"The 33"-Road Bike Racing - Get me ready for 1st March 2009!

Right -
I aim to do my first British Cycling road race on 1st March 2009.
It is 56 miles on a rolling course and all us bottom Cat riders will set off with the juniors.

I am 93kg
My 2 x 20 FTP (From a test I did on the exercise bike at the gym yesterday) is 193watts
My w/kg is 2.08 :(

I have ridden in groups before but they are always a mix of abilities (with me being the worst).
My aim is to finish in the pack at this race.

Obviously I will be trying to lose weight as well as increase power.
I will post any improvements on here but some advice would be good!

Exercise bikes aren't known for being accurate and you've got plenty of time to shed some bulk. You'll tear them up.

Exercise bikes aren't known for being accurate and you've got plenty of time to shed some bulk. You'll tear them up.

Yeah I wasn't too sure on the accuracy but I figured that if I did all my tests on the same bike then it will at least be consistent. They are brand new top of the range bikes so they shouldn't be too far off.

Heh heh, cheers, I'll be glad to finish!

Ride lots. Hit the hills. (idk if you have them in the UK) At least train on hills that are similar to the course. I would try to do one 3 hr ride once a week probably on the weekend. If that sounds out of reach, then work up to it. do some hill repeats during the week. make sure you're recovering enough and don't over do it. I dont know what to tell you about diet. good luck man

btw, i dont know anything, but i'm pretty sure the first sentence was good advice.

Cheers mate! I'm within an hours riding of the peak district which has plenty of nasty sharp hills but also a couple of good long steady climbs (Bosley and the Cat and Fiddle).
My killer hill though is only about 45 mins away, called Mow Cop. It is exactly a mile long and is rather steep!

Diet wise I just intend to eat a healthy, balanced diet, cutting out all the crap that sneaks in, particularly at work.

Anyone who can ride an gym exercise bike for an hour is far tougher than I am!

You didn't have the view I had ;)

Right -
I aim to do my first British Cycling road race on 1st March 2009.
It is 56 miles on a rolling course and all us bottom Cat riders will set off with the juniors.

I am 93kg
My 1hr FTP (From a test I did on the exercise bike at the gym yesterday) is 193watts
My w/kg is 2.08 :(

I have ridden in groups before but they are always a mix of abilities (with me being the worst).
My aim is to finish in the pack at this race.

Obviously I will be trying to lose weight as well as increase power.
I will post any improvements on here but some advice would be good!

Your best method of finishing with the pack is to stay in the pack -- Stay right in the draft, don't pull and don't get dropped off the back. This will allow a weaker rider (you, perhaps) to finish in the pack. If you are reasonably strong, it will allow you to conserve energy through the race so that you can unleash a sprint at the end. If anyone gives you a dirty look, just ignore it.

By the way, don't you have some snazzy upgraded-to-within-an-inch-of-it's-life bike? All that, and you haven't raced yet?

Yes.

Your point being ;)

What can I say, I like nice things...

By the way, don't you have some snazzy upgraded-to-within-an-inch-of-it's-life bike? All that, and you haven't raced yet?


Yes.

Your point being ;)

What can I say, I like nice things...

Okay, then you really should follow my advice, above. You don't want to be "that guy" -- the guy with a mega-buck bike who gets dropped in the first 10km. That guy who exists to allow all the rest of the racers to feel smugly satisfied. :D

I know!!! I don't want to be but I'm scared I will be!
That's why I am trawling for advice.
I may actually do the first race on my beater with the mudguards taken off so I don't embarrass myself.

What is an effective way to increase my FTP?
I'm asuming intervals but am wary of overdoing it so I guess my question here is how many times a week should I be doing them?

I'd suggest reading the sticky thread started by botto on preparing for your first race.

Bottom line - do as many fast group rides as you can.

And have fun.

I intend on doing just that, looks like great advice, it was more the interval side of things when I have to train at home (The wife and I work opposite shifts so one of us can have the kids, time to get out is very limited :( )or when I'm alone.

ride lots. also, that 193 might be an underestimate, but you can see gains over time, just don't whip it out and try to slap it down on "the chart".

if you ride hard for 4 months, you should be able to hold the wattage you'll need to get over the rolling parts. the rest (downhill/flat) is a matter of being comfortable in a draft so you can conserve for the parts that you have to work. a mix of group rides and 1 mile hills sounds like the perfect combo. Also, when you get faster, and you will get faster, don't be so shocked at how much MORE faster the other guys are. --don't let yourself be intimidated

I am 93kg
My 1hr FTP (From a test I did on the exercise bike at the gym yesterday) is 193watts
My w/kg is 2.08

