Return to Racing

[Patrick]

After a 20 years, I've decided to return to racing and I'm looking at a weekend event for my reintroduction to racing. I've got about 4,000 miles in my legs so far this year and I'm coming off of a recovery week. The races are 7 1/2 weeks away with the following format:

September 25 and 26, 2004
Saturday:
9:00AM 5K TT
11:00AM 40K RR
Sunday:
9:00AM 10K TT
11:30AM 20K RR

I would appreciate any advice on training for these short events during the next 7 weeks.

With respect to the race day itself, any suggestions on how to race, recover, hydrate, and eat during these four events during a 27 hour period would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

[rindin' high]

Do you have the book
The Cyclist's Training Bible?
It's an awesome book that covers just about everything for building your training profile!
And goodluck on your racing!

[spin-up]

Wow these races sound extremely exiting! Congrats on getting back into racing - hey this is the best thing there is!!!

With 4000 in your legs seems to me your aerobic base should be sufficient, so I suggest the next 3 weeks to focus on speedwork. In your regular trainingrides you add intervals of 5 to 15 minutes, 80 to 85% HR. In total the intervals take 10 to 15% of your trainingtime. The rest is