How do I increase speed?

[MallyG]

At the moment, I'm riding just over 100 miles on a Sunday wit a group of fellow etapers. Our average speed is around 16mph. Tonight, I rode for about 45 minutes locally, trying to get as fast as possible. Only managed 15.9. Okay, it's a bit up and down and you have to slow for traffic (London ain't the greates place to 'time-trial'), but I still feel I should have been faster. Dunno, but I just can't get a higher average on my Legend ST.
Any tips for improvement?

[BumbleBeeDave]

. . . is to always ride downhill. ;)

(Sorry. Couldn't resist! :rolleyes: )

BBDave

[vaxn8r]

Mally, you have the stamina. Now you need some power. I've found several ways to get this on a bike.

Ditch your big sproket and start climbing 7-10% grades (short ones at first) on a 39x23 or bail out 39x25. Stay seated as much as you can. Lower cadence but high torque. Another thing would be repeat short hills (like freeway overpasses) in your big ring, seated but trying to keep your speed exactly what it was on the flat leading up to it.

Start tandeming, really working on accelerating and hills. Nothing like moving a 350lb bike around.

Mountain bike more, especially hills, again not in a bail out gear. You have to hammer up the short hills. The low cadence high torque will give you strength.

I know for a fact these methods will work for you....as long as your knees can hack it of course. One key to that is don't go overboard doing these on say a 3 mile climb. Working on little bursts of power will pay big dividends on your regular rides.

Finally, you may need to move your seat back a bit to maximize your power stroke. Either that or have a seat where you can scoot back a bit on it for those seated efforts.

[shaq-d]

i've also been wanting to increase speed. i was reading a book lately, i forget which, about the guy who won RAAM several times: and he said that increasing speed training is an important part of going long distance too.

anyway, according to the lance armstrong training book written with chris carm, and other sources i've seen on the net, the trick is to incorporate interval training in 1hr workouts. so for example in a 1hr ride you'll have 30 mins of interval training.

here're 3 training rides:

1. "tempo". cadence 70-85rpm, and high heart rate (between 70-85% of maximum heart rate, which is around your aerobic capacity/lactate thereshold, which means, basically, that you're riding very hard, but not so hard you'll be a goner in 10 minutes). also stay in the saddle when going uphill.

2. "fastpedal". on flats, increase cadence to 90-110. maintain for 10-15 minutes, so work just hard enough that you'll be pretty pooped after the 10-15.

3. "powerintervals". this is apparently for riders who are in real good shape. on a flat road, increase cadence to 110+. basically, work as hard as you can. maintain for 3 minutes. then 3 minutes rest. repeat 5 times.

---

variations of the 3 rides exist everywhere. the faster and harder you work, the more rest you'll need and the shorter you'll go for between repetitions. a "tempo" ride you can do for 10-30 minutes. a "fastpedal" you'll do about 10-15 mins before you get tired. a "powerinterval" ride is done in terms of repetitions.

lance's book advises 1hr training rides, rarely more. basically speed is a matter of high intensity over a short time. an example of a basic ride is to ride for 30 mins at a good pace to warm up, then 30 mins of tempo. or ride for 30 mins to warm up, then do the fastpedalling for 10-15, then rest for 5 and that's it.

i'm about to start this program this week so i guess we'll see how it goes. lol.

sd :banana:

[Climb01742]

mally, you need to generate more power. there are two schools of thought on this--build power on the bike or build power in the gym and on the bike. vax is very right to add the caveat about your knees being able to take the added workload he describes. strengthening your legs at the gym, as you gradually build power on the bike, might be a safer way to get faster. pushing bigger gears is riskier...but it is how you get faster. IMO, gym work can lessen the risks.

[jeffg]

Mally --

So you want to get faster? To be honest, most of your riding on L'Etape should be at moderate intensity (below lactate threshold or whatever you want to call it). The point is not to ride too hard and go anaerobic early on, and/or bonk. You'll have to recover if you do, and will go slower overall for it. On a ride of 238km with no "major" mountains (no Ventoux, etc. as in previous years), this should be easier to accomplish.

