Doing longer distance

[FirstV8]

I have now been training for 3 months doing a 160 km a week and have lost 14 kg in the process . My average speed has gone from a sub 20 kph to a comfortable 25 kph . As  seasoned as i am as a cyclist i am having mixed thoughts about doing more distance . Will distance help or intensity doing the same distance . Your thoughts please . 

[nickc]

I have now been training for 3 months doing a 160 km a week and have lost 14 kg in the process . My average speed has gone from a sub 20 kph to a comfortable 25 kph . As  seasoned as i am as a cyclist i am having mixed thoughts about doing more distance . Will distance help or intensity doing the same distance . Your thoughts please . 

 

The first question is how much time do you have to train. If you are on limited time like most of us upping the intensity will be the best option.

[Grayskull]

What is your objective?

To become faster or lose more weight?

[J∆kk∆ls]

Both have their merits. 

 

Longer rides are great for conditioning and essential if you plan on achieving good times on long distance timed events. 

[Honkdonk]

What is your objective?

To become faster or lose more weight?

These two are interlinked. To get faster you will (need to) loose weight, and by loosing weight you will get faster.

Win win all round

160k a week is good going. High intensity efforts during the week and longer efforts over the weekend.

Then throw in some cross training/Wattbike sessions and Kapow - lean mean racing machine!

[Cyclewizz]

Well done on loosing the weight !!!

 

Keep the wheels turning and stay safe

[100Tours]

Good to hear, and as some of the other posters have said the answer is both intensity and distance (and time).

 

Training chapters that I have really enjoyed for myself are months of long-and-slow base training (3-4h rides or longer at 60-70% max hr) to build up endurance, and to build a base for more intensity, and then changing gear to consolidate that into speed/climbing work to develop my top end. 

 

The other thing that gets me working to a proper plan is to start to work towards bigger events. This gives you a schedule to work against. How about planning something like Panorama tour (4 days on the road in Mpumalanga), or something like the double 90 in Clarens (or many others). Something more than a 100k/3h-4h ride.

[FirstV8]

Time is not a problem as i can chose my training times daily but prefer the afternoons from 3pm on. My first goal is to get my weight down  to under the 100kg mark .In the process i will get fitter and hopefully be able to then do a few races / fun rides in my case of a reasonable distance 30 to 50 km ( MTB rides ) . Intensity seems to help me lose weight faster . Im trying to do 40 to 50 km rides on the weekend but find the roads are getting too busy at around 8.30 to 9 am . I leave home at 7 so it seems ill need to start earlier . I thought being semi retired was going to be a relaxed way of life but no i decided to start cycling again . 

[rudi-h]

don't specify the distance that you want to do...

 

rather figure out how many hours you can/want to train in a week that is sustainable.  If it's 6.5 hours (calculated current training hours), then you can still optimize this to ensure you get the best results.

 

If you think you can comfortably up this to say 8 or 10 hours a week, then you optimize your training for that amount of hours...  There's not golden bullet in terms of distance, the goal is to get the most enjoyment and fitness from the hours that you spend on the saddle. 

[eccc whippet]

I have now been training for 3 months doing a 160 km a week and have lost 14 kg in the process . My average speed has gone from a sub 20 kph to a comfortable 25 kph . As  seasoned as i am as a cyclist i am having mixed thoughts about doing more distance . Will distance help or intensity doing the same distance . Your thoughts please . 

lost weight from cycling or since you started cycling changed your eating habits or eat less and lost 14 kg?

 

.

[EmptyB]

I have now been training for 3 months doing a 160 km a week and have lost 14 kg in the process . My average speed has gone from a sub 20 kph to a comfortable 25 kph . As seasoned as i am as a cyclist i am having mixed thoughts about doing more distance . Will distance help or intensity doing the same distance . Your thoughts please .

Keep mixing it up. Long distance rides and shorter high intensity are both very beneficial in their own way...

[Fat Boab]

Polarized training. HIIT and LSD are good for the waistline, soul and av speed!

[shaper]

Go do some reading of the 80/20 rule in cycling.

[FirstV8]

lost weight from cycling or since you started cycling changed your eating habits or eat less and lost 14 kg?

 

.

 

I started both at the same time , My motivation was to ride my bike but knowing the obstacles ( weight , time in saddle , technique and fitness ) i started a whole new way of life . My mindset changed as i knew suffering in a ride is no fun . That is why im  pacing myself and needed some advice .