Too much training?

[bikemonster]

****, one of my subvet mates does 13hrs in 3 days is heading for divorce

 

There! Fixed it for you.

 

No need to thank.

[fandacious]

There! Fixed it for you.

 

No need to thank.

 

seriously... 15hr training weeks are nothing.

 

When you start talking Ironman training times, well then, thats something else.

 

2hrs in the morning before work, 2hrs in the evening after work, 8hrs saturday, 8hrs sunday... now thats serious commitment.

 

but even then, if you're out the door before 6am, you can still spend time with the family in the afternoon

['Dale]

Too big a change too quickly...rather build up slowly towards those times. 16HRS a week, thats big.

Yes, a guideline is to increase by no more than 10 percent of your trainng load per week... Fakes, don't let the pressure to get strong be unrealistic. The body can only do so much, man.

B)

[blackCat]

There is seriously no need to do 15hrs a week, at least not for cape town league. I do max 10 hrs a week of which 2hrs is running and I ride elite, comfortably finishing top 20 every week.

[SL7]

Thanks guys,

 

Lots of comments there! I have some introspection to do, something to think about on my next long ride! haha.

 

Cheers,

[fandacious]

There is seriously no need to do 15hrs a week, at least not for cape town league. I do max 10 hrs a week of which 2hrs is running and I ride elite, comfortably finishing top 20 every week.

 

hmmm... i must switch to different drugs then

 

look - its all about quality, not quantity, but a minimum of 10hrs a week is required to have any kind of form for league.

 

as you know it gets exponentially harder. to improve your placing by 10places, you're gonna have to increase your training by quite a few hours.

 

but yeah - everyone is different - do what works for you. If you can get away with 10hrs a week, then lucky you

[Spartan SL]

Remember that quantity doesn't equate to quality.

There's training, and then there's quality training.

High quality training can make you as strong or stronger than high quantity training.

[Zeps]

A good tip given to me by a mate a while ago when I was contemplating increasing my training:-

 

'You will never find time to do it you have to make time'

 

So if you have to wake up at 4:30am weekdays and 5:30am on weekends to make sure you have time still for your 'other' responsibilities then so be it B)

[DMC007]

A good tip given to me by a mate a while ago when I was contemplating increasing my training:-

 

'You will never find time to do it you have to make time'

 

So if you have to wake up at 4:30am weekdays and 5:30am on weekends to make sure you have time still for your 'other' responsibilities then so be it B)

 

I always believe...'That there is a time and place for Everything'

 

Fakes..Congrats on entering the SV League and ALL the best for your training. Are you joining us this evening?

[SL7]

I always believe...'That there is a time and place for Everything'

 

Fakes..Congrats on entering the SV League and ALL the best for your training. Are you joining us this evening?

 

Thanks DMC. No I'm leaving the office early, and doing a long slow (love handle burning) ride. Might get you guys on the way back!

[Woofie]

darn, thanks for sharing that Fandacious, now I need to go train some more!

 

Dont worry Tankman

I am also hovering at about 12 hours.

Bad weeks about 10, good weeks about 14.

 

Also riding SV this season for the first time.

 

I do think for us guys who havent been cycling since we were teenagers there is a big difference in the amount of time we need to spend getting our bodies to conform.

 

Ie. If you were racing elites at 16, and you are a rake, then yes you could probably get away with 10 hours a week and still be in a good place to feature in a race.

 

For me however, only starting out like 3-4 years ago, 30 odd kg overweight at 26 years old, the road to any form of racing is not a very pretty one.

I am needing many hours and years on my saddle to get rid of whatever I dont need in the wrong places (including muscle) and hopefully my body will be in awesome condition by the time I get to Vets, and then I can maybe drop my hours to 10 hours a week.

 

Do agree with Fand as well.

If there is a will there is a way. So I commute to work, there you kill the training time with traveling.

I need to often be out at 4.30 on weekends if I want to ride - wife's rules. But I do agree that family still needs to come first. I also have a 2 year old son.

 

Rest is a major thing though as everyone is saying.

I am often on the verge of feeling burnt out.

So then I take a few days of just very slow riding, and better sleep and I feel a bit better.

Also have a few late nights and it knocks you so hard you feel really k@k because your body cant deal with all of that stress at one time.

 

How much is too much though like BikeMonster was saying?

I dont know.....

I often feel really happy by the end of the week when I can drive my car home from work instead of cycling.

Will I suddenly get to a point after 10 thousand hours where my mind says enough is enough.

Maybe ? I really hope not.

I even feel at the moment that I am not as excited about racing as I was a year ago.

I only entered for the argus two days ago. Still contemplating if I should do the one tonner.

Yes, it is expensive when it adds up. But a year ago the excitement would have just made me run up the credit card anyway.

Maybe too much commuting is sapping my riding joy a little. The same boring route everyday.

Oh well. At least I get to take the car home today.

Maybe riding alone commuting is getting to me.

I love group rides to bits, mmmmm...

Doing a nice one tomorrow. Checking out the westcoast express route.

Going to be super.

[GrumpyOldGuy]

Thats a lot of time on a bicycle.

 

I hope the reward is good, because, for me, doing 15 hours a week training out on my own on a bicycle, would need serious reward, and not the financial type either.

 

I guess circumstances change, and if you are young, (read under 25), and have 50 years to look forward to, you may be able to justify this amount of time in your head, but for me, over 50, with 25 years (I hope) to look forward to, priorities are differant.

 

I dont feel like spending time on my own with a bicycle as company, no matter the reward, I prefer to be spending that time with my wife and family.

 

Even though I am retired and can ride / run all day, I dont want to, inanimate objects like bicycles bore me to death, my riding, running, swimming is a means to an end, to feel fit and healthy.

 

When I retired I stopped riding / running on weekends, my wife is an advocate and works gruelling hours in the JHB Courts, not the nicest enviroment, so on weekends the last thing I want to do is spend 5/6 hours with some bunch of males I hardly know, or, heaven forbid, on my own, when I could be enjoying that time with my wife and daughter who I see way to little of during the week.

 

But, yeah, I guess its true, "Every second counts" but for me its just a differant meaning.