Starting out...

I just realized a lot of people who view these forums probably don't have a way to post (non members)

so if you have a reply but dont want to sign up for a username..

email me

[email hidden]

Yo dude,

Great to hear you're starting out and wanting to race. There are two main things I'd say if you want to be a great racing cyclist:

1. Get a coach. Structuring your training is a lot easier when you have someone who can help with event selection and training techniques. From what you're said I have noted three things at least you could improve on:

(i) Weights are probably unnecessary (unless you race short track events).

(ii) More intensity will help.

(iii) There's no need to periodise (have rest weeks) at the volume you're currently doing (presuming those numbers were hours ridden?)

2. Race. There are a lot of different sorts of bike races, and you need to have a crack at them to see where your talent lies, and to get used to the tactics and skills involved. Try road, try track, MTB, even cyclo if there is any in your area. It all helps your bike handling and fitness. A coach should also be able to help work out what's for you.

Lance Armstrong does weights

I will do weights

Joe friel suggests at least a year of just riding before you put in any intensity..

there is no periodization... just rest weeks.. I'm not sure how you see periodization?

the numbers are hours ridden..

I know i didn't mention racing directly.. but obviously im going to race.. thats my goal... to race well.. I would have to race occasionally to see how I'm doing at least.. and keep myself motivated for sure.

jagrazor,

good to see that you're taking up bike racing. it's a great sport. a coach will be a great asset to your training and motivation, and will help prepare you for racing. it's well worth looking into getting a local club coach to help you out.

because you're training with quite a small volume at present, there's likely no need for you to do recovery weeks, and you may well be able to ramp up the volume at a greater rate than you're currently doing (although this may depend on your initial fitness and training status, and your age). additionally, even if you do need a recovery week, there's nothing special or required about having one every fourth week.

as roadie mentions, there's no real need to do weight training, as strength isn't a limiting factor in endurance cycling performance (i.e., races > 90-secs). however, as you're relatively untrained at present (compared to someone who does currently race) then weights will likely provide extra fitness gains for you. it should however, be noted, that irrespective of what LA might or might not do, weight training is likely detrimental to endurance cycling performance once you're trained (i.e., at a level that you could race at).

assuming that you're healthy, under 35, and have no reason why you shouldn't exercise maximally, then there's no need to wait around doing steady riding -- it's fine to add in some intensity to your training.

good luck with your progression into the sport, and don't hesitate to ask any questions about training etc.

ric

Ric....

I'd like to cut you an e-mail if you would be so kind as to provide a contact.

oneradtec,

[email hidden] or PM me

ric

thanks for the replies,

I am comming back from an injury.. haha.. one that i sustained during lifting.. however i was lifting very wrong.. coached by my high school track coach..

anyway..

now that I am a few weeks in.. after my first break week, which i needed, I think I can up my volume a little quicker. this week I am aiming for 6 hours instead of 5 hours.. after this week I am supposed to take a break week, I will see how I feel.

I have been doing rides with a group that meets at the local bike shop, although infrequent.. I am getting a little intensity in.. its just that right at the moment I feel sluggish the day after, however I am just off of two days in a row of harder training and feel ok, but I think that I can up my volume quicker if i focus on it more.

My biggest weakness in a longer race would be my endurance, which is why I thought I should work on it.

I really feel that I need to get in some good base time though, because in my years of high school, I have ran cross country and track.. and seem to get hurt right after the season starts, so my base never gets developed well. When i was running, I had to bike and swim, which helped, but wasn't of course as good as running my base for running..

so now I want to get in a big base period for the rest of my career, my goals aren't to race my best every race from now until I am dead.. my goals aren't to peak once a season starting this season.. my goal is to become a proffesional cyclist and do very well at the grand tours.

[QUOTE]Originally posted by jagrazor
[B]I have been doing rides with a group that meets at the local bike shop, although infrequent.. I am getting a little intensity in.. its just that right at the moment I feel sluggish the day after, however I am just off of two days in a row of harder training and feel ok, but I think that I can up my volume quicker if i focus on it more.[/quote]

It's natural to feel fatigued after hard efforts. If you take care of your nutrition and sleep you'll be right. If you accumulate fatigue over a number of weeks, 1-3 easier days can help, but at your current volume I don't know that you need a full rest week.

