Training to start quicker

[alanfw]

Been cycling for about 4 years now. Have been promoted up to "B" grade in my club but struggling. At 51, it seems my legs need a long time to warm up. If I can stay with the bunch for the first half of the race I usually put in a good show (have even won a couple of crits) but for most races in this year's road season my legs get cooked before I get myself up to speed. Because of the small size of our club, most of our races are handicap so there is considerable time between race briefing and my start time, so even if I warm up properly before briefing I still cool down before starting.

Does anyone have specific training tips to help me improve my ability to go hard sooner?

[toolonglegs]

What do you do the day before the race?.

[you cannot be sirrus]

Can you take a stationery trainer and ride on that between the briefing and your start time.
It takes me a while to get warmed up too but I can usually warm up until a couple of minutes before the off

[alanfw]

What do you do the day before the race?.

Good question! Training has been variable for a while - far from ideal - and I'm trying to get back to a good routine. Previous day is usually a rest or swim day, but on Saturday morn (race day) I join in a group social ride (60ish k) and try to hold myself back from the traditional end-of-ride sprint session. If I take part in the sprint I'm usually pretty screwed for the race.

ATM, I'm training for a tri, coming back from calf injury, so I've been running sometimes on Friday too.

PS Our club races are usually 2 or 3 pm Sat

[toolonglegs]

For me ( 44 ) ... I need a hard'ish short ride the day before... an hour or so max, couple of 1 minute high rpm spin outs, couple of hard but not full out 1 to 2 minute efforts and 10 or 15 minutes at sub TT pace. That's if it is an important race... otherwise just a normal 2 hour ride. I also find I have to be careful not to go too hard 2 days before a race as I feel it.
I certainly wouldn't be doing a 60 km group ride in the morning before an afternoon race ( unless the race is just training )... if you want to get the km's in ride to the race, race and do some 20 minute efforts on the way home... then have a quiet day the day after.

[nickobec]

I certainly wouldn't be doing a 60 km group ride in the morning before an afternoon race ( unless the race is just training )... if you want to get the km's in ride to the race, race and do some 20 minute efforts on the way home... then have a quiet day the day after.

+1

I am 52, been racing a couple of years and would never dream of a 60km social ride the morning of an afternoon race.

I will do the moderate social ride on Saturday before crit racing on a Sunday. The full on social ride is save for weekends without racing.

I did suffer the same problem as you, but that was more to do with being on beta-blockers. Need to change when I took my drugs.

[nailsaslegs]

Day before a race for me is always 1hour with 3 x sprints at 90%. Protein straight away afterwards. And if its a Important race then Ill rest as much as possible.

It is more likely not the day before but what you do pre race, I either ride to the race (47kms) and ride just below tempo (helps having a power metre) or get to the race very early and go for a 30min spin, Ill start at warm up, then build my cadence, then spinning, then do short burst 10 secs very high cadence and go back to ticking the legs over.

[alanfw]

Thanks for the tips fellas.

[Cul]

Day before a race for me is always 1hour with 3 x sprints at 90%. Protein straight away afterwards. And if its a Important race then Ill rest as much as possible.

It is more likely not the day before but what you do pre race, I either ride to the race (47kms) and ride just below tempo (helps having a power metre) or get to the race very early and go for a 30min spin, Ill start at warm up, then build my cadence, then spinning, then do short burst 10 secs very high cadence and go back to ticking the legs over.

30min easy spin, with spin ups (short burst, high cadance) will really wake the legs up pre race, this could even be done riding to the race - often a few short sprints or even just seated change of pace stuff will also help.

The 60km group ride the morning of the race probably isn't helping unless it's done solely in Z1.