Cycling Fitness / Training Advice

I probably should test soon. I usually don't bother with baseline tests as I only care about race performance.

Thoughts on 'build' training, doing loads of endurance Z2 stuff before hitting intervals? Worth the hassle/boredom?

Sweetspot build instead? Shorter.

If you want to know your 1 hour then you should go ride a 40k TT

The trouble is, for some people on here @skinny , that's a 46 minute test.

http://alex-cycle.blogspot.co.uk/2008/05/the-seven-deadly-sins.html?m=1

Build, that depends on your goal. Anything to increase your FTP will help, I can't think why doing threshold work won't be a good place to start, unless totally new to it all.

I've done it religiously for 2 winters and had some decent 6/12hr mtb results but my top end work wasn't good enough and races came as a shock.

This winter I've had less time so have been doing 2 interval sessions - one at threshold and one at z4 plus Z2. When I don't have time for z2 I do a shorter z3 session.

Z2 is needed to give a depth to your fitness. It makes physiological changes and allows you to work harder for longer later on.

The danger with too much higher intensity at this stage is not being able to keep it going.

He should really try harder then.

Yeah but those people can >>>>>>>>

And they wouldn't be here asking these questions.

Z2 is needed to give a depth to your fitness. It makes physiological changes and allows you to work harder for longer later on.

The danger with too much higher intensity at this stage is not being able to keep it going.

Is this still true ?

In @user68995 case, surely it would depend on what he/she is training for and the amount of time available for training ?

Made 2 versions of that on TrainerRoad if anyone wants to look it up, its called 'Getting Skinny'

First version is the full 4 hours
Second version is a 1 hour crunched down version.

I'm not adverse to long turbo sessions, but the thought of that session indoors is not pleasant.

Yeah - 1hr sounds good but 4 hr is a bit much.

1h one would be like hour of power.
I do them sometimes.
Another way to do an hour is to start at upper endurance and then up the power every so many minutes by X watts. Till you finishing the hour at near FTP. Good session.

So many ways to do the sameish thing.

Is this still true ?

Think so. Might not have the time to do it but if you can you get increased capillaries, mitochondria and muscle fibres etc => better lactic clearance, more power before carbohydrate burning blah blah.

Even if you're training for 45mins CX it still benefits just not if it's at the expense of not doing enough intensity too.

Coggan always likes to pop up on TTF to point out that even if you're fast, 25 mile TT time works fine for setting FTP.

Think so. Might not have the time to do it but if you can you get increased capillaries, mitochondria and muscle fibres etc => better lactic clearance, more power before carbohydrate burning blah blah.

Even if you're training for 45mins CX it still benefits just not if it's at the expense of not doing enough intensity too.

That's the key thing I think. Zone 2 rides are probably something you do if you've got the time for more riding after planning all your (achievable) quality work outs for the week.
I don't think the Long Steady Distance approach works for those of us who don't have much time for training.

I have about 8 hours a week training/riding (for 10mile TTs). The NP for my commutes are in Z3/4 ( i commute in/out a valley) and then intervals in my training sessions are done at Z4/5.
If i had any more time for riding it would definitely be at Z1/2 so as to not bust my TSB, but as it is I don't have the time for the extra riding.

returns from 4000k TCR, rides first 19

LSD ftw :)

Time-crunched cyclists are just cyclists that have their priorities wrong. :D

The reason LSD doesn't work, is becasue people don't understand what it actually means.
I challenge anyone to go out and do 4hours at 70-75%. That's LSD.

It's not going out and riding like you're doing an audax.

Yeah, you're right, I ride my audaxes at 80% mixed up with bouts of 90% and cake stops.

You're always 100% lost.

Truth.

3 x 20 threshold(ish) on the turbo this morning. My head / body is now following this cycle:

Need caffeine
Need sugar
Need sleep
Need caffeine
Need sugar
Need sleep
Need caffeine
Need sugar
Need sleep
Need caffeine
Need sugar
Need sleep

I did a 4 hour solo ride on Boxing Day at 0.85 IF. Never again, wanted to curl up and cry by the time I got home.

Fairplay, I struggle to do much over 40mins threshold work indoors. I did 4x 10 at threshold(ish) last night and was hanging on for dear life during the last interval.

not too sure how i managed it to be fair, never done it before. normally a 2 x 20 breaks me.

i just tried to focus on the replays of pro racing i was watching as much as possible and not think about the mental and physical torture. last 5 minutes was hideous however.