As for vaxn8r's point, I think he is advocating strength training on the bike (that's why he does not advise 3 mile climbs like this). That is fine for training, but try to avoid torque like this during L'Etape. Once again, excessive torque/force peaks recruit fast twitch fibers, whereas for endurance you want to focus on slow twitch.

Finally, I think the most difficult part of L'Etape will likely be making the time cut over the first 30km. Have you ridden a course that hilly at 18 mph average? If not, you need to ask the folks here about some speed work!

Good luck!

[dirtdigger88]

turn a larger gear than you normally ride at a higher rpm than you normally ride. Then you will be going faster. Sorry for the smart a** answer, but I could not resist ;)

Jason

[Chief]

I don't recall who the pro race was (it may have been LeMonde) when asked how to ride faster, his response was, "Pedal faster." :butt:

[keno]

Watts = power = speed. If you really want to improve most efficiently and understand your training, having insight into the power you are generating is the very best way to go, I believe. It doesn't matter if the wind is blowing, if you are on the flat, up or downhill, wattage is wattage. To go faster you have to produce more of it. Doing intervals, I agree, is the way to do it. Understanding what you are doing can be best isolated when you are measuring power. What others above have suggested is good advice; if you want to bring it to the next level, use a power meter, such as a Power Tap, SRM, Polar or whatever else is out there that you can put on your bike, if the road vs. the trainer is your thing. Then, it's full speed ahead.

Why do I believe this? I recently, just Saturday, did my first TT and trained for seven weeks using a Power Tap and the results were beyond expectations.

keno

[Dekonick]

I could be waaay off base - but I also hear that working on pedal stroke can help alot; I found out when I got a computrainer that I had dead spots in my pedal stroke (well - not completely dead but close) I thought I was pedaling correctly - you know - the scraping mud thing, lifting on upstroke, carrying over the top - but in reality I was (and still do) putting pressure on my upstroke without even knowing it -

What I mean to say is that (from what I hear) a good pedal stroke will make you faster. Is this correct? (I notice on the trainer that when I focus on the pedal meter (the bar graph) that the flatter I get it (Its never flat-more like mountains) the faster I go and my cadence goes up - without any extra increase in heart rate or perceived effort. Problem is I have to really concentrrate to maintain it. Friends tell me it will become 'natural' - and "your speed will increase" with practice (and intervals which I dont do) :D

[Andreu]

intervals and chain gang.
It has to hurt.
A

[MallyG]

Interesting points guys. What's been strange is that as I've improved as a climber, I've slowed on the flat. Also, I was advised to change my riding style to spending more time spinning the 39 rather than pushing the 53. I've done this now for about six- eight weeks. In terms of endurance, the effect has been good - I reach a century and my legs can still do more. However, when I'm on the flat, I just feel I'm not as fast as I used to be. Perhaps I'm now not using my 53 enough?

[Andreu]

Doing long distances in the small ring will inprove your endurance. That is, you will get better at doing long distances in the small ring....stating the bleeding obvious I know but there will be a concomittanf loss of "speed" if you are not training in the "speed" zone with specific types of exercise. I have just experienced the very same thing....did a very long ride in the Pyrenees (stopped chaingainging) and now have lost a wee bit of speed in my legs.
That is why traditionally racing cyclists will spend December through to February doing long distances in the small ring then phase in more speed work through February, March and April. Unfortunatley, to road race (ie. get quicker) you need to do both. To gain speed, fortunately, does not take up too much time (do intervals). Or try local time trials 10s and 25s to get speed?
A

[oracle]

dekonick -

you are right on the money here, as far as i'm concerned. my casual guess would be that 10% of recreational riders pedal properly and efficiently, and 40-75% of racing cyclists, depending on catagorization. improving pedaling harmony and efficiency is one of the most underrated methods of improving overall cycling ability. most riders are 'push, push' or 'push pull, push pull', rather than 'whirr'.

oracle

[MallyG]

Rode a 10 mile loop around the Inner Circle of Regents Park tonight. Flattish, with just the hint of gradient up and down. I made sure I rode intervals (2 minutes hard - 2 easy 1.30secs hard - 1.30 easy and so on, with 5 minutes recovery between sets. Average speed was 19mph. Is that a bit more respectable?

