Does commuting count as training?

Oh, but what I did learn from this is how much absolute trash people talk about their commute
"yeah, my commute is 40miles a day" "yah, yah, MINE is ten miles each way"

I go to the depths of zone 6 every day - the countryside! - and I struggle to put in more than 12miles each way! Forum, I'm calling you out!

Kew - Piccadilly 8 miles

crystal palace to marylebone - 9 miles - back in the days when actually used to ride a bike (stares whistfully into the middle distance)

stelle - as you said, carry on doing what you are doing. it certainly seems to be doing the trick.

am i actually allowed to post on here? i've done my induction followed by the novice training and one forum track day...

Bethnal Green to Chiswick, 10 miles each way. I got fit and lost a stone.
Then they moved the office to the City. about 2 miles if that, and that stone came back. With that short distance it's all about smashing the traffic light sprint.

To anyone who rides back to SE London there's a loop around Rotherhithe (turn left at the Rotherhithe tunnel roundabout, on the Thames side) that - buses apart - gives you about 4 mins of even-paced riding - 8 mins if you use the roundabout at the surrey quays end.

Thanks for this, I've just been looking on google, when you say that you spin at the Surrey Quays end, do you mean the roundabout where Redcliff rd meets Surrey Quays rd?

What kind of training / intervals do you manage to get in? I fancy giving this a go either v early morning or after work.

crystal palace to marylebone - 9 miles - back in the days when actually used to ride a bike (stares whistfully into the middle distance)

Have you hurt yourself mate??

Rob, I cross-posted Clive's post because in it he talks about how commuting was useful for him to gain fitness.

That would have been up to Clive to reply in context to this thread, rather than you dropping in his comment which was posted in response to something very different. This thread is a simple question from Stelle, and it's been answered.

I was only joking about banning you btw.

about 2 miles if that, and that stone came back. With that short distance it's all about smashing the traffic light sprint.

I do 2 miles each way. With that short distance, it's all about a sedate recovery ride in a 60" gear.

yep...sorry, I asked a stupid question forgetting that I knew that the answers would bore me into submission :)

Don't mind me. I will just carry on doing as I have done and that will do me fine.

You only had to read one answer #39

You only had to read one answer #35

I thought your answers were good as well, Rob. No need to be so modest.

lol

Two strikes

Go on, ban me. I had been intending to do some speedwork at the Sunday morning sessions, but seeing as I'm racing every Sunday morning for the next 6 weeks, HH is starting to look like a distant memory.

The track forum's a terribly watered down affair anyway. The moderators aren't very dilligent. It's a pity, as it could have been a useful targetted resource.

Have you hurt yourself mate??

Yeah. Separated shoulder, grade 2. Busted a ligament and sprained some others...

Another 2 or 3 weeks off bike at least. Really really sucks.

Dilligent? But if I deleted all of the irrelevant chit-chat, 90% of your posts would vanish.

What you've failed to realise is that although they may look like so much chit-chat, they are in fact carefully crafted performance bombs containing neurolinguistic programming shrapnel.

repped

You're back in the room.

when you say that you spin at the Surrey Quays end, do you mean the roundabout where Redcliff rd meets Surrey Quays rd?

What kind of training / intervals do you manage to get in?

The roundabout @ Redcliff Road / Quebec Road.

Last year I was doing 2 or 3 x 8-10 min intervals on there, as well as reps of shorter intervals.

This year it looks like I'm moving house - and might get in some proper (by Stelle's high standards) miles. Probably 15-17 miles each way - up from 7 now. That endurance pace might finally beckon ...

Now that I often come into work at 6-7am I find that i can now ride for 20-30 mins without stopping to get to work, and that's pretty good for training.

Does commuting count as training? Well, does it?

Here's an easier angle:

1.What do you believe your "training" needs to be?
2.Can it be achieved with your commute?

too many people separate a commute with thier bike riding, like it's a different sport. It's just bike riding.
Unfortunately, It's usually bike riding at a duration and intensity which is not always appropriate for some parts of a rider's training program.

The smart money is knowing when a commute can be used for training (or recovery) and when it can't.

I don't know, but I think you're trying to say:
go slowly on your commute, don't enter the commuter olympics, put all your effort into the programmed training schedule you have, use the commute as a walk to work.

Would that be a simple summation that the fixie skidders amongst us might understand?

Depends on your goals and your commute. dulwichrider just mentioned his commute has become 20 to 30 minutes of solid riding, which has its uses.

I also knew a few roadies whose only training was via their commutes. They all did about 25 miles each way, out in the sticks. Then a midweek crit, and a weekend road race (or 2).

I don't know, but I think you're trying to say:
go slowly on your commute, don't enter the commuter olympics, put all your effort into the programmed training schedule you have, use the commute as a walk to work.

Would that be a simple summation that the fixie skidders amongst us might understand?

Not at all.

Using a commute for recovery is one aspect, yes. But it can be used for other things.

Gotcha. Both of you.

I, personally, don't like using my commute for anything but recovery/transport to work. The roads are horrible and it feels like more of a battle than I want.

I just finished a training session on the rollers about an hour ago. I've got my 2 miles each way commute in a minute (and tomorrow). Seeing as I'm racing on Sunday, and want fairly fresh legs for the first test of the season, I won't be doing any traffic light interval training, or commuter-derny paced efforts.

Or should I…?

thread goes around in circles yet again (well, it is the track forum)