The worst training route ever?

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1942alexander
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Joined: 29 Dec 2012, 8:11pm
Location: Lancashire (summer), Tenerife (winter)

The worst training route ever?

Post by 1942alexander »

This winter, instead of slogging my way, repeatedly, up Mount Teide, (Tenerife), I've been riding a 13.6 mile course, three times a week, trying to get my speed up, ready for the club 10 mile TTs in May. I only expect a 30mins TT, (I'm 73) but in training I've only been averaging 14.5 - 15 mph instead of the 17 - 18 mph I expected for the effort I'm putting in, slowly using the bigger gears and sprinting up the hills, (only the short ones). After my ride today, the last one before I return home, realizing this was as fit as I was going to get and, to be honest, a little disappointed, I began to wonder why I've got stuck at this speed. I've always known it's not a good route but didn't realize just how bad it was until I really thought about it. As I said, it's a 13.6 mile circuit which includes over 1000' of climbing, 99 pedestrian crossings, 20 roundabouts, (including the double bridges over the motorway,) dozens of speed bumps, road surfaces that have to be seen to be believed and the craziest car drivers on the planet, and before anyone says "change the route", the other ones are worse.
Anyone else got a route as bad?
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foxyrider
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Re: The worst training route ever?

Post by foxyrider »

you are training too far! if you want to go faster the ride needs to be just 3/4's of the race distance maximum. A time trial is all about pacing, a ten is really a constant sprint - constant stop/start efforts are no good to you! Can you find say a five mile route to do your effort on with as few turns/interruptions as possible - add in a couple of miles warm up before and a similar afterward to warm down.

Not saying it will work but give it a go - on the other hand you might just be at your maximum potential!
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Mark1978
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Location: Chester-le-Street, County Durham

Re: The worst training route ever?

Post by Mark1978 »

TT Training can be done on a turbo trainer. Ideal for putting out constant efforts
1942alexander
Posts: 288
Joined: 29 Dec 2012, 8:11pm
Location: Lancashire (summer), Tenerife (winter)

Re: The worst training route ever?

Post by 1942alexander »

Hi foxyrider, as I said, there is no alternative route. The first 3 miles and the last 4 miles are the flatter bits but these have almost all the zebras etc, the middle portion has better straighter roads but has all the climbing. I'm really impressed if you can ride a ten mile sprint. I'm afraid these days I can only manage a 100 - 150 yards sprint, always uphill though. As well as speed, don't you think that strength and stamina should also be catered for in a ride? It will be interesting, this year to see what time I can achieve in a 10. The last time I raced in the tens was three years ago after I did a whole winter of long slogs up the volcano. I was hoping to improve my times this year but we'll see.
Cheers...Alex
1942alexander
Posts: 288
Joined: 29 Dec 2012, 8:11pm
Location: Lancashire (summer), Tenerife (winter)

Re: The worst training route ever?

Post by 1942alexander »

Mark1978 wrote:TT Training can be done on a turbo trainer. Ideal for putting out constant efforts


Hi Mark,
I've got a static bike at home but I'd rather do five hours on the road than one hour on a static and I'm a little old now to be investing in a turbo.
Cheers... Alex
eileithyia
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Re: The worst training route ever?

Post by eileithyia »

Spend your winters in Mallorca where there are a mix of roads inc, long straight via de serveis alongside the motorways... good for some flat out efforts and no speed bumps,multiple junctions, no lights etc......
I can ride to work, horwich - preston at 05:40-07:15 at a high pace with a good av speed only to see that av speed disappear downwards as I hit the outskirts of Bamber bridge/ preston and have to slow / stop for various junctions, lights, etc........

Your route sounds horrendous and I find anywhere where i ride with multiple junctions, speed bumps etc around lancashire lanes only gives me an average speed of 13-15mph for a ride while on flat sections i can be topping 18-20mph, once the TT season starts i easily top 20mph average.
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Dynamite_funk
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Joined: 2 Nov 2011, 9:10am

Re: The worst training route ever?

Post by Dynamite_funk »

Sounds like you are out on the south of the island. Why not try the north west/east? I think you can take bikes on to the buses there can't you?
whoof
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Joined: 29 Apr 2014, 2:13pm

Re: The worst training route ever?

Post by whoof »

It sounds like you are riding too far and too fast and also not far enough and too slow at the same time.

If you really want to go faster try the following for six weeks, but see your doctor first.

Session 1: 15 minute warm up then 1 & 1/2 to 2 & 1/2 hours at a pace you can maintain throughout (without going fast up the hills) but certainly isn't easy.

two speed session of intervals:
1) 15 minute warm up the 4 minutes just about as fast as you can maintain the same pace for four minutes then 1 minute steady to recover. Then repeat until the you find yourself not being able to hold the same pace as the first interval, but certainly no more than 6 times in total. 15 minutes cool down.

