IMPROVING YOUR CYCLING
Women can get great on the bike and I’ve personally found improving your cycling is by far the easiest and the gains are quickly visible. Time spent on your bike is rewarded with improvements in performance. There are three ways to spend you time on the bike to maximize your improvement
1. Base training 2. Tempo training 3. Hill/strength training
1. BASE TRAINING
To be a successful on the bike you need to build up your weekly kilometers to build a good endurance base. “Endurance training is the basic training that allows you to feel comfortable on the bike for longer periods without pushing yourself to exhaustion.
You achieve a slow build up of stamina by increasing aerobic fitness. You must habitually stress the aerobic energy system by staying on the bike longer and longer. After a while, the system acclimates itself to working more efficiently for longer periods. CLICK HERE for the benefits of endurance training
WHEN: The best time for endurance training is during the off-season, a couple of month post your prior season. CLICK HERE for key phases of training
INTENSITY: This is a great time to ride, as you can ride comfortable with friends talk and enjoy the scenery. You’re not stressing your legs and lungs too much but enjoying the great things cycling has to offer. You HR should be approximately 60-80% of your max HR. The best way to gauge this intensity is the talk test, you should be able to hold a conversation
DURATION: Your training duration shouldn’t exceed 20-25% of the distance you tend to compete at eg. Target distance Olympic 50-60km.
2.TEMPO TRAINING (LACTATE THRESHOLD TRAINING)
This is when you start to add some fun to your training and start developing some speed on top of the great endurance base you’ve built. It’s time to get out the aero bars and start tempo training. So what is tempo? Tempo is just below your lactate threshold; this is a pace at which you feel uncomfortable, no burning yet but you’re now unable to hold a conversation and your breathing becomes heavy (further information on measuring your lactate threshold)
There are a number of workouts recommended to improve your lactate threshold
1. Long Intervals – after a good warm up perform 5-12min efforts with 3-4min recovery. The longer the race the longer the intervals but you need to gradually increase the time. There workouts will make you tired but will help you become stronger
2. Fartlek – perform hill repeats of 3-6min recovering on the down hill
3. Distance Tempo – find a known course of approximately 5-10miles and perform the tempo workout. Measure your time and HR for the distance so you can see improvements over time
4. Paced Training – set a course of 15-20km (race distance dependent) and time trial this distance at just below lactate threshold
WHEN: The best time for threshold training is during Race preparation phase, with above threshold at the end of Race preparation
DURATION: it’s great to do your tempo workouts during your long rides and shorter rides during the week. Should only be done 2x per week when recovered
3. HILL/STRENGTH TRAINING
A great way to enhance your tempo workout is to do some key strength workouts. It’s like doing weight training on your bike. You’re legs will feel heavy after and full of blood just like a weight training set. During these sets you need to concentrate on smooth pedal stroke, using your lower body to do all the work and keeping your upper body strong and still (no rocking and rolling)
Caution: ensure your knees are strong and stop at any time of discomfort
Two key workouts to build strength
1. Hill repeats
2. Wind trainer/home trainer sets
1. Hill repeats – find a hill where you can do 4-6min hill repeats. After a nice 15-20min warm up, use a gear, which will allow you to do the hill, repeat at 60-65rpm. Climb the hill at 60-65rpm and then recover on the downhill. Repeat this cycle 4-8 times, 1-2 times per week. Cool down with your ride home
2. Windtrainer/home trainer sets – these sets can be done in a quick 1-hour workout and mimic the hill repeats but you can do these in the aerobars, strengthening the key aero position muscles. After a 20min warm up, choose a gear to do your repeats at 60-65rpm. Efforts should be 4-10min and repeated 4-8 times with a recovery of 50% of the effort. Ensure you complete a 10min cool down to finish off the set
WHEN: key strength workouts late in your base training and early in race preparation phase – when knees and body are bike fit
INTENSITY: below lactate threshold, aerobic.
GOAL: building strong legs to convert to speed during tempo workouts
Reference
Edmund R. Burke, Serious Cycling 2nd edition 2002
