endurance ride
#1
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endurance ride
I'm training to do a few road races later this year so I'm doing intervals during the week and longer "endurance" rides on the weekend, usually around 40-60mi. I have been doing these rides at 100% time trial effort trying to get a faster time, should I be riding a little below an all out time trial effort or is it just as the harder you go the better?
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I'd suggest getting a copy of Friel's or Carmichael's training book.
You don't mention where you are starting out. When you first start training, it really doesn't matter what you do - you're going to get better. But if you want to get beyond your initial training, your training needs to be specific - you work to get better at specific things.
I see three issues with what you're doing.
First, with rides the distance you're doing, you can only ride "kindof hard". That won't be enough to put training stress on your body, so you won't get better very quickly.
Second, racing has very particular demands on your system. You will need to have a lot of base aerobic power, you will need to be able to ride well at your aerobic threshold and you'll need good anaerobic power to handle short bursts (less important in TTs, more important in group races).
Finally, fall is a really hard time to start racing. Everybody is at their best in the fall. It's a lot easier to start in the spring when people are just coming off the winter and everything is a lot slower.
You don't mention where you are starting out. When you first start training, it really doesn't matter what you do - you're going to get better. But if you want to get beyond your initial training, your training needs to be specific - you work to get better at specific things.
I see three issues with what you're doing.
First, with rides the distance you're doing, you can only ride "kindof hard". That won't be enough to put training stress on your body, so you won't get better very quickly.
Second, racing has very particular demands on your system. You will need to have a lot of base aerobic power, you will need to be able to ride well at your aerobic threshold and you'll need good anaerobic power to handle short bursts (less important in TTs, more important in group races).
Finally, fall is a really hard time to start racing. Everybody is at their best in the fall. It's a lot easier to start in the spring when people are just coming off the winter and everything is a lot slower.
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Eric
2005 Trek 5.2 Madone, Red with Yellow Flames (Beauty)
199x Lemond Tourmalet, Yellow with fenders (Beast)
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Eric
2005 Trek 5.2 Madone, Red with Yellow Flames (Beauty)
199x Lemond Tourmalet, Yellow with fenders (Beast)
Read my cycling blog at https://riderx.info/blogs/riderx
Like climbing? Goto https://www.bicycleclimbs.com
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You should really look into some training material and I can't stress recovery rides and hill repeats intervals are great but nothing beats climbing a hill over and over again.