2) 15 minute warm up the 1 minutes just about as fast as you can maintain the same pace for 1 minute then 1 minute steady to recover. Then repeat until the you find yourself not being able to hold the same pace as the first interval, but certainly no more than 6 times in total. 15 minutes cool down.

You can do other leisure ridings and getting about but make sure you are rested for the training rides.

After 6 weeks have an easy week and instead of the longer ride do a short easy one.

Next week do your time-trial. Not suggesting you just do one every six weeks but target one, club champs?

Best place to do the interval sessions is as mentioned above is a turbo-trainer. Also some way of measuring output is useful, power is best if not HR though this lags behind effort especially one 1 minute intervals.
I know it's boring, it's also a bit miserable but if you want to go faster.
1942alexander
Posts: 288
Joined: 29 Dec 2012, 8:11pm
Location: Lancashire (summer), Tenerife (winter)

Re: The worst training route ever?

Post by 1942alexander »

Dynamite_funk wrote:Sounds like you are out on the south of the island. Why not try the north west/east? I think you can take bikes on to the buses there can't you?


Yes, I'm in the south just about midway between the two water parks in Adeje. Too cold and wet in the north. Google Earth will show you how little space there is between the sea and the high ground. There are practically no decent level quiet roads on the island to ride, even if you can get there by bus. I'm just hoping that 14 -15 mph on these roads equates to 17 - 18 mph on better roads at home.
ChrisF
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Re: The worst training route ever?

Post by ChrisF »

I was in Tenerife in late Feb this year and can agree that there are few places to ride except up El Teide - and that was closed most of the time I was there, because of snow! But I did find one flat bit of road, along the 'car park' at Playa Teresitas, just outside San Andres - there were quite a few riders looping around there, about 1km end to end with a roundabout for turns. Perfecly flat. Bit of a long way from Adeje though.
Chris F, Cornwall
1942alexander
Posts: 288
Joined: 29 Dec 2012, 8:11pm
Location: Lancashire (summer), Tenerife (winter)

Re: The worst training route ever?

Post by 1942alexander »

eileithyia wrote:Spend your winters in Mallorca where there are a mix of roads inc, long straight via de serveis alongside the motorways... good for some flat out efforts and no speed bumps,multiple junctions, no lights etc......
I can ride to work, horwich - preston at 05:40-07:15 at a high pace with a good av speed only to see that av speed disappear downwards as I hit the outskirts of Bamber bridge/ preston and have to slow / stop for various junctions, lights, etc........

Your route sounds horrendous and I find anywhere where i ride with multiple junctions, speed bumps etc around lancashire lanes only gives me an average speed of 13-15mph for a ride while on flat sections i can be topping 18-20mph, once the TT season starts i easily top 20mph average.


Sounds great but no can do. Bought in Tenerife in 2001 when I was running marathons and got fed up with training on the edge of the moors in driving rain, hail and snow so opted for a place in the sun where 20C is the minimum temperature you can expect all winter. Now I'm on the bike the weather's still ideal but now I've given up the mountain climbs for a while, the other roads are rubbish. I'll know in a week or two if this winter has worked for me or not. It's three years since I raced so I haven't a base line to compare and three years at my age can make a big difference to capability. Like you've experienced, I'm hoping the road system has slowed me down significantly and that I'm fitter than my rides suggest.
Cheers
1942alexander
Posts: 288
Joined: 29 Dec 2012, 8:11pm
Location: Lancashire (summer), Tenerife (winter)

Re: The worst training route ever?

Post by 1942alexander »

whoof wrote:Best place to do the interval sessions is as mentioned above is a turbo-trainer. Also some way of measuring output is useful, power is best if not HR though this lags behind effort especially one 1 minute intervals.
I know it's boring, it's also a bit miserable but if you want to go faster.


I used to do intervals on a set of wooden rollers back in the 1950s except mine were go all out for 1 minute and recover for 4, then repeat for one hour. Wattage output measurement would be great but I really can't justify spending hundreds of pounds on a turbo when my sporting life is coming to an end.
1942alexander
Posts: 288
Joined: 29 Dec 2012, 8:11pm
Location: Lancashire (summer), Tenerife (winter)

Re: The worst training route ever?

Post by 1942alexander »

Hi quilkin,
It looks like you were even worse off for a decent route than I was. At least I had fairly good access to El Teide through Guia de Isora and Chio. I went up the volcano after the snow,(in the car,) and it looked magnificent. It's a pity that where the best views were, you couldn't park.
Regards...
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