LSD Training.....

I don't have any science handy, but, even though I'm more of an "intensity for immensity" kinda guy, I know some riders who are quite smart, very experienced, and MONSTEROUSLY fast, who swear by LSD training. They claim to get no benefit unless they're doing more than 500 to 600km a week! :eek:

But I dunno -- they probably get their fitness from racing :p

lorrod said:

Long Steady Distance(LSD) training has been utilized for years by racers/riders. Some riders in years past have even advocated the use of LSD rides as the only preparation for racing. Normally, LSD rides have been recommended as rides lasting as long as your longest race of the season.....although most riders do upwards of two and three times that amount(6, 8, or even 10 hours on a typical LSD ride). My question is this: If your longest race of the season is only 3 hours in length, do you feel that you get additional benefit by riding, say, 5 or 6 hours on a longer ride? Is there greater benefit in spending 6 hours on a longer ride(knowing your longest race is 3 hours) rather than utilizing your alloted riding time(for those of us with time constraints) in other "training sessions"? I guess my biggest question is, how much of a disadvantage would it be in a typical Cat. 4/5/Masters race(road race, time trial and criteriums) if my longest rides top out at only 3 hours every week? Do you feel that putting in regular 5-hour rides(or longer) once or twice per week help you obtain a certain edge when it comes down to that final hour(in a 3 hour race)? Thanks for your help!

I think LDS rides are good for two things:
#1 Recovery (but not very long...i.e. 3 hours)
#2 Endurance rides

Other than that, they are useless. Those riders who have advocated LSD rides as their only means of training for races either lied or must have done pretty poorly in the races (depending on the distance).

1 long ride per week should be fine. You could probably add another somewhere else, but I would make it as long as the other long ride. There's a lot to get into here, so I can't get into much detail. But don't just focus on LSD rides. For a 3 hour race, you need speed, and you can't get that in an LSD ride. 😉

Orange Fish said:

I think LDS rides are good for two things:
#1 Recovery (but not very long...i.e. 3 hours)
#2 Endurance rides

Other than that, they are useless. Those riders who have advocated LSD rides as their only means of training for races either lied or must have done pretty poorly in the races (depending on the distance).

1 long ride per week should be fine. You could probably add another somewhere else, but I would make it as long as the other long ride. There's a lot to get into here, so I can't get into much detail. But don't just focus on LSD rides. For a 3 hour race, you need speed, and you can't get that in an LSD ride. 😉

You know, I could never understand the riders who advocated LSD training as essentially the only means to training for racing. It doesn't make logical sense. However, maybe they did just utilize their races for race-type training.....utilizing the rest of the week, or days in between races, for just long slow/steady recovery riding. However, what if you're only racing once per week.....or once every other week? It seems to me that in order to get better and faster at racing, you need to either race or train in specifics for the racing......not just go out and do LSD training all the time.

Still, I'm not sure if it's more beneficial to just ride the distance of your longest race on the LSD training day....in my case, 3 hours.....or if more benefit can be added by trying to bump that up to, say, 5 or 6 hours. How much added benefit is derived from it?

lorrod said:

You know, I could never understand the riders who advocated LSD training as essentially the only means to training for racing. It doesn't make logical sense. However, maybe they did just utilize their races for race-type training.....utilizing the rest of the week, or days in between races, for just long slow/steady recovery riding. However, what if you're only racing once per week.....or once every other week? It seems to me that in order to get better and faster at racing, you need to either race or train in specifics for the racing......not just go out and do LSD training all the time.

Still, I'm not sure if it's more beneficial to just ride the distance of your longest race on the LSD training day....in my case, 3 hours.....or if more benefit can be added by trying to bump that up to, say, 5 or 6 hours. How much added benefit is derived from it?

If you're racing for 3 hours, then definitely putting 3 hours in for a workout or two is a great idea, but you can definitely bump that to 4-5 to see more of a benefit. You can only better develop your aerobic system by doing this.

Orange Fish said:

I think LDS rides are good for two things:
#1 Recovery (but not very long...i.e. 3 hours)
#2 Endurance rides

)

Damn and I thought that this was another doping thread...

One more important thing an LSD ride is great for: Fat Burning and weight loss

When I was racing I got my weight down to about 195 but could not go any further (I am 6'4" so I was pretty thin). Using LSD rides with lots of peanut butter on bagels and coffee, I was able to shed those last couple of lbs and get down to below 190.

wilmar13 said:

One more important thing an LSD ride is great for: Fat Burning and weight loss

i.e. Endurance ride

[font=&quot][/font][font=&quot]I could use some help with the endurance ride/LSD training. I am relatively new to cycling, but no stranger to general (if unscientific) endurance training. The issue I have (and it could possibly be a stupid question) is when I follow the parameter of riding slowly enough to carry on a conversation; my heart rate is nowhere near 65% of my measured max.

If I aim for this target (65% of MHR) it becomes a much faster ride and I can't hold that pace for the target 4-5 hours. I guess the question is should I worry more about the time on the bike, or the target heart rate?[/font]