Gems of Training advice - Add your comments

[serious]

Alex_Simmons/RST: Weights are most definitely not your answer with respect to repeatability, which is most definitely an aerobic fitness issue. The better your aerobic condition, the greater your recovery ability, the less deep you go on the hard surges in the first place and the more such efforts you can sustain, or the more frequently you'll be able to sustain them.

I do agree. In fact I think we are generally in violent agreemnt.

All I am saying is that I have to train for the middle ground where high strength and high aerobic demands are often required. MTI, as I described it, does that for me.

The Quadrant article (excellent one, I should add) shows how spread out the power (pedal force) spectrum can become in different races. For mtb-singlespeed races the graph will be far more spread out than the criterium race. In fact, the criterium race has a 72 rpm average, which would be very high for my races. I am looking at <60 rpm averages in my mbt races since I do not have the benefit of gears.

[tjib13]

burpees, great cross training exercise or self induced torture?

[iliveonnitro]

Originally Posted by tjib13

self induced torture

This.

[Andrea138]

Ground & Pound.

It's more a racing philosophy than training advice, but you can learn to spot weaknesses by watching your training partners and practicing on them occasionally.

[Creakyknees]

Andrea opened an interesting topic - the OP said "training advice" ...

but if it's in a racing context, the typical racer also has lots to learn about "how to race"

Ground and Pound is one of those things. Planning for a race, reading it, adapting your strengths / weaknesses, teamwork... all of these things can make the difference between a win and getting dropped.

[Alex_Simmons/RST]

Originally Posted by serious

Alex_Simmons/RST: Weights are most definitely not your answer with respect to repeatability, which is most definitely an aerobic fitness issue. The better your aerobic condition, the greater your recovery ability, the less deep you go on the hard surges in the first place and the more such efforts you can sustain, or the more frequently you'll be able to sustain them.

I do agree. In fact I think we are generally in violent agreemnt.

All I am saying is that I have to train for the middle ground where high strength and high aerobic demands are often required. MTI, as I described it, does that for me.

The Quadrant article (excellent one, I should add) shows how spread out the power (pedal force) spectrum can become in different races. For mtb-singlespeed races the graph will be far more spread out than the criterium race. In fact, the criterium race has a 72 rpm average, which would be very high for my races. I am looking at <60 rpm averages in my mbt races since I do not have the benefit of gears.

I would suggest you run a QA on your single speed races and on your MTI sessions. You'll see how different your racing's neuromuscular demands are compared to doing MTI.

[serious]

Alex_Simmons/RST: I would suggest you run a QA on your single speed races and on your MTI sessions. You'll see how different your racing's neuromuscular demands are compared to doing MTI.

Oh common now, I am a lot smarter than that.

A steady MTI interval will effectively converge to a single point on the Quadrant. So would any sort of constant effort, such as a TT, regardless of power level or RPM. How could you ever compare that to a race, especially done off-road on a singlespeed?

The point of the MTI is to address yet another area of the quadrant. It just so happens that it is an area of the Quadrant that will be "visited" often by singlespeeders.

[waldo425]

Originally Posted by Creakyknees

get enough sleep. then get a bit more.

+1

Feels like every time I don't get enough sleep I get sick or just feel really nasty.

[waldo425]

Take yourself up a hill that you know you can barely do. It will be the hardest hill that you've ever done and quite possibly the hardest you'll ever do. Do this about twice a year --- more if you feel like it. This will help you get to know your body. Help you know when you've gone to far or when you're about to blow up and should take it easy. The only way to know when your about to hit the wall is to hit it hard.

[Argentius]

Ride less.

Ride harder.

Okay, how much are you riding now?

Ride less.

Ride EVEN HARDER.

---

A note: Yours Truly does not do this. Yours Truly commutes 20 hours a week on a bike. This is crap for training. I get in some 20-minute intervals on the commute, but they are a poor replacement for real training.

I'm trying to find a way to amend this for the season. It may involve, gasp, driving to work some days.

I really want to avoid it, but it is a question of priorities.

This is really why I did not race last season.

Of course, I question my ability to be competitive, but we will see.

[pretender]

Ride less than 20 hours a week. Check.

[serious]

waldo425: Do this about twice a year --- more if you feel like it.

Way, way, way more than twice a year if you want any improvement. Those of us who race, do it about once every 2 weeks and yes, racing gives you the opprtunity to push your limits and know your body/mind like nothing else.

[huckleberry]

Good Intensity and Good Rest...

[apxbiker]

1.)weat tights
2.)make fun of those with hairy legs
3.)diet(not to be confused with diet"ing")