Training & Nutrition - Is the 10% rule the way to go, and how should it be applied?

I am fairly new still, and was wondering about the rule-of-thumb of increasing your distance by 10% per week.

Does this apply to total weekly distance, or to your longest ride, or should it be applied to riding time?

Each week I do a long ride at an easy pace and limit my heart rate. Last week, my long ride was 36 miles, and I felt like I could have gone longer. The 10% rule suggest only doing 40 miles this week.

If I do an additional lap of the course I ride on, I would end up doing 45 miles instead of 40. This would be a 25% increase by distance.

My understanding of the basis of the 10% rule is to prevent you from over-training, and to prevent injury.

How do you know if it's ok to jump up more than 10%, or should I really try to limit it?

I am fairly new still, and was wondering about the rule-of-thumb of increasing your distance by 10% per week.

Does this apply to total weekly distance, or to your longest ride, or should it be applied to riding time?

Each week I do a long ride at an easy pace and limit my heart rate. Last week, my long ride was 36 miles, and I felt like I could have gone longer. The 10% rule suggest only doing 40 miles this week.

If I do an additional lap of the course I ride on, I would end up doing 45 miles instead of 40. This would be a 25% increase by distance.

My understanding of the basis of the 10% rule is to prevent you from over-training, and to prevent injury.

How do you know if it's ok to jump up more than 10%, or should I really try to limit it?

There is some wiggle room on that "rule". Your body isnt going to read internet articles so you will have to relay that info to it.....ride how you feel, if you can do 5mi more get to it. If you are riding with regard to a goal that involves distance you'll be able to go further than 10% as you work up to a century ride.

I've only heard of the 10% rule being strictly applied to running, because it's so hard on your body and recovery takes longer. Myself, I only increase my running volume by 7% because I found I get injured at 10%.

For cycling, it's easier to increase volume faster because the risk of injury is greatly reduced versus running. I wouldn't worry at all about the extra 25% with cycling, especially if you're riding at an easy pace. As long as you don't feel like you're on the edge of losing it physically, then I'd say go for it. With cycling, just listen to your body, and be obedient when it says "enough."

I agree with Tundra. You can increase your mileage faster than 10% per week. As he said, quite a bit depends on your intensity.

Cycling is generally low impact so it does not stress your body much unless you push really hard. Quite often with cycling especially when your are starting out the problems will be with hand numbness, soreness where the rear hits the saddle and in the knees if you are not spinning high enough RPMs. Dehydration can also nail new riders.

This was my weekly progression when I got back into cycling a few years ago at the age of 48:
1 - 40k
2 - 0
3 - 82k
4 - 185
5 - 180
6 - 300
7+ bounced around between 250-350 for the rest of the yr.

In the first week I did a couple of 20k rides. For the next few weeks did 40k rides. In the fifth week I added a ~100k ride and started riding with a fast group in the 9th week. It took me a while before I stopped getting dropped at the end of the rides. The only time I limited my HR was during a recovery ride which I might have done once a week or so.

I wouldn't worry about a 10% rule. Use your body's aches and pains as a guide. If you're just tired or have general muscle soreness that shouldn't be a problem. Watch out for knee pain and back off the mileage if you get any.

All rules like that are sort of bureaucratic - one size fits all, except that it doesn't. So if you follow that rule, it's hard to go wrong. You don't have to, but then maybe it's possible to go wrong. I sure wouldn't worry about doing 45 instead of 40.

Most people use distance, though it's really more correct to do everything with time. I find the rule is more applicable to weekly distance, much less to the longest ride. For instance, if you did 40 mile rides three days in a row, I'd bet you could ride a flattish century the next week and not hurt yourself too badly. But then you'd be whupped and have trouble getting in a couple of 20 mile rides that week. So it's a matter of only gradually increasing the strain on your systems.

Ride for fun...if you can ride 36 miles you can ride 50 miles.

I started at 20 and increased to 30, 40,50, 60, 81 (and that's my top mark until I hit the century this summer). Maybe I got 10% mixed up with 10mi :D

Again, your body does not read internet articles.

When you reach the 60mi mark you will begin to notice the impact of intensity that will relate directly to the need for regular hydration and carb breaks along the way. When riding for endurance/mileage you will do well to ride slower than you want to. Fight the urge and your legs will feel better on the second half of the ride.