Pheard

I read multiple articles about training in mba, but I really don't know where to start. I mean they give a whole lot of "general" statements and suggestions. I want to just train for my personal benefit. I mean, training to improve endurance and stamina. I really don't know where to start- training program wise. Any suggestions?

I don't know what to do, I do the same montara climb 4-5 times a week and my endurance never seems to change or get better. I don't know what I'm doing wrong. I mean after the 1st week hump, I don't really get out of breath as easy, but I guess I've hit a slope. I don't know.

..................cough..............cough...........Lowcel....cough

mx_599

do you have access to a health club??? gym equipment?

how old are you?

can you afford a basic Heart rate monitor for 35-40 dollars?

Flak

Ride more. Pick a harder gear. Push harder.

vw addict

If you just go hard everyday you will never improve, only get burnt out. "Training" is a mix of hard days, easy days, endurance days, and rest days. The "REST" days being the most important. Go the the local book shop and sit down with a training book and read a bit(don't buy it though )

Elisdad

Actually, buy and memorize Ned Overend's "How to Mountain Bike Like a Champion." You'll gain a lot of good info.

古強者死神

I almost completly agree with you. Atleast to the point of a healthy training enviroment includes good diet, a well balanced routine, and then some rest to heal up.

However where I disagree is that you can go all hardcore and do it every day and get better.

I know this because lets say marine corps boot camp for example... every single day running, marching, obstical courses... bodily abuse you cant even get the slightest grasp on. And yet we all got much much stronger and in better health.

The big reason why is because the type of exercise mostly body weight exercises, running, marching, ect ect... These exercises cause some muscle damage but not super extensive and its pretty easy to heal that much over night (sure as you get older its diffrent) but say somthing like weight lifting is totally diffrent you definitly need down time for max benifit since so much muscle mass is torn and needs alot of time/protien to heal.

Bicycling is mostly cardio so you can definitly do it every day if your in good health. I who have been sitting on my ass doing nothing for the last year picked up the bike and started riding every day with no ill effects, did about 30 miles the other day, and shooting for 50 miles on my next ride and I just started!

If you abuse your body to the max you will push your limits much faster, 90% of the time your mentally holding yourself back when your body is capable of so much more.

BoSoxYacht

Lowcel ,please give him some tips . You seem to be doing very well this year. Share some of your wealth of knowledge . Please help us all.

never

Not really because you can go anaerobic pretty easily when trail riding. It's easier to maintain your HR zones when road riding.

I commute 60 kms a day, usually 5 days a week, plus I ride about 15-30kms of trails in the evenings (2-5 days a week), and usually get a good ride one day and maybe a short ride the other day on the weekends....I usually end up taking one day off a week or taking a really easy ride on that "day off". You can't go hard every day or you will die. I vary my level of intensity while commuting (based on HR zones). The trail and road rides are usually in the higher zones.

古強者死神

As of so far I have only been road riding and "urban rampaging" sort of how I did XC running one day is a long steady pace, the next day is a short sprint with intervals.

Im trying to stay in a lower gear and spin, since thats what my bad knee likes the most. I noticed on that ride the other day if I try to power thru a higher gear that my knee would pop on me wich made me very upset I didnt expect cycling to bother it any. I need the cardio fitness more anyways. Standing and pushing thru a high gear doesnt seem to hurt me.

crtreedude 

Just a wild guess - you may be getting the route "wired". Probably not a biking term, but it is rock climbing. You keep doing the same route over and over again, your body learns it - so it does virtually the same thing each time. Great for Rock Climbing - not so good if you want to speed up.

I think the body is instinctively lazy. Perhaps you can mix it up with some other things. If you are having issues with endurance - just riding long and hard might help (with a cyclometer). If you are having problems with going up steep sections - perhaps sprints.

I know that when we lived in NJ - I was pretty much a flatlander. Lots and lots of places, but not much rises. Here is mountains - not a lot of flat and the rises can be brutal. At first it wasn't any fun, believe me. But now I am adapting.

However, I need to do some flat out flat ridings - well - I can drop down to the plains and ride all the way to Limon if I want. That is what the tandem is for.

Jason222

+1

BoSoxYacht

This is a great book for those that want to become better riders , but there is little in the book about physical conditioning .

Flak

I think for someone like nofear, going harder will help him alot. Eventually you max out that methods usefulness and you have to progress to a more complicated training routine. But for someone like him, a casual rider who just wants to get stronger for longer, pushing harder will help.