That doesn't compute. I admit that this was after a few months of training (pretty much just riding base miles) and a handful of races, but I can put out at least 190 watts for an hour and a half. I'm a hair under 57 kg, so MUCH lighter. Even allowing for a difference in fitness, it seems strange that you would only be able to generate the power that someone barely half your weight can. My advice would be to not worry about the exercise bike. Even if it measures power accurately, the position is very different from your road position, and you are probably just unable to produce as much power as you are on your actual bike. Just ride lots of miles - 8-10 hours a week should be more than enough to see serious fitness gains. I don't know how it is in low-level British cycling, but with that much training or less through January and February, I was able to do very well in low-level collegiate cycling here in the US. It's probably tougher for the bigger fellows like you, but if there are no really tough hills, steady training should get you fit enough to survive. Who knows, you could surprise yourself!

Progress Report...

Did a 1hr FTP on the same bike in the gym today- 195w (my 2 x 20 the other day was 193??)
I am 2kg lighter than when I weighed myself two weeks ago - 91kg
Power to weight is 2.14, up 0.05 in a week :)

(I know, I know, it;s too early to see if this is a genuine improvement due to many factors but hey, at least it makes me feel optimistic).

Downloaded Training Peaks and have got myself a proper workout plan now too which is awesome!

If you don't mind, I'll keep posting my scores on the doors regularly and any advice on the way through my journey of weight loss and painful legs will be greatfully appreciated.

Bit of background though - I only started excercising properly (i.e. took up cycling because I was 250 pounds of unfit lard) in July 2007 so it's gonna take a while.

My three goals this season -

Finish the Clayton Velo race in the pack

Finish the 102 mile Cheshire Cat cyclosportive in under 7hrs- http://www.kilotogo.com/cheshire%20cat.html

Finish a club '10' in the 25 minute range

Progress Report...

Did a 1hr FTP on the same bike in the gym today- 195w (my 2 x 20 the other day was 193??)
I am 2kg lighter than when I weighed myself two weeks ago - 91kg
Power to weight is 2.14, up 0.05 in a week :)

(I know, I know, it;s too early to see if this is a genuine improvement due to many factors but hey, at least it makes me feel optimistic).

Downloaded Training Peaks and have got myself a proper workout plan now too which is awesome!

If you don't mind, I'll keep posting my scores on the doors regularly and any advice on the way through my journey of weight loss and painful legs will be greatfully appreciated.

Bit of background though - I only started excercising properly (i.e. took up cycling because I was 250 pounds of unfit lard) in July 2007 so it's gonna take a while.

My three goals this season -

Finish the Clayton Velo race in the pack

Finish the 102 mile Cheshire Cat cyclosportive in under 7hrs- http://www.kilotogo.com/cheshire%20cat.html

Finish a club '10' in the 25 minute range

You've got a thread going, so this is the perfect place to post how your training is going. As far as the being unfit in july 2007 goes, what this really means is that if you train consistently you'll see huge gains rather quickly. It'll be fun.

Also -- as soon as you buy a license your cat-5-o-meter = 100%. It's the cat-4-o-meter you need to start working on.

Alex; the best advice that I can give you is to go to the local big-name bookstore and find a book by Joe Friel called The Cyclist's Training Bible (the 3rd edition, BTW)

If this doesn't help you then you are beyond help. It's aimed toawrds the competitive cyclist, and it doesn't revolve around having a power meter.

I'm reading it now and just by following some of the tips I feel like I'm improving.

Aye 'twill be purchased...

Stand by. The 4th edition is out, I take it the new one does power?

Okay, then you really should follow my advice, above. You don't want to be "that guy" -- the guy with a mega-buck bike who gets dropped in the first 10km. That guy who exists to allow all the rest of the racers to feel smugly satisfied. :D

totally irrelevant.

You said the race is rolling... do you have a rough idea of the profile, ft gained relative to the length?

For a goal of just "finishing in the pack", don't worry so much about your FTP, it is important to be able to go hard and recover over and over again, especially in a race with lots of corners or short rollers. Intervals are good for that.

Alex; the best advice that I can give you is to go to the local big-name bookstore and find a book by Joe Friel called The Cyclist's Training Bible (the 3rd edition, BTW)

If this doesn't help you then you are beyond help. It's aimed toawrds the competitive cyclist, and it doesn't revolve around having a power meter.

I'm reading it now and just by following some of the tips I feel like I'm improving.

+1. Follow it semi-seriously and you will reap huge gains. Buy and read it NOW, as this is the perfect time to begin early base training, presuming your racing season is in May, June, July, Aug.