[oracle]

i think that you would do well to think of measuring your improvements in the speed department in terms of months, even years, and not days.

oracle

p.s. best of luck

[Sandy]

Ride faster!

Simpleton Sandy

[MallyG]

Ride faster!

Simpleton Sandy


Congratulations! You win the prize for being the millionth person to come up with that answer!

[jeffg]

geez, the concern with you UK folk about decorum! This is bicycling. Seriously, 10 miles is very short and the recovery between intervals at lower speed makes the average somewhat hard to judge. One thought is to add work at the upper end of your aerobic threshold (not enough advice already ;) ). My thinking (though ask the evil docs about this) is as follows: You want to cover the first 30 km within the cut-off without blowing up, right? So, the next step (or one of them, anyway), is to build your aerobic engine. Chris Carmichael refers to these workouts as "tempo," Michele Ferrari as "Medio," etc. What they agree on is the benefits: This is from Carmichael:

"What are the Benefits From Tempo Training?
Strategically placing tempo workouts into your training program has many advantages. Here what to expect.
- Greater comfort while the peloton is cruising on rolling terrain.
- Better fuel utilization during long races.
- Increased workload capacity for more intense forms of training.
- Increased power output at moderate cycling intensities.
- Increased muscle glycogen storage capacity.
- Improves free fatty acid oxidation which spares muscle glycogen.
- Increases mitochondria, structures within the muscle cells that produce energy.
- Improved aerobic capacity and efficiency.

Too Much of Good Thing?
The key to tempo training is understanding that you need a large amount of training at the tempo intensity in order to expect positive returns. It is this huge volume of training at sub-threshold intensity that will provide the best adaptations. Also, beware that this form of training can easily lead to overtraining. Many athletes experience quick returns while including tempo workouts into their weekly schedule. I have seen elite athletes like Lance Armstrong experience an increase in sub-threshold power output, following a two-day tempo training block. Now clearly, these athletes are the exception and not the norm. Elite athletes adapt quickly but I have observed similar results from non-elite level athletes that I coach. They enjoy the benefits tempo training provides but sometime fail to recognize the toll this training can take. Too much tempo training with too little recovery can lead to fatigue and overtraining symptoms. Since the training intensity feels more like a "slow drain" of energy and not the white-hot intensity of training at lactate threshold or greater, tempo workouts tend to sneak-up on you and if you don't allow for proper recovery. Soon you will feel the dreaded effects of overtraining. It is also wise that once you have completed a training phase of tempo workouts, you change your workouts to emphasis higher speed, pedal cadence and fluidness. Tempo workouts will make you feel strong enough to mash the pedal all day like a diesel engine, but expect to be short on speed, acceleration and peak power."

Increasing LT, power, etc, is great; however, your body also needs to be more efficient at effort below threshold. I have done a lot of work here this year and find it pays off. I do not think I would fare as well "racing" folks up one climb as I might have been before, and I have always sucked on the flats. On the other hand, I have a greater capacity to ride a DC within myself than I did before (I took almost an hour off my previous best on a 206 mile ride with 20,000 feet of climbing even though I rode almost entirely indoors prior to the ride).

So, if you can ride the first 30km almost entirely aerobically, make the time cut-off, and then ride within yourself for the remainder, you will have a great time. Heck, attack up the Peyrol (or at the latest the Cantal). A downhill finish is sweet. The best feeling on the Devil Mountain Double is cresting the last climb knowing it is all downhill to the finish! :banana: :banana: :banana: :banana:

[Sandy]

My response was spontaneous. It was not meant in any manner to detract from your obviously excellent thread.

