Cycling Fitness / Training Advice

I've been in plenty of chaingangs before. Just wondering if intensity is of any use for the solo distance stuff I'm training for.

I anticipate I'll be in z3 for the majority of my TCR ride. Does it make sense to be pushing above that during training?

Yes.

But you can do that solo too.

Bunch rides: If you're social rider, fine. If you're training, use sparingly.

I find them an enjoyable (!) way to do something that is kind of over-under/threshold, but only if the rest of the riders are at a similar fitness level. It won't be structured but definitely good to mix it up.

At the stage of the year now that I'm totally done with the turbo and trying to get away with structuring solo TT stuff outdoors. Anyone want to buy a Tacx Bushido?!

Two full on weeks at work meant training focus had to take a back seat. Started back this morning and the legs felt like shit. Hopefully only temporary.

I joined a chain briefly this AM and quickly ejected myself. It was a decent, quick group, but you get no work done. AP for the short time I was with them was only about 150 watts.

At the stage of the year now that I'm totally done with the turbo and trying to get away with structuring solo TT stuff outdoors

I know that feeling. Have been really happy with Trainer Road on Rollers over the Winter, but will likely do Sweet Spot/ Threshold on a local '10' course and V02 Max on hills now.

Impressed with the form Trainer Road has given me so far. Road out to my local course at the weekend and broke my PB by a couple of minutes. Despite my bike falling over and bending my rear mech hanger just before starting, and then a headwind for a large part of the course.
Looking forward to the start of my clubs evening 10s now.

thanks @onyerbike and @hippy

Will probably stick to solo rides or riding with the people i know are at similar fitness levels.

On a side note, rode a relatively lumpy 220km at the weekend at a decent pace with a few pals, spending most of it on the front of the group. I think I will try and keep rides like that infrequent.

I think riding for 4/5 hours at pace is more productive over time because it doesn't exhaust you quite so much and you can get back to training sooner.

What sort of intervals were you doing to put yourself in that sort of pain?

Clock - flat out hard as 15s, 30s, 1min, 2min, 3min, 2 min, 1min, 30s, 15s - minute recovery between each, repeat x3 with 5minutes recovery between sets.

Criss cross - 5minutes at 105% threshold, 5 minutes at 93% threshold repeat x 3 no recovery

Oh my days.

On a similar note: I've set up my 8x3 mins at 115% FTP with three min recoveries but finding that's not giving me quite enough time to recover between efforts at the end of the set.

Is recovery time between sets crucial for training at VO2 max or can I give myself an extra minute or two? What about breaking them down into two sets of four?

I'm sure there's some advice about if you can't maintain within 5% of the power of your first interval then you should stop. I'm sure I've read loads about short intervals like that being about 'quality', and if you're not hitting your target then sack it off.

Recently I've been doing a day of 4x6, 5x4 or something, often with the first minute/30 seconds at >150%, then the rest at >115%, and a day of 1 minute on/off full gas, repeating until collapse. These are specific to me though as I want to improve at climbs near me (North Yorkshire) which tend to be short and steep.
Perhaps try doing 3 sets of 4x4 or something, with a decent rest between? If you're too fucked to do the intervals then there's no point (I believe I read somewhere).

Thanks. I think I'll try to knock them out in sets of four and see how I get on.

Finding fluid turbos, while they make you nice and strong, particularly seem to flay the legs when I'm much above FTP.

Will probably stick to solo rides or riding with the people i know are at similar fitness levels.

Tried Time Trialling ? Especially the longer distances ? A 50 is probably speed work for something like TCR.

I'd imagine Audaxes would also be good training, if anything to get you used to navigating, equipment and check points. Whilst also putting miles into your legs

I can't stand turbos, but I'm weak enough that I can just about do vo2max on rollers, I find that beyond 400W the cadence becomes too hard to stay on top of but I'm never there for long.
I tried to follow plans over the winter but found it too hard with uni/family/work commitments so have recently switched to doing two tough vo2max sessions in the week then a long ride at the weekend with as much climbing as possible. There are lots of different sessions you can try to mix it up, I just try to mimic what I'll be doing on the road and 3 weeks of it seemed to add about 25W to my (meagre) FTP.

Yes recovery is important. Or drop the power.

Take as long as you need between reps, to get the quality work done.

chatted with some clubmates about entering some local 2 & 4up TTs. Think they are 10 and 20 miles respectively.

I have only done DIY audaxes but it sorta seems like riding with a bunch of guys at a steady pace seems like not that great, training wise.

Rest intervals suck so I often skip them 2x20 -> 1x40 = I get to the recovery beer quicker :)

I have only done DIY audaxes but it sorta seems like riding with a bunch of guys at a steady pace seems like not that great, training wise.

I would of thought things like this would help with the practicalities of TCR ? Equipment, comfort, navigation, feeding ?
Plus riding at a steady pace for long distances would seem to be good training for riding at a steady pace for long distances ? Mixed up with shorter rides at higher intensities (Longer TTs).

Not having done anything like TCR though I'm just guessing.
@hippy @skinny ?

Audax is great prep for TCR type stuff. You don't have to ride with anyone.

TCR is basically an audax.

So you want to train for a multi day sleep-deprived, solo ride carrying multi KG of luggage by doing drafted race efforts?

OK.

Specificity.

The last month or two before the event this is not a bad idea but highly recommended. Worked for me.

Never ridden an audax in my life. Not my cup o tea.

Train how you want. Don't listen to anyone. They don't have a clue.

I do what works for me.

@Ste_S

I see your point. I have plans for testing navigation as well as equipment but replicating race conditions, ie, riding 300km for a bunch of days in a row is pretty difficult IRL.

@dubtap

I never said I was doing drafted race efforts. I've not been in a bunch since November and on the occasions I've been out with friends I make sure to sit on the front as often as possible.

As above - replicating race conditions is difficult because of the type of event. So I'm looking for advice on how to improve my fitness for this type of events in other ways.

@hippy makes a fair point though, I don't have to ride audax with people!

Fast audax is more beer than tea.

Like I did you probably have the wrong idea about what audax is.

For me, it has literally been a route on a GPX that I ride. I could lift a route off Strava, submit it and get some points or claim their badges and stuff. I don't because I'm just using them for training but it's an easy way to find a variety of rides. Calendar events are good because who doesn't like extra cake stops :)

I'm just playing, because it annoys my that the stock response to training for a ultra race is to ride audax after audax and that anything else is wrong.

Nothing wrong with an audax. But it's not going to magically make you a good ultra rider.

I was just making the point that I've never done one or plan to and I am alright.

I didn't say anything else was wrong but we were comparing audaxes to short, fast bunch rides. I would definitely go the former over the latter.

You're fast because of your parents you lazy bugger. You could sit on your arse all year and still beat me.