Welcome Commutecommando. Does MI = Myocardial Infarction = Heart Attack? And if it does, you have had two with the most recent in August this year or last year?

FYI, my main commute route is 13.2mi. I can take a slightly shorter route if I'm in a hurry, and I can extend it as well. I can keep it at Z1/Z2 on the way out, but I cannot keep it below Z3 on the way home due to the climbs. When I was training for Nats, I hardly commuted at all. That's because it adds stress that is not in the program. If you are being coached, and your coach calls for a workout, your workout should be warmup, workout, warmdown. No more, no less. I have a hard time incorporating that into my commute. The same thing goes for group rides and training races. If they are not specifically built into the plan, I can't do them.

Yes. The last really p'd me off. The poor paramedics thought I was irate with them. I was in pain, and venting rather hard at the gods of genetics the produced the "unstable plaque" that ruptured after I had been getting all better. The docs said it was a rare occurrence for someone like me who had been loosing weight and exercising. I was also told to not stop exercising, as my cardo conditioning helped reduce the damage done.

As far as AZ, and Shovel's comments earlier on rest; getting off the bike altogether is not a very desirable because it would mean driving the full way. Taking the bus would still involve over a half mile of walking. I think AZ's advice is the better option for me, since doing the "wallybike coast" for a half mile is much less intense than walking it.

My commute is pretty flat, so the only issue using it for training is having stoplights interfering with intervals. But then, that is an issue whether I'm commuting or not. The only way for me to have a totally 'clean' workout is to haul my bike about 30 minutes away, where there is an area with no lights for miles. I do that for power tests, and sessions where I just need totally uninterrupted distance.

I found an uninterrupted 20k route. I have ridden this before, bu never as a TT. I usually pass through on a longer ride. Few turns, and no steep slopes, though the first mile is uphill at about 2%. Should be no big. https://ridewithgps.com/routes/1872982

CommuteC,

Coaching is a commitment, a good coach can shorten the learning curve and get you fitter faster and probably to a higher level than you can get on your own. And for a Master's athlete they can keep you from making mistakes than can really impact you.

I'd suggest using a simple 10-12 week "beginner" program for training (this one I'd be OK with), then doing some races. Visit here often, ask questions. If you want to come up do a long hill ride and listen to me drone on one or two Saturdays drop me a PM.

Then see how it goes. If you want to add a coach at that point I'd really suggest picking up a power meter also. They come as cheap as $300-400 (older Powertaps) and it's an invaluable tool for a coach to review what you're doing. And I think you can also get good advice here when you're weighing who you may want to go with. There's a broad spectrum of talent out there.

And one great resource you have down there is the Velodrome. From a racing standpoint NOTHING will make you better tactically in a shorter period of time than track racing. Not only do you get three shots a day/night to hone your skills but you can sit in the infield and watch things unfold from start to finish.

You can either rent one there or pick up a track bike for a few hundred dollars. Take the intro course and have at it.

I can vouch for this by personal experience. I started with a coach last May, and am now in the best shape I've been in since I started cycling four and a half years ago...and this is after trying the do-it-yourself book version. At our age (I'm 60), we don't have time for the trial by error method.

I also second the recommendation for a power meter. It's much more accurate than using heart rate, and records effort in a more consistent way.

So can I!

I thrashed around last season on my own before I was offered coaching and decided to accept it. I too am north of 60, and I'm female (two strikes). That said, right now, in spite of a health setback in August, I am stronger than I have ever been in my life, and because I am early in the training program, I'll only get stronger (I hope!). Coaching, with a power meter, is the ONLY way to go, IMHO. Remember, though, that it is a commitment, and you do need to follow your coach's training plan very closely. If you do, you'll see some remarkable gains.

and ignore all us hackers.

That's a big time commitment on that training schedule. I would probably get it past "the boss" more easily if I started after the first of the year. I could start after black Friday, since she manages retail, and we don't see each other a lot during crunch time. I would have to shift the days to get the hills on the weekend, since my commute is really flat, but my home isn't.