Aye 'twill be purchased...

Stand by. The 4th edition is out, I take it the new one does power?

Ah, I didn't know the 4th edition was out now. Get that one.

Roger!

Ordered.

Doh! Just seen its not out 'till January 09...

You'd think they'd be switched on and release it when everyone's training year starts again.
Oh, maybe they are taking advantage of fattygetssomemotivation month in January.

(I was that person lat July)

I'll try and get the course profile.

I know!!! I don't want to be but I'm scared I will be!


Ah ha! Now that is some great motivation! Turn the "potential" situation around so that "they" are already making fun of you and you can only punish them for their obnoxious behavior on your bike. Last year my motivation was that I'd be the slowest guy out there; helped put the sharper edge on my training. In season I failed to complete a tough road race because of a major case of wussy (and quite lax training leading into it):mad:; after two weeks of punishing myself for such am embarrassment I then killed a rather notable local crit. :thumb:

Fear of failure; desire to succeed. Who cares if it makes you turn the pedals harder...

Long intervals right now. Group rides. Friel's book. The Rider (Tim Krabbe)

Have fun, its a great sport.:)

Cheers!

Just wish I'd got into it 17 years ago...

Am I right in thinking that my average heart rate when I did my hour FTP test is my threshold heart rate used to work out all the other training zones?

Am I right in thinking that my average heart rate when I did my hour FTP test is my threshold heart rate used to work out all the other training zones?

No

Roger.

How do I work that out then?
I'm sure it'll tell me in the Friel Book but that doesn't come for over a month :(

You said the race is rolling... do you have a rough idea of the profile, ft gained relative to the length?

For a goal of just "finishing in the pack", don't worry so much about your FTP, it is important to be able to go hard and recover over and over again, especially in a race with lots of corners or short rollers. Intervals are good for that.

+1

Staying with the pack shouldn't be too much of a problem if:

You can respond to the sudden surges in the pack.

Stay with the pack on the hills......especially the first few because if you get dropped there its gonna be tough. One trick is, when approaching the hill move up to the front of the pack. That way even if you struggle on the climb and get dropped back you may still be in the pack at tha top albeit at the back.

Good Luck

Roger.

How do I work that out then?
I'm sure it'll tell me in the Friel Book but that doesn't come for over a month :(

your 2X20 min test should tell you your threshold HR. Link. (http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=43102)

Roger.

How do I work that out then?
I'm sure it'll tell me in the Friel Book but that doesn't come for over a month :(

http://www.amazon.com/Cyclists-Training-Bible-Complete-Competitive/dp/1884737218

Or check your local library

Cheers for that, 2x20 it is then!

Mongo, that's the second (1996) edition, the 4th edition is out in a month. Cheers anyway.

Alex, can you cancel the ordel, and just order the 3rd edition? I'm sure that the 4th only adds some complicated power-training stuff that you won't need.
You need to be building a base in January, not reading. This is one of those books that you should read a paragraph a few times to fully understand what you just read. It's not really light reading.

Roger. Will try and sort that, I thought as much (re: the power bit)

Bloody hell you guys are awesome, looking out for me!

A very british thank you!

Edit: 4th edition cancelled, 3rd edition ordered :)

Am I right in thinking that my average heart rate when I did my hour FTP test is my threshold heart rate used to work out all the other training zones?


No

Actually, well according to Dr. Coggan, the answer is yes.

Actually, well according to Dr. Coggan, the answer is yes.

I guess which threshold? Aren't most HR training zones from LT? I thought most people reported that they HR was higher than their LT at their FTP. It's been my experience that my SST zones correlate more strongly with my LT than around my FTP. But I don't have much experience with power so I'm just going off what limited experience I do have and what others have said here...

Edit: not being argumentative, always interested in learning more. Do you have a reference you can link to. If not online a page in the training with power book will suffice. Thanks.

I guess which threshold? Aren't most HR training zones from LT? I thought most people reported that they HR was higher than their LT at their FTP.


By most definitions of LT, but why not base heart rate zones off FT, since the OP is already using Cycling Peaks. The HR zones based on FTP are shown here:

http://www.cyclingpeakssoftware.com/power411/levels.asp

Just put in the miles and make sure to take days off. Ride with a purpose.

I have some credit at mt LBS and have enough for a Tacx Flow turbo that has a cycling computer on it (with power), are these any good?

I'd love a Powertap but that simply isn't going to happen!

I realy think that power training will be more accurate than HR due to delay during sprints and stuff for my heart to react.