Pedal stroke is most important. I have been practicing it for a few years and have received a great deal of help from Keno this year. This year I am improving in all aspects of my riding- speed, endurance, power, and even hill climbing. My weight is at a few year high, but I am improving just because of a better and smoother pedal stroke. Watch the pros. One major difference between us and them is the remarkably smooth pedal stroke that they possess. Will not bother you on your threads.


Sandy

[M_A_Martin]

Sandy isn't that far off. To be fast, sooner or later, you have to ride fast. Ride slow and you're going to be good at riding slow.

I'm not terribly scientific about it...About once a week I go out with people bigger and faster than me and I try to stay ahead of them on a known hilly course and pay no attention to my heart rate. I throw all the training stuff I know out the window and just ride my bike as fast as I need to to stay ahead. I do this once a week. I suppose I could race or something...but this is more fun for me.

I'm sore for a few days afterwards...It seems to work for me. I get faster.

If you're riding with a group that has agreed to stay together, sometimes the whole group sags as no one wants to be rude and pick up the pace so as to make others uncomfortable.

Sometimes, ya gotta be rude.

[Sandy]

I was going to say that. What MallyG is basically asking is how can he increase his average speed. To increase his average speed, he must ride faster, meaning he must ride some at a speed that is uncomfortable and push his legs, heart, and lungs. In order to increase an average speed from 16 mph to 17 mph, you can't ride at 16 mph. You must ride some at 18 or 19 or 20 miles per hour. Riding at 16 mph won't do it. Ride at 16 for 2 days straight and you will not go faster. Intervals sound a great way of doing it.

Not so totally simple,

Sandy

[MallyG]

geez, the concern with you UK folk about decorum! This is bicycling. Seriously, 10 miles is very short and the recovery between intervals at lower speed makes the average somewhat hard to judge. One thought is to add work at the upper end of your aerobic threshold (not enough advice already ;) ). My thinking (though ask the evil docs about this) is as follows: You want to cover the first 30 km within the cut-off without blowing up, right? So, the next step (or one of them, anyway), is to build your aerobic engine. Chris Carmichael refers to these workouts as "tempo," Michele Ferrari as "Medio," etc. What they agree on is the benefits: This is from Carmichael:

"What are the Benefits From Tempo Training?
Strategically placing tempo workouts into your training program has many advantages. Here what to expect.
- Greater comfort while the peloton is cruising on rolling terrain.
- Better fuel utilization during long races.
- Increased workload capacity for more intense forms of training.
- Increased power output at moderate cycling intensities.
- Increased muscle glycogen storage capacity.
- Improves free fatty acid oxidation which spares muscle glycogen.
- Increases mitochondria, structures within the muscle cells that produce energy.
- Improved aerobic capacity and efficiency.

Too Much of Good Thing?
The key to tempo training is understanding that you need a large amount of training at the tempo intensity in order to expect positive returns. It is this huge volume of training at sub-threshold intensity that will provide the best adaptations. Also, beware that this form of training can easily lead to overtraining. Many athletes experience quick returns while including tempo workouts into their weekly schedule. I have seen elite athletes like Lance Armstrong experience an increase in sub-threshold power output, following a two-day tempo training block. Now clearly, these athletes are the exception and not the norm. Elite athletes adapt quickly but I have observed similar results from non-elite level athletes that I coach. They enjoy the benefits tempo training provides but sometime fail to recognize the toll this training can take. Too much tempo training with too little recovery can lead to fatigue and overtraining symptoms. Since the training intensity feels more like a "slow drain" of energy and not the white-hot intensity of training at lactate threshold or greater, tempo workouts tend to sneak-up on you and if you don't allow for proper recovery. Soon you will feel the dreaded effects of overtraining. It is also wise that once you have completed a training phase of tempo workouts, you change your workouts to emphasis higher speed, pedal cadence and fluidness. Tempo workouts will make you feel strong enough to mash the pedal all day like a diesel engine, but expect to be short on speed, acceleration and peak power."

