Re: Training - Cycling Mob: Road Cycling, Mountain Biking and More

07-16-2003, 05:18 AM

In article <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]>, [Only registered and activated users can see links. ]
says...
> I'm a light, agile and slender American, 6'1" and 130 lb, 20 years of age.
> Euskaltel Euskadi would go out of their way for someone of my build... <grin>
> ...that is, if I were in shape... and if I learned Basque and changed my name to
> Edurne Etxebarria. Anyway, I have fairly strong legs from inline racing, and I
> know how to handle a road bike... I got back on my dad's after a long time
> without hardly any exercise, and I managed 22 miles at 12 mph. It seems I have
> a hummingbird heartbeat too, resting rate is about 80 bpm, maximum is around 200
> and during that nearly 2-hour ride, I averaged 165 bpm in 95-degree F weather
> with no ill effects.
>
> I found all of this very encouraging, and I'd like to keep up training... but
> where should I start?

It's simple: start riding a lot. Mix some longer, slower rides with
shorter harder ones, and throw in a few intervals just for fun.

--
David Kerber
An optimist says "Good morning, Lord." While a pessimist says "Good
Lord, it's morning".

Remove the ns_ from the address before e-mailing.

07-16-2003, 11:29 AM

In article <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]>, [Only registered and activated users can see links. ]
says...
> "archer" <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote in message
> news:[Only registered and activated users can see links. ].net...
>
> > In article <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]>, [Only registered and activated users can see links. ]
> > says...
>
> > > I'm a light, agile and slender American, 6'1" and 130 lb, 20 years of age.
> > > Euskaltel Euskadi would go out of their way for someone of my build...
> <grin>
> > > ...that is, if I were in shape... and if I learned Basque and changed my
> name to
> > > Edurne Etxebarria. Anyway, I have fairly strong legs from inline racing,
> and I
> > > know how to handle a road bike... I got back on my dad's after a long time
> > > without hardly any exercise, and I managed 22 miles at 12 mph. It seems I
> have
> > > a hummingbird heartbeat too, resting rate is about 80 bpm, maximum is around
> 200
> > > and during that nearly 2-hour ride, I averaged 165 bpm in 95-degree F
> weather
> > > with no ill effects.
> > >
> > > I found all of this very encouraging, and I'd like to keep up training...
> but
> > > where should I start?
> >
> > It's simple: start riding a lot. Mix some longer, slower rides with
> > shorter harder ones, and throw in a few intervals just for fun.
>
> That sounds good. I would appreciate a definition of "intervals," though. Is
> it the same as in inline racing - several back-to-back sprints?

Yep; same as in running, too. AFAIK, the term "intervals" means
essentially the same thing in most sports, though often implies slightly
longer distances than the term 'wind sprints'. When I was running track,
"intervals" were usually 200m to 800m, while "wind sprints" were usually
40 to 100m. When I think of intervals on a bike, I am usually referring
to timed intervals from 30 sec to 5 min.

--
David Kerber
An optimist says "Good morning, Lord." While a pessimist says "Good
Lord, it's morning".

Remove the ns_ from the address before e-mailing.

07-16-2003, 10:34 PM

"archer" <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote in message
news:[Only registered and activated users can see links. ].net...
> In article <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]>, [Only registered and activated users can see links. ]
> says...
> > "archer" <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote in message
> > news:[Only registered and activated users can see links. ].net...

> > > It's simple: start riding a lot. Mix some longer, slower rides with
> > > shorter harder ones, and throw in a few intervals just for fun.
> >
> > That sounds good. I would appreciate a definition of "intervals," though.
Is
> > it the same as in inline racing - several back-to-back sprints?
>
> Yep; same as in running, too. AFAIK, the term "intervals" means
> essentially the same thing in most sports, though often implies slightly
> longer distances than the term 'wind sprints'. When I was running track,
> "intervals" were usually 200m to 800m, while "wind sprints" were usually
> 40 to 100m. When I think of intervals on a bike, I am usually referring
> to timed intervals from 30 sec to 5 min.