Quoted post said:

so now I want to get in a big base period for the rest of my career, my goals aren't to race my best every race from now until I am dead.. my goals aren't to peak once a season starting this season.. my goal is to become a proffesional cyclist and do very well at the grand tours. [/B]

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by jagrazor
For a novice cyclists looking to condition himself for training to become a great racing cyclist...

How would you go about it?

this is my plan....(tell me what you think)

I will do mostly endurance rides.. getting longer and longer.. building up my volume for the first two years. (of course I will throw in the occassional tempo stretch and race a few cars when i feel like it, however I will be disciplined enough to not make every ride a tempo/sprint.. but in fact keep the endurance rides 99% at least of my rides completely endurance paced)

then I will fall into a normal training plan with my body all ready to go...

While I am building up my volume I will do lifting as well slowly building up how much I lift as well.. up to 3 times a week.. all the lifting being of the endurance sort.. 2-5 sets of 20-30 reps..

once i get going on "real" trainign I will include hypertrophy and Strength phases.. in good proportions (not too much hypertrophy)

... sorry about jumping about so much with topics....

my volume buildup will sort of follow this patter, although im not convinced this is the most efficent way to do it.. (remember im not doing any quality workouts yet)

example: (each line is a week total)

3:00
3:30
4:00
2:00 (rest week)
4:00
4:30
5:00
2:30 (rest week)
5:00
and so on...

right now I am up to the 4:30 week.. and things seem to be going well.. except that I went to far on a few single rides.. and went on a few group rides that took it out of me abit, however I have recovered fully every time.. and i have decided a few thigns

I won't be group riding more than once every couple weeks and preferably hardly at all.. unless im sure its going to be a slower ride, since the faster rides dont allow me to raise the volume as comfortably.. and as safely..

I won't have much of a "long ride" and ride mostly the same distance each day.. until I start trainign for real.. when I am training specifically for endurance and not just resistance to volume within my body..

Well.. i probably missed a few thigns.. but I will report back after I've gotten a few replies..

let me know 🙂

First of all I want to commend you for taking up this sport.

In reading your various replies, it appears to me that you have set a very high goal – that being, you wish to be a professional cyclist in the grand tours.
To achieve this you need to be able to work hard – very hard in fact – and you also need talent, luck.
You also need to be very very determined to get there.

To get to your final objective – it is important that you set milestones which will indicate whether or not the objective of being a professional cyclist is going to be achieved.
Therefore, as the others have suggested, you need to get yourself a reputable coach immediately.

A coach will be able to devise a training plan which will allow you to train in order to prepare you for races at local and national level.
To achieve your final objective of being a pro, you need to achieve success at local and then national level.
If you do not achieve success at local/national level – it is unlikely that you will become a professional cyclist. (harsh but true).

In setting the milestones to achieve at local and national level, you will need to adhere strictly to your coach’s plan.
But equally importantly, you will need to tailor your entire existence to the bike.
You will need to structure your life so that cycling is the No.1 priority in your life.
The question arises, can you structure your life to make cycling your No.1 priority ?
Can you afford to sacrifice your career/studies in order to make cycling your No.1 priority ?
Are you prepared to custom your lifestyle to missing out on what other young adults do, in order to get to your objective ?

Singlemindedness is probably the most important attribute in achieving success.
The ability to go discard everything in order to do what has to be done to achieve success is the essential ingredient in achieving success :
like going to bed early each and every night year after year, eating only the correct foods year after year, the enthusiasm to train and train year after year, the ability to ignore your friends when they tempt you to go for a pint or meal or to go out to a nighclub.
It takes a hell of a lot of willpower to confine yourself, to what is, a monastic existence.

Because this is what your competition are doing in order to get that precious professional
contract – these are the sacrifices that they are making in order to win at local/national level in order to achieve pro status.

My reply here may seem to be stark – but to be honest, I am only pointing out what would be required to go all the way.
I think you need to honestly answer the questions listed above for yourself in order to know whether or not, you can do what is necessary.
Many people cannot live with this level of sacrifice – and it is not surprising.
This level of dedication is extraordinary.
The way of life that I have outlined in my questions above is called professionalism.
Professionalism is a way of life – it is a way of being – it’s a way of existence.

