Training input please..

[rob e]

Ok guys heres the brief.

got back on the bike last August after 13 years off it, was up to 115kgs. I am now down around 96kgs. I did the 130klm Alpine Classic this year and enjoyed it, i want to do the full 200 next year, and also the Grafton - Inverell cyclosportif, and then do some club racing. To do this i want to be around 86-88kgs or so i reckon.

I have been riding about 1hr 2 weekday mornings and throwing in the odd Tabata session on the Turbo trainer. On the weekends i am getting a good 2hr ride in and usually another 1hr fast.

Obviously i will want to increase distances in the lead up to summer substantially, however my main focus at the moment is trying to lose weight. I am focusing on the diet more now, but i am keen to get input on riding to lose weight at this stage. Is there much value in 30min sessions on the wind trainer? what sort of level should i be riding my 1hr rides at ?? any suggested additions or changes to the program?

Appreciate the input

Rob

[Alex Simmons/RST]

I have two responses:

What I recommend and an alternative.

What I always recommend is to train to improve sustainable aerobic power and to eat well to balance the requirements so that the weight loss is very gradual.

Train to become (aerobically) powerful, eat to get lean.

I usually find that if a rider trains well and doesn't eat crap, they will get leaner.

Here's an alternative:

Ride as hard as you can sustainably do so for the time you have available. Sustainable means on each ride, from day to day and over the course of the training cycle of weeks and months.

That means for most people to go out there and ride hard tempo and/or really solid endurance pace all the time. You will get fitter but you'll plateau in fitness. But you'll burn the maximum number of calories in the process. If you can't keep up the pace/training for the time you have available - it isn't a sustainable pace. Revert to a sustainable pace.

[toolonglegs]

+1 for above.
You can be careful with what you eat but you must always have enough in the tank for training and recovery....lose weight by training hard...not comprimising training by dieting.

[rob e]

thanks for the input fellas!

[sogood]

Wow, you have some serious goals and good on you!

Grafton - Inverell cyclosportif is a very tough ride that many club fit cyclists have trouble with. One that'll probably require some regular 3-5 hour rides to prepare. You are probably better to set it as your long term goal but supplement it with more shorter termed ones. That Grafton - Inverell cyclosportif will take a long time to build up. B2B Blayney to Bathurst next month is probably much more realistic for you at this stage and would be a good one to target.

[rob e]

thanks sogood, good call on the B2B. I'll do that.

The G-I cyclosportif is next feb so plenty of time to build up to that. i expect to be doing 150klm+ training rides by then including during the heat of the day (will give the M7 cycleway a fair work out closer to summer) and also plenty of RNP work.

In August 08 i could only ride 20ks or so and i managed to do the 130k Alpine this Jan, so i reckon that the G-I is a tough but realistic goal for 2010.