Increasing LT, power, etc, is great; however, your body also needs to be more efficient at effort below threshold. I have done a lot of work here this year and find it pays off. I do not think I would fare as well "racing" folks up one climb as I might have been before, and I have always sucked on the flats. On the other hand, I have a greater capacity to ride a DC within myself than I did before (I took almost an hour off my previous best on a 206 mile ride with 20,000 feet of climbing even though I rode almost entirely indoors prior to the ride).

So, if you can ride the first 30km almost entirely aerobically, make the time cut-off, and then ride within yourself for the remainder, you will have a great time. Heck, attack up the Peyrol (or at the latest the Cantal). A downhill finish is sweet. The best feeling on the Devil Mountain Double is cresting the last climb knowing it is all downhill to the finish! :banana: :banana: :banana: :banana:

Thanks Jeff for taking the time to put together that great response. Really appreciate your comments.

[MallyG]

My response was spontaneous. It was not meant in any manner to detract from your obviously excellent thread.

Pedal stroke is most important. I have been practicing it for a few years and have received a great deal of help from Keno this year. This year I am improving in all aspects of my riding- speed, endurance, power, and even hill climbing. My weight is at a few year high, but I am improving just because of a better and smoother pedal stroke. Watch the pros. One major difference between us and them is the remarkably smooth pedal stroke that they possess. Will not bother you on your threads.


Sandy
Sorry Sandy if I was curt. You know, this etape has taken over my life, my work and my family and has made me a little ... er.. snappy. Please feel free to comment on any thread I post - I really do value ALL comments from people who are generous to contribute from thir experience and wisdom.

[Andreu]

"Seriously, 10 miles is very short and the recovery between intervals at lower speed makes the average somewhat hard to judge.... "

For what distance do you want to be fast for?.....that is another factor. Intervals will help this too.
Try: Cyclist's Training Bible by Joe Friel. I have used this intermittently through the year with some success. The bottom line is if you want to win road races (at any distance) 10 mile interval training is perfect as part of an all round interval training programme. If you want to get fast over a 100 mile etape; this requires a slightly different approach. Probably longer efforts of say 25 miles and 50 miles (Friel´s book has a pretty good explanation of what the different disciplines require).
I have used 10 mile TT and 10 mile training efforts to good effect in road races (of 60-100 miles) to escape and frequently get top 10 finishes. But it may not help you to speed up for an etape where the goals are slightly different!
A

[Ken Lehner]

mally, you need to generate more power. there are two schools of thought on this--build power on the bike or build power in the gym and on the bike. vax is very right to add the caveat about your knees being able to take the added workload he describes. strengthening your legs at the gym, as you gradually build power on the bike, might be a safer way to get faster. pushing bigger gears is riskier...but it is how you get faster. IMO, gym work can lessen the risks.

With all due respect, I have no doubt that the OP has more than enough strength in his (her?) legs to go as fast as wanted. Lifting weights at the gym won't raise the speed Mally can maintain for any significant duration. Mally should work on doing intervals of between 15 and 30 minutes each, with a total of 30-60 minutes, 2-3 times per week. This should be done at about 90-100% of the power Mally can hold for an hour. This will raise Mally's functional threshold power. Shorter intervals will increase Mally's V02Max, but that won't help much at this fitness level.

[Climb01742]

ken--my suggestion about lifting weights was given out of a concern for perhaps preventing injury. however mally gets faster, more torque will be applied to his knees. yes, you can strengthen the surrounding muscles purely on the bike. but many folks get injured, especially knee injuries, when they try generate more leg power on the bike before their legs are ready for it. combining on the bike workouts with gym workouts is one way, but yes, only one way, to prepare the leg muscles to work harder on the bike, and protect the knees. its one reason that robbie mcewen takes 3 breaks during the season to go back into the gym and do leg strength building workouts. like 24-26 reps of 400lbs leg presses. or is robbie not an example of someone who can go fast? not as fast as petacchi, ok, but damn fast all the same.