Well, I took to the hills... there's a 2-mile loop around my home which is full
of them. I went around it twice and into a mountain-bike trail which shoots off
for several more miles, about an hour and a half of hilly roads, and there were
many points when my legs just couldn't turn any longer and I had to rest...
after all that, I took your advice and topped off with some interval training,
scaling a 20% grade four times in a row. I can already feel a difference.
Yesterday, I couldn't even get up that hill without taking a breather... and
that was when I was fresh. Today, I did it six times, four of them after I was
already really hurting. I was expecting to not see results for a long while,
but that is not proving to be the case.

To compensate for my lack of endurance in the hills, I plan on going out several
times over the course of the day - before and after each meal, around the same
hilly course. Once I'm strong enough to do this confidently, I'll start
venturing further away from home where the topology is more varied.

Thank you for helping me on my way.

-Sonarrat.

07-17-2003, 05:51 AM

In article <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]>, [Only registered and activated users can see links. ]
says...
> "archer" <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote in message
> news:[Only registered and activated users can see links. ].net...
> > In article <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]>, [Only registered and activated users can see links. ]
> > says...
> > > "archer" <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote in message
> > > news:[Only registered and activated users can see links. ].net...
>
> > > > It's simple: start riding a lot. Mix some longer, slower rides with
> > > > shorter harder ones, and throw in a few intervals just for fun.
> > >
> > > That sounds good. I would appreciate a definition of "intervals," though.
> Is
> > > it the same as in inline racing - several back-to-back sprints?
> >
> > Yep; same as in running, too. AFAIK, the term "intervals" means
> > essentially the same thing in most sports, though often implies slightly
> > longer distances than the term 'wind sprints'. When I was running track,
> > "intervals" were usually 200m to 800m, while "wind sprints" were usually
> > 40 to 100m. When I think of intervals on a bike, I am usually referring
> > to timed intervals from 30 sec to 5 min.
>
> Well, I took to the hills... there's a 2-mile loop around my home which is full
> of them. I went around it twice and into a mountain-bike trail which shoots off
> for several more miles, about an hour and a half of hilly roads, and there were
> many points when my legs just couldn't turn any longer and I had to rest...
> after all that, I took your advice and topped off with some interval training,
> scaling a 20% grade four times in a row. I can already feel a difference.
> Yesterday, I couldn't even get up that hill without taking a breather... and
> that was when I was fresh. Today, I did it six times, four of them after I was
> already really hurting. I was expecting to not see results for a long while,
> but that is not proving to be the case.

I too found that the initial gains came quickly, perhaps due to
improvements in technique more than conditioning, but then leveled off
for a while until I increased my training.

> To compensate for my lack of endurance in the hills, I plan on going out several
> times over the course of the day - before and after each meal, around the same
> hilly course. Once I'm strong enough to do this confidently, I'll start
> venturing further away from home where the topology is more varied.
>
> Thank you for helping me on my way.

You're welcome! Best of luck, and I hope to see you in the TdF in a few
years!

--
David Kerber
An optimist says "Good morning, Lord." While a pessimist says "Good
Lord, it's morning".

Remove the ns_ from the address before e-mailing.

07-17-2003, 04:41 PM

"archer" <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote in message
news:[Only registered and activated users can see links. ].net...
> In article <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]>, [Only registered and activated users can see links. ]
> says...
> > I'm a light, agile and slender American, 6'1" and 130 lb, 20 years of
age.
> > Euskaltel Euskadi would go out of their way for someone of my build...
<grin>
> > ...that is, if I were in shape... and if I learned Basque and changed my
name to
> > Edurne Etxebarria. Anyway, I have fairly strong legs from inline
racing, and I
> > know how to handle a road bike... I got back on my dad's after a long
time
> > without hardly any exercise, and I managed 22 miles at 12 mph. It seems
I have
> > a hummingbird heartbeat too, resting rate is about 80 bpm, maximum is
around 200
> > and during that nearly 2-hour ride, I averaged 165 bpm in 95-degree F
weather
> > with no ill effects.
> >
> > I found all of this very encouraging, and I'd like to keep up
training... but
> > where should I start?
>
> It's simple: start riding a lot. Mix some longer, slower rides with
> shorter harder ones, and throw in a few intervals just for fun.
>
If there is a decent riding club (check your LBSs) in your area, consider
joining. Training with others, as well as alone, helps keep it fresh. And
more experienced riders may be able to help you with advice (keeping in mind
that free advice is worth what you pay for it).