Improving my P B and my seeding...

['Dale]

 

 

Some milestones reached the last 6 months:

 

Improved my PPA seeding from M to J.

 

Did a sub 3 Burger.

 

Bought a cool HR monitor.

 

Completed my 1st 160 km ride.

 

Kept my weight at 74.

 

Did some resistance training to strengthening the upper body.

 

 

 

So, at the end of my 2nd season in cycling, I believe I will improve my performance for 2010-2011 by:

 

 

 

1/ Move from individual training to group training. Or join a club and do club rides, although I cannot give up my lekka Assos jerseys. Sure the club won't mind that. Hook up with a fast group and build my endurance.

 

 

 

3/ Will chat to my LBS about switching from USN to Hammer Nutrition. Hammer is preservative free, or something like that.

 

 

 

4/ Upgrade my Ultegra group set to a Sram Force group set. Drop a kg on the iron horse that now weighs about 8.5 kg.

 

 

 

5/ Follow a training programme.

 

 

 

6/ Do two long rides per week (75 kay x 2)in the autumn and winter season.

 

 

 

That should do it.

 

 

 

Whatcha think, Fellow Riders?

 

 

 

[AndreZA]

 

1/ Move from individual training to group training. Or join a club and do club rides, although I cannot give up my lekka Assos jerseys. Sure the club won't mind that. Hook up with a fast group and build my endurance.Normally they do mind. You've joined a club, why don't you want to look like them then.

 

 

 

3/ Will chat to my LBS about switching from USN to Hammer Nutrition. Hammer is preservative free, or something like that.it's all in your head

 

 

 

4/ Upgrade my Ultegra group set to a Sram Force group set. Drop a kg on the iron horse that now weighs about 8.5 kg. Force is not 1kg lighter then Ultegra. Look at wheels aswell

 

 

 

5/ Follow a training programme. that will do the most

 

 

 

6/ Do two long rides per week (75 kay x 2)in the autumn and winter season.75km is hardly a long ride. Is this now on you own or with the above mentioned club? Because those distances are normally reserved for the slow groups, atleast up here in GP

 

 

 

 

[niklasvm]

In  Cape Town a 75km ride can be brutal considering you'll probably end up climbing over 1000m with all the hills we've got. I've ridden in joburg and its mostly been fast and flat.

 

Geno, looks like you've made some good breakthroughs. My biggest aim is to keep riding consistently through winter. The rain last year was terrible and riding was just so unpleasant, not to mention how much you have to clean your bike. Going to carry on with my training till after the Malmesbury race and then take a couple of slow weeks. Also planning to lose some weight so i can come back even faster on the hills in spring. Looking forward to it.

['Dale]

 

1/ Move from individual training to group training. Or join a club and do club rides' date=' although I cannot give up my lekka Assos jerseys. Sure the club won't mind that. Hook up with a fast group and build my endurance.Normally they do mind. You've joined a club, why don't you want to look like them then.

 

 

 

3/ Will chat to my LBS about switching from USN to Hammer Nutrition. Hammer is preservative free, or something like that.it's all in your head

 

 

 

4/ Upgrade my Ultegra group set to a Sram Force group set. Drop a kg on the iron horse that now weighs about 8.5 kg. Force is not 1kg lighter then Ultegra. Look at wheels aswell

 

 

 

5/ Follow a training programme. that will do the most

 

 

 

6/ Do two long rides per week (75 kay x 2)in the autumn and winter season.75km is hardly a long ride. Is this now on you own or with the above mentioned club? Because those distances are normally reserved for the slow groups, atleast up here in GP

 

 

 

[/quote']

 

 

 

Thanx for your view, Mampara.

 

 

 

I am idiosyncratic in that way. Don't like clubs much. Do my own thing. Will opt for a group ride probably.

 

 

 

I actually have a Tiagra groupset, not Ultegra.

 

 

 

Yah, 75 kays is good enough base training or the off-season. Agree though with you, Mampara, that I will call it a medium distance. Long is century and more.

[Slipstream Sean]

I'd say 120km+ = long distance, great for building base during off/pre season. These rides are usually not done at race pace, but at a comfortable speed...trains your body to use fat as a fuel source...very important.

['Dale]

I'd say 120km+ = long distance' date=' great for building base during off/pre season. These rides are usually not done at race pace, but at a comfortable speed...trains your body to use fat as a fuel source...very important.

 

[/quote']

 

 

 

 

 

Gracias, Slipstream Sean. Great tip!

 

 

 

For my age and weight, my ideal heart rate zone is 127 - 144. So, doing loooong distance [4 hrs +] at about 25 kph will be a good intensity level for the off-season.

 

 

 

[firewolf]

Try for 15hours per week on the bike. Mix up fast and slow, flat and hilly rides. Eat like a horse (but eat right). Don't stand if you can sit, don't sit if you can lie down. Ride 6 days a week, no matter what the weather. Wear calf length socks.

 

I did this for a whole two weeks and I got so fast my mouth got dry and I was forced to stop and drink. So I drank beer. And lots of it.

 

The only part I got 100% right was the laying down part. Lucky for me I chose a spot just off the M3 freeway where the trees keep the midday sun off the face, but not off the other bergies sleeping there. I made friends with one called Pieter. He farted. Alot. But he was willing to share his box wine.

 

When I woke up my bike was gone. My mouth felt like cork. My head hurt. I walked home and decided that for my next ride I would just cruise and enjoy the wind on my face and not the wind from Pieter the bergie.