In article <[email hidden]>, Top Sirloin
Quoted message said:warren said:In article <[email hidden]>, Top Sirloin
Quoted message said:I suck and have no aerobic power; can/should I start building a base in a month or so for next
season?
For maximum benefit, is it important to make the rides as long as possible,
i.e.is 15 weekly training hours over three rides better than 15 hours over 5 rides?
The usual suggestion for that amount of time per week is to do two, maybe three long rides in
addition to other rides that are shorter and address different needs.
That's pretty much what I'm doing now, but I'm impatient. :-)
What if I don't want to address any need other than aerobic fitness?
A recovery ride the day after a long ride is very useful and a tune-up ride the day before a long
ride is good too.
Quoted message said:Is there a protocol/routine that would be optimal for increasing it that I could hit for 2-3
months and then fall into the typical periodization program laid out in most cycling training
books? Would ignoring everything else to work on my weakest point be a good idea?
Many will say that you should work on all aspects at least a little bit, all year around, but I now
believe that you should not do any anaerobic training (other than what you get on hills even when
you're not pressing) if your goal is to maximize your aerobic training.
Instead of just riding slow for long distances you should include an occasional long interval or
three at something near 15 bpm below your LTHR.
Doing long rides back to back can be helpful too. If 4 hours is a bit beyond something you can
recover from in a few days then do a 2 hour ride followed next day with a 3 hour ride.
-WG