer, which I hate, or riding like the wind on the few days which the weather permits. I'm waiting for the weather to clear up to start a routine, which is probaly a mistake.