It is great that you have set a goal for yourself in this life and I would always encourage that.
But in setting out on the road, you need to be aware of what is required to get you to that
goal.
This cycling life is tough – tougher than any sport that you care to mention.
It takes a tough person to gain success in a sport populated by tough men/women.
And to think otherwise would be very foolish.

I want to wish you all the best.

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by limerickman
First of all I want to commend you for taking up this sport.

In reading your various replies, it appears to me that you have set a very high goal – that being, you wish to be a professional cyclist in the grand tours.
To achieve this you need to be able to work hard – very hard in fact – and you also need talent, luck.
You also need to be very very determined to get there.

To get to your final objective – it is important that you set milestones which will indicate whether or not the objective of being a professional cyclist is going to be achieved.
Therefore, as the others have suggested, you need to get yourself a reputable coach immediately.

A coach will be able to devise a training plan which will allow you to train in order to prepare you for races at local and national level.
To achieve your final objective of being a pro, you need to achieve success at local and then national level.
If you do not achieve success at local/national level – it is unlikely that you will become a professional cyclist. (harsh but true).

In setting the milestones to achieve at local and national level, you will need to adhere strictly to your coach’s plan.
But equally importantly, you will need to tailor your entire existence to the bike.
You will need to structure your life so that cycling is the No.1 priority in your life.
The question arises, can you structure your life to make cycling your No.1 priority ?
Can you afford to sacrifice your career/studies in order to make cycling your No.1 priority ?
Are you prepared to custom your lifestyle to missing out on what other young adults do, in order to get to your objective ?

Singlemindedness is probably the most important attribute in achieving success.
The ability to go discard everything in order to do what has to be done to achieve success is the essential ingredient in achieving success :
like going to bed early each and every night year after year, eating only the correct foods year after year, the enthusiasm to train and train year after year, the ability to ignore your friends when they tempt you to go for a pint or meal or to go out to a nighclub.
It takes a hell of a lot of willpower to confine yourself, to what is, a monastic existence.

Because this is what your competition are doing in order to get that precious professional
contract – these are the sacrifices that they are making in order to win at local/national level in order to achieve pro status.

My reply here may seem to be stark – but to be honest, I am only pointing out what would be required to go all the way.
I think you need to honestly answer the questions listed above for yourself in order to know whether or not, you can do what is necessary.
Many people cannot live with this level of sacrifice – and it is not surprising.
This level of dedication is extraordinary.
The way of life that I have outlined in my questions above is called professionalism.
Professionalism is a way of life – it is a way of being – it’s a way of existence.

It is great that you have set a goal for yourself in this life and I would always encourage that.
But in setting out on the road, you need to be aware of what is required to get you to that
goal.
This cycling life is tough – tougher than any sport that you care to mention.
It takes a tough person to gain success in a sport populated by tough men/women.
And to think otherwise would be very foolish.

I want to wish you all the best.

I wrote a great reply to this last night, not sure why it didnt show up.

basically I said thank you for your insite. I also pointed out I am soon moving (september) to eugene Oregon. For better training. Where I live I am impeded by cold temperatures in the winter (very cold) and an extreme lack of hills (a bridge is the biggest hill in this state!)

I live in north dakota, in the hometown of andy hampsten (sp?.. lol )

anyway.. im moving because of most of these factors, it will take me away from the things that negetively effect my training.. my family and the climate...

So being able to train year round will be something that I will be enjoying for the first time (although i do cross train in the cold north winters, swim, cycling indoors, run on treadmill) It lacks the variety of outdoor training.

I thank you for your insite once again, because it's good to be reminded why I am doing some of the things I am doing .. and how to do a few things as well 🙂

ps.. the truth is, just reading about the trials that I will face excites me! 😄

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by ricstern
jagrazor,


assuming that you're healthy, under 35, and have no reason why you shouldn't exercise maximally, then there's no need to wait around doing steady riding -- it's fine to add in some intensity to your training.

ric

Why under 35?