[Andreu]

I personally avoid weights because in my opinion they don´t add value to what I am trying to do and there are only 24 hours in a day - I am of the opinion I can get better cycling on the bike and doing other things is certainly not detrimental. It´s personal and I do hear lots of good things about weights but I would rather be on my bike. I suspect there is an element of "rest from the bike" involved in what Robbie McEwen is doing which no doubt helps too. Also, we are talking about someone, like track sprinters who needs to go from 0-50 kph in a short space of time....weights probably will aid in this respect but I am not sure it will help Mally on his etape.
A

[Too Tall]

Mally, you live in London and you DON'T race weekly TT's???? Honestly, for a seasoned rider like yourself and situated where you are I think that would be an excellent strategy.

Second, go to the pool and start to do 2 X week interval training by running in waist deep water. This will reduce your on the bike stress and will be an excellent way to peak for the event.

Continue to practice use the EXACT same nutrition on the bike which you expect to during the event.

[Climb01742]

there is virtually no professional athlete in the world -- yeah, a big honking generalization but i'll make it anyway -- who relies solely on doing his/her sport to become as fit as possible. cyclists are slower to incorporate diverse training into their routines than other athletes (perhaps because riding is so much fun, and doing almost any other kind of training is less fun.) we are all absolutely 100% free to structure our training exactly as we see best. but to only ride to become a better rider is not the most effective way to do it. maybe the more fun way, but not, IMO, the best way. :beer:

[Roy E. Munson]

For the experienced cyclist, there is not a lot one can do to train for cycling other than riding. Skate skiing is a good alternative as it incorporates a lot of the same muscle and energy systems as cycling. Running is the sure fire way to kill speed on the bike, and lifting during, or close to, a riding/racing season taxes the muscles way too much to recover for riding. All that being said - do something different to keep your sanity!!!!!

[Climb01742]

roy, you're a racer and i ain't but...during his career michael jordan lifted weights every morning at 7 am during the season. football players lift in-season. micheal johnson lifted weights 5 days a week during track season. as i said, robbie mcewen lifts in-season. cycling is a sport full of history and traditions. almost every sport, at one time, thought that weights were counter-productive. maybe cycling is still in this phase. i've only read bits and pieces about how the australian national team trains, but i believe they are pretty advanced in their thinking about weight training. aussie riders are doing ok these days. maybe they are less hidebound in their thinking. but as i said, i'm basing this purely on reading and my experience from other sports. you and others here race. i don't. but the support from other sports for in-season weight training is pretty strong. not as heavy as out of season, but it seems to have its place.

[Roy E. Munson]

Climb,

I don't disagree with you at all, but I would say the training for basketball, football, and short distance track events is far less demanding than for a pro cyclist. I would also say these athlete's need a different set of physical qualities than a cyclist, ones that are developed in the gym. I think a sprinter like McEwen would benefit more from it than a climber or one day rider. And I would guess, maybe I'm wrong, that the Aussie athlete's who are big into weight training are the track riders.

[Ken Lehner]

ken--my suggestion about lifting weights was given out of a concern for perhaps preventing injury. however mally gets faster, more torque will be applied to his knees. yes, you can strengthen the surrounding muscles purely on the bike. but many folks get injured, especially knee injuries, when they try generate more leg power on the bike before their legs are ready for it. combining on the bike workouts with gym workouts is one way, but yes, only one way, to prepare the leg muscles to work harder on the bike, and protect the knees. its one reason that robbie mcewen takes 3 breaks during the season to go back into the gym and do leg strength building workouts. like 24-26 reps of 400lbs leg presses. or is robbie not an example of someone who can go fast? not as fast as petacchi, ok, but damn fast all the same.

As someone who trains with a power meter, I know what kind of effort it takes to put out a particular level of power. Everyone on this list can *easily* put out the power to go 30mph: it's only like 400W, which we all do every time we accelerate from a stop. This level of power requires such a small amount of torque that it's not likely to cause injury to anyone healthy. Mally doesn't need to get stronger to go faster.