Complicated routines are great for people like lowcel, but for average rec riders, there is no substitute for more riding in my opinion.

mcoine

Get a road bike. I have always found road riding to be more effective at conditioning and getting in shape than mtn biking.

BoSoxYacht

This is what I'm looking into right now . Who has the best online deals ? I want a roadbike(60cm) with a mix of 105/tiagra or better .

LowCel 

Best thing I can say is pick up Joe Friel's book "The Mountain Biker's Trianing Bible". It is definitely worth the $12.97 Amazon sells it for.

Other than that you have to mix your days up some. One day go short, hard rides. Some long endurance rides. Some hill repeat days, etc. However, the most important is the rest days. By rest days it means just that, rest. Stay off the legs as much as possible.

Doing the same climb four or five days a week is not going to help you much. It is going to let you plateau and see little gains afterwards. You have to vary your rides.

LowCel 

Very true. "Training" is a huge commitment and it involves making some sacrifices and doing a lot of things you would rather not do. For example it SUCKS having to go out and do hill repeats when it is 40 degrees and pouring the rain. It also sucks to have a beautiful 80 degree day with a clear sky and having to set inside watching TV rather than going out for a ride.

It's not for everyone. Heck, it may not even be the best thing for me. At this time it's just the best way I know to do it that is showing the best results.

Pheard

Thanks guys, I'm thinking about getting one of those books. I have more questions, but I'm leaving for work. When I get to work, and don't have to do anything I'll post more questions.

dminor 

I know, you think I'm just a gravity guy and I don't train; but I'll add this: If you are a runner too or like to run, thorw in a day or two of running as well. Yes it trains some completely different muscle groups, but that's a good thing. Plus it mixes things up a bit from a mental standpoint. The biggest thing I've come out of having a running background is that nothing else (for me at least) imparts the mental toughness that distance running does to keep going when you feel like stopping and walking. There is no coasting and relaxing in running; so you have to keep the legs moving to get anywhere (like back home).

If you don't like to run, though, or aren't built for it, stick to the bike. Nothing's more tedious than grinding through a training regimen you hate.

Pheard

Well.. I actually was on the cross country team and track team in high school which was about a little over a year ago. I can jog, and used to do it all the time. I sort of figured that biking would be my alternative so I wouldn't get knee aches.

My real question, and point of making this thread is some detail in planning a workout/training journal.

How many days should I run?
How many days should I rest?
How long should my workouts be?
How often should I up the intensity, and length of my workouts? by how much?

Explain what you mean short hard rides? like optimum intensity for a minute, than 2 minutes rest(repeat how many times?) How long should my endurance rides start out as? How long should my hill climbs be? how many times should I repeat?

Basically I'm looking for some detailed info, on where I should start. Specifically. Maybe lowcel, or someone with training experience, could write out a quick little training program for me based on my background? pm it to me, or post it in the thread. I would greatly appreciate it, if it doesn't take too long.

Some background, so people can give some suggestions on where I should start. I'm about 205-210lbs, 6'2 and my bmi is 25-26 which is on the borderline of overweight, though I don't feel fat at all. I do climb, which is a gradual uphill up montara 3-4 times a week, 2000 feet elevation. My avg speed is around 7-8 mph.

Typically, I go on 2-3 week riding binges and I'll lose 5-10 lbs each time. Then I'll end up burning out and not feeling like riding for a week or two and gaining it all back.

LowCel 

Just so you know bmi is pretty much a useless number. Body fat percentage is much more specific.

By quick rides I mean just an hour or two. During which go pretty hard for 30 - 45 minutes one day. Another day go hard six minutes, rest six, repeat a few times. Another day go hard two minutes, easy two minutes, repeat four or five times. Just things like this. I really don't think you are going to want a structured training plan. You don't race so I don't believe it will be worth it for you. Personally if I didn't race I would never do it.

Pheard

Well, thats why I said I only wanted to do a training program to promote endurance and stamina.

BoSoxYacht

Thanks Lowcel. I spent yesterday afternoon riding around Henderson/Las Vegas in 110+ degree heat looking for "How to mountain bike like a champion" . I was very disappointed when I finally found it .

iamthetas

there is another forum here thats called "training and nutrition" go to the bottom of this page and to the right side click it and go there. its probably more than just the gear you are in or the trail you are riding and the folks that do a lot of thread answering there are much more familiar with specifics like age, weight, diet,location etc. than a book. those folks are doctors, physical therapists and such. maybe a moderator will move it for you

Pheard

I didn't post this in that forum for a reason. All of them are roadies.