You are right about the velodrome. I haven't been there, but am planing to go as spectator as soon as I can. If it looks interesting I will start looking for a decent steel frame on CL, and build a track bike. I believe my Garmin 500 will take a Power meter.

Goes without saying...

Jumping in here after lurking for quite a while... that 'basic training plan' is pretty interesting. My goal for next year is to do 2-3 century rides (probably mostly charity fund raisers, but still, I want to complete them in a reasonable time without completely emptying the tank)... so, with that in mind, a couple of questions:

Can you just jump in to something like that 'in the middle'? Or is the idea to get the full 12 week workup?

Once you've got a century under your belt, can you just repeat the cycle, again ramping up as you get closer to the next event?

For hackers, you all seem to give pretty useful advice.

The plan Ex linked to is designed for newish riders. If you are already riding more, or more intensively, than the intial week's suggested programme, there'd be no problem I can see in jumping it at the point that is equivalent to your usual riding volume.

Once you are fit enough to ride a century in reasonable time, I'd suggest it would be a pity to restart that cycle from scratch, because the early weeks will be too easy and allow your fitness to degrade only to build it up again. So you'll be more likely to want to keep a reasonable training volume. You'll find that it's fairly easy to maintain that level of fitness on, say, seven hours a week on the bike

Of course, if you want to continue improving your times, or go into racing, you'll want to move onto a different sort of programme with an increasing amount of work at higher intensities. But one step at a time.

indeed... and thanks.

Speak for yourself

I am!

Get a frame with track specific geometry. A lot of "track" frames out now have road geometry which isn't a big issue for Sd and Encino, but the lower bottom bracket could be a problem if you want to ride HDC which is like getting to do laps in the Sistine Chapel. It's that nice.

As for time commitment, with tight structure you can do really well on around 7-8 hours a week, especially if you gear it to a specific event (like a 20k TT). I've won at Nationals on not a lot more than that.

You could tweak what you're doing no and make it work, the schedule I post the link to is a pretty loose template...you could substitute a strong 20k ride for the hills, Etc.

Not sure what this is, but context suggests has something to do with high bank angle.

You mentioned Encino. I was not aware of a track up there. I lived in the Valley from '95 to'03. Is it in or near Woodley Park? I used to hang out there way too much in my RC flying days.

EDIT

Found it.

Home Depot Center. Carson, CA

46 degrees, wood, indoors.

You could do as I did. Just found a club event and entered at the lowest level they allow, and don't expect to do well, but use the first year learning the ropes. After a few races you will soon find those of similar level (to judge your performances against), and those of more experience, who will be able to help you through your local scene and how to improve.

^ This is exactly my plan.

I'm glad you did - I'd thought the thread was dead, but just came back to it - to find a ton of valuable information.

It's interesting to read about your MIs - congratulations for coming through it well enough to continue riding!

Since I last posted here I've started a course with a coach, knocked out a sub-5-hour century, and had several other good rides - all intended to build up for a few exploratory races at some point early next year. Who knows if that will all be enough ... I'll know when I first sign up. perhaps I'll follow the same route you were discussing, and start with an open 20km TT, just to break the ice.

Thanks for the reminder - I'm going to Amazon right now, to order it!

Earlier in this thread I mentioned that I would be talking to a coach soon. I've joined her fall indoor CompuTrainer classes. She's a well regarded coach, some of the people on the training course are very accomplished riders, and I'm learning a ton. I'll do the winter course as well, and am still riding (a bit) through the cold season, so it will be interesting to see how it all pays off come spring time.

What do you consider to be a 'decent clip'? E.g. at what percent of FTP?

While the range is wider, I target around 85-93%.

That's not base.

It's where I spend a lot of my miles... at the upper end of z3. I'm below that on parts of group rides, but most of of solo sessions are up in that range. The assignment covers a broader range, but I tend to edge up to the higher side of it.