The big differentiator is how long you can hold that power. That is determined by your aerobic system, not the strength in your legs. The example I always think about is the comment by Tyler Hamilton that he and Chris Boardman used to try and break 1000W in a race; they couldn't. Boardman maxed out at like 900W, but could hold 450W for an hour. These guys, some of the best TTers in the world, just aren't very "strong".

The sprinters are another story; they need to put out really large amounts of power for a *very* short time. It's not clear to me that road sprinters need that much more strength (although track sprinters do).

[Climb01742]

agree, roy, explosive power from weights translates better into sprinting. but i would also argue that for everyday riders weights are a better way to balance out leg strength imbalances left vs right, and are a safe, fast way to overtax our muscles, not in place of riding, but adding to it. finally, the rash of knee injuries that occur every spring, as riders try to add strength and power too fast on the bike, could be lessened, i think, by lifting. i personally enjoy being in a gym, and can totally see how other wouldn't. to each his own. peace.

[bostondrunk]

Spinerval videos baby, spinerval videos!

Mally,
Start riding with people who are stronger and faster than you are. If you suffer, it will come.........

[Climb01742]

ken, in the main i agree with your post. my one caveat might be--over the course of an hour's sustained strong effort, yes your heart and lungs power most of that juice. but over that same time, any muscle weakness or imbalance will, during a highly repetitive motion, manifest its weakness. the engine may continue to produce power, but the chassis may break down. so i'd posit that both kinds of power -- muscular and cardio -- must be up to the task.

[Andreu]

I agree with this....sometimes it´s got to hurt and sometimes (most times?) you will get left behind... but you will get quicker!
A

[Climb01742]

decided to put my body where my big mouth is...at lunch today, went to the gym and did a pretty serious leg and shoulder workout. then i'll ride after work today. i'll see how i feel. back in the day...way back in the day when i was doing triathlons, a normal day was...6 AM swim...12 noon run...6 PM ride. its amazing how much abuse your body can take. and how dumb i was in my youth. :p

[Ginger]

During the riding season I still hit the weights twice a week to work on core strength. Its something you don't work on on the bike, and it improves your bike performance greatly. I find doing weights through the season helpful in preventing injury.

I've found that Inline Speed Skating is an excellent off season cross training method for the bike. (not useful now, but something to consider in the future) If you use the old ice style for 5 miles, you're doing 5 miles of squats...speed skating also teaches you to pick your feet up and put them down in a more rapid manner than say...running...along with working your quads in the crouch...excellent workout. Good cross over too. Due to upper body involvement I can get my heart rate up above my supposed max without as much required exertion as on the bike. My body is used to the bike motions...I can't get the heart rate up there as easily on the bike.
And you don't need ice. Just a nice course.

[Ken Lehner]

decided to put my body where my big mouth is...at lunch today, went to the gym and did a pretty serious leg and shoulder workout. then i'll ride after work today. i'll see how i feel. back in the day...way back in the day when i was doing triathlons, a normal day was...6 AM swim...12 noon run...6 PM ride. its amazing how much abuse your body can take. and how dumb i was in my youth. :p

I guess I'm still stupid. Yesterday was 6am swim (in a beautiful lake), noon hill ride, 4-6pm watch the kids, 6:30pm make dinner for starving wife, 8-9pm wrap b-day presents for child, 9-10pm eat chocolate marshmallow ice cream while watching baseball on TV. My form of multisport day...

[Climb01742]

ken, you are to be admired. and watched closely. :p ending a day with ice cream is always a good idea.

[csb]

1. skate skiing _ when there's snow.
2. riding with an other(s) stronger rider _ as
long as said friend(s) are patient.
3. weights _ especially in off season.
4. general time on the bike (couple a years worth)
5. hill repeats _ long even burn for strength, and steep quick standing sprint
6. stopped running