Beginner needs help - Training on an 8-day week

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by Nick W
Hi,

I'm pretty much a novice cyclist, but am looking to put in some decent training this winter. However, my work limits my available time to train. I'm hoping someone can recommend a sensible routine based on the following info (sorry it's so long, just being thorough!):

I'm 27 years old, male, 6'3", around 205lbs and probably something like 15-20% body fat. I've been cycling on average 4-5 hours per week for about 3 months now (was pretty inactive before this). Longest ride to date was about 60 miles on a flattish course, which I did at about 15mph (not pushing *very* hard - i.e. I could have done more - but I stilll felt it!) On a 1-hour ride I usually average maybe 17mph, although again that's not pushing it hard, but it feels like I'm working.

I haven't really done any testing for max HR or LT HR or anything. I've had my HR up to 197 on a ride (after a hard effort then a sprint then nearly being run over). My resting HR is about 60, though I hope that'll come down. I'd be willing to do whatever testing I needed to; I have access to a HRM and soon a cadence monitor, and am tempted by a turbo trainer as a present for the winter months (but if I do go for a turbo it will be at least a month away).

I'd say I'm in "OK" shape, certainly nowhere near as fit as I'd like to be but not ready to die when I walk upstairs either. I'm also an insulin dependant diabetic, though the condition is well controlled.

My aim for next year is to ride a few longish distance rides, and hopefully ride LE - JoG next May. I may also try a few TTs (10s), though just for fun rather than expecting results. I'd also like to lose a little fat, though that's not a major goal.

Now the main problem - I work an 8-day shift pattern (2 11-hour days, 2 15-hour nights, 4 off). So my available riding time is as follows:

Day 1: can bike to / from work which is 12 miles each way, a fairly flat route. Could maybe extend the homeward journey slightly but not much.
Day 2: as Day 1
Day 3: Could ride whatever as I start work at 5:30pm, but prefer not to be totally knackered. Could also commute to work, but not back home.
Day 4: cannot train at all
Day 5: If I biked to work on Day 3, I could bike home again (but this would be after a 15-houir shift, and being deprived of sleep - so it'd be a slow ride and nothing more). Other than this, nothing really (well maybe a 30-minute recovery ride.
Day 6, 7, 8: these are days off, so could ride whatever I wanted within reason.

Basically, the problem is that I'm more or less limited to bike commuting a few days a week, then I have three days in a row where I can bike loads - so there's not much scope for spreading hard workouts throughout the week. I can't really go too hard on my commutes, because arriving knackered at work for an 11 or 15 hour shift (often without any breaks) isn't much fun.

I'd also like to commute where possible on the days I listed above, at it saves me money!!!

As I'm really a novice, I guess I really just need to get a lot of endurance / basic aerobic work in over the winter. But if anyone can help me structure a routine based around the limitations above, I'd really appreciate it - I'd feel far more motivated to get up at 5:30am to bike to work in the rain if it was part of a program!!!

If I've left any detail out please just ask. As I say I'd really, really appreciate any help anyone can offer - I know there are some very knowledgable people on here.

Thanks in advance,
Nick.

Nick...you're off to a great start. If I were you, try riding with the local bike club on the weekends. You'll be surprised how fast you can really go when you're on a group ride. Plus, you can gauge your weak points and improve on them over the next week.

Best Wishes,
Vector7

The only problem with a club is that I'd not often be able to ride weekends. Because of my shift pattern, I end up working more weekends that I'm free out of 7 weeks, I'm only totally free on one week, and would only be able to make a club ride on 3. And that's if my fiancee wouldn't kill me - because I work so many weekends, and she works a Monday-Friday job, she's not too keen on anything eating too heavily into the limited time we have together.

Still, thanks for the idea, and I may try to tag along with a club on occasion - unfortunately I can't really base a training routine around a normal person's weekly activity.

Nick W:

There is a lot of good info on this board, and I would encourage you to go over the topics and posts when you get some time.

For now, keep riding, and spend most of your time riding easy/moderately hard, and less time riding very hard. Be sure to include some hills once or twice a week if you can, and do a longer ride once or twice a week also.

There have been professional riders with type 1 diabetes. You have probably found your glucose tolerance has improved and you need less units of insulin since you started riding.

Riding will suck the glucose right out of your blood. It is very important to carry an emergency glucagon kit in your jersey pocket and have an appropriate form of emergency notification like a Medic Alert bracelet stating insulin dependent diabetes as well, in addition to sugar rich foods/drinks.

On longer rides, harder rides, or longer hard rides, blood sugar can drop quickly. Eat/drink carbs frequently.

Be sure others you ride with know you carry glucagon and make sure they know how and when to administer it.

You probably already have these safeguards, but if not, they might be the only tools for others to help you if your blood sugar drops into 20's-50's or so and you don't know where/who you are.

Good luck!!!

J-MAT, thanks very much for the post.

Most of my riding at the moment is solo, but I have very good control of my diabetes and so far (touch wood!) haven't had any severe hypo's. I always carry enough food to bring me round should I feel a hypo coming on, and have a good system for estimating how much insulin I need to omit for a given ride.

However, it's a good point about carrying glucogon when I ride with someone. When I get the chance (i.e. when our shifts don't compete) I ride with a friend; I haven't taught him how to administer glucagon, but I think I should do.

As far as my training goes, as I say above I struggle to space my hard workouts out - the days I work it's difficult to do much more than commute in and out. Can you think of anything I can do for this; I don't fancy cramming two long rides plus a hill session into my 3 days off, with no time for recovery in between.

Basically, I'm just struggling to know how to arrange my rides throughout my 8-day pattern; I know I need time to recover between the harder sessions, but my schedule makes it difficult to space them out throughout the week. Any thoughts welcome!

And as for reading through the posts on this forum, I've been doing this work a while and am continuing to read - it's an excellent resource!

Thanks again for the help,
Nick.

Nick:

The most time effective way to train is on a stationary trainer. It's not the same experience mentally, missing out on the sun and fresh air, but it's by far the most "mercenary" approach to improving fitness. Riding a trainer is pure "business." 60-90 minutes is all you need.

Good luck!!!