Jaked

So I am new with this hole thing but want to ride competitively this summer and was wondering what type of training schedule I should start. The things I am interested in is how many miles a week and how it changes with time. I was also wondering about food and what type of diet people go on. I am around 5'12" and about 165 pounds. Any info would be great.

thanks

GuitarWizard

What kind of base mileage do you have in your legs? How long have you been riding? What's your current diet consist of for the most part? Have you ever done interval training? How many days per week do you currently ride? Do you know how to recover?

That should be a good start.

LowCel 

Also what are your goals? What type racing do you intend to do. On top of that mileage means nothing, it is all about the time on the bike and what you are doing during that time. Some days I will ride an hour and do 12 - 15 miles. Other days I will ride an hour and do 23 miles.

*Note the hour example is for comparisons only. Unless I'm on the trainer it is very rare to only ride an hour.

kuan

How tall? 5' 12" is almost six feet!

Jaked

What kind of base mileage do you have in your legs?
not sure

How long have you been riding?
I rode last summer but am just getting serious now.

What's your current diet consist of for the most part?
whatever is close by

Have you ever done interval training?
never for biking but I have running

How many days per week do you currently ride?
as many as I can, the weather hasnt been very agreeable but a few times a week

Do you know how to recover?
I sit down and drink water


Like I said I am new to this, I did do some running and would run in races and am now converting over to cycling.

thanks for the information.

YMCA

Find local racing groups to ride with during the week and weekends.
Race as much as possible in your first few years and be overly aggressive.
Thinking is for winning, that is not your goal yet.
Your top 3 goals are:
-understanding pack dynamics
-race tactics
-learning your limits are limitless

Stay away from intervals, unless you have to because of a lack of groups.
Use the groups and races to do your efforts, this way you are working on your top 3 goals listed above.
Never ride really hard more than 3 days a week, unless it is for super-compensation effects.
Eat plenty of carbs. Glycogen depletion sucks.
Sleep well and stay hydrated always. Fairly clear pee during all waking hours.
Spend your money on race expenses, not bicycles.

Lastly, listen to everyone's advice, then follow your heart!

LowCel 

If you want to ride competively then intervals are very important. There are many different types of intervals so some research is in order. I recommend the Cyclists Training Bible by Joe Friel. That is what my coach bases my training on and it has worked for me. This is my first year racing road bikes, I have done seven races with five top three finishes, one dnf due to a teammate having a serious crash and one race I had to set back because I had a teammate in a solo breakaway. In my opinion interval training definitely pays off, after a month of racing I am now a cat 4.

Anyway, as for the weather not being agreeable that doesn't really matter. If you want to be competitive then you need to get on the bike regardless. If you don't like riding in bad weather (can't blame you) then get a trainer or some rollers. You have to ride when others aren't.

Recovering doesn't just involve setting down and drinking water. It also involves days just riding the bike in zone 1. Just taking it easy and spinning the pedals. No real climbs, just relaxing flat rides either on the road or on the trainer. There are still complete days off, generally about one per week.

YMCA is correct on pretty much everything he said. He definitely has more racing experience and knowledge than I do. However if you don't have the legs and the endurance to be able to stay with the pack then you won't be learning much.

carbonispretty

im new to this two and started racing this year, but what i found helped me more than anything is finding a club ride on the weekends. mine has bout 50 people every weekend, and is fast. its like a race everyweekend, without the entry fee. youll notice you can ride more confortally in the peloton, and not get dropped