Plus, looking at fancy numbers increases my focus and gives me something 'real' to work with, otherwise I'll just be constantly looking at the same HR getting bored with no end number to aim for.

I'm waffling again.

Sorry.

I have some credit at mt LBS and have enough for a Tacx Flow turbo that has a cycling computer on it (with power), are these any good?

I'd love a Powertap but that simply isn't going to happen!

I realy think that power training will be more accurate than HR due to delay during sprints and stuff for my heart to react.

Plus, looking at fancy numbers increases my focus and gives me something 'real' to work with, otherwise I'll just be constantly looking at the same HR getting bored with no end number to aim for.

I'm waffling again.

Sorry.
I'm not sure about that particular model, but Tacx makes a nice product so it's worth looking into.
If you can't afford a powermeter but want power, there are alternatives that are good at estimating power like the iBike (or is it the iAero?) and the Polar power meter that senses chain vibration.

That polar unit looks pretty smart but how accurate would the power reading be by measuring chain vibration?

Hmm. £130 more for the polar with all the kit compared to the trainer does look tempting though...

British Cycling doesn't have a category 5 afaik, so he's 100% a cat 4. Good job! Some of those juniors might be really fast, so don't be too downhearted if you cannot keep up with them. UK promoters seem to like running fields that seem off to people used to US racing. E.g. the cross race has a "seniors" field. No A, B or C races. Just one huge one. It's common for road races to be 2/3/4 too.

I'm waffling again.

Here's the deal.

These guys are going to throw out 2x20's, FTP's, Lactate Threshold, and all that other stuff. That stuff doesn't matter. You're in that point right now where you don't really want to work hard enough to catch that chicken in the yard, drink raw eggs at 0500, or work with the intensity you should. Your coach is probably yelling at you not to do it, because you'll get killed; and he's right. You don't have it, and you will get killed.

Right now, you have to get that intensity, that eye of the tiger. It was hard for me to reach that as well, I just didn't care. Until my girlfriend went to the hospital in a coma. I stayed there for days. When she came out, there was only one thing she asked me to do, 'Win.' Right then my coach said 'Well what are we waiting for!'...and we went to work.

Right now I'm in the middle of the montage up to the main event.

What you need is that eye, the eye of the tiger, good montage music, and a good program. Without that you won't succeed.

That polar unit looks pretty smart but how accurate would the power reading be by measuring chain vibration?

According to my teammate Tom who posts here on occasion, it is fairly accurate for anything but short durations/spikes; i.e. it's not going to get your sprint right but otherwise it's pretty good and fine for training. Certainly good enough for things like testing FTP, training zones, FTP, etc. Same goes for the iAero. Not the best for measuring your eWang but ok for trianing... that's the whole point, right?

Here's the deal.

These guys are going to throw out 2x20's, FTP's, Lactate Threshold, and all that other stuff. That stuff doesn't matter. You're in that point right now where you don't really want to work hard enough to catch that chicken in the yard, drink raw eggs at 0500, or work with the intensity you should. Your coach is probably yelling at you not to do it, because you'll get killed; and he's right. You don't have it, and you will get killed.

Right now, you have to get that intensity, that eye of the tiger. It was hard for me to reach that as well, I just didn't care. Until my girlfriend went to the hospital in a coma. I stayed there for days. When she came out, there was only one thing she asked me to do, 'Win.' Right then my coach said 'Well what are we waiting for!'...and we went to work.

Right now I'm in the middle of the montage up to the main event.

What you need is that eye, the eye of the tiger, good montage music, and a good program. Without that you won't succeed.



post of the year.

Heh heh...

Cheers for that :)

I think I'll go for the flow and that 'tiger eye' thing for now...

Got Friel's book - Awesome! Very inspiring.

Problem is, I'm getting dangerously close to acquiring a powertap. I'm bidding for one on eBay but I've been offered a Mavic OP wheel system for £600 brand new ($900ish) by the dealer. Hmmm...

Oh, I'm about 5 oz over 200lb now... Nearly there, can't wait, it'll be my first time under 200lb since my teens :)

Powertap SL on mavic open pro ordered today :O

Did an hour at manchester velodrome just for a relaxing bimble. That ended after 2 minutes when an old wizened trackie decided he was going for a 2-up hour record and I was to be his b*tch. It was sort of half fun half worl ending for me. I had no idea how fast we were going for the hour but was somewhat shocked to find it was just short of 24mph average from his computer.
We shook hands and he disappeared in a puff of smoke...
I've never done a 10 mile TT in 23mph let alone an hour at 24. Yes we alternated laps but I am buzzing at my speed improvement.

My legs are quite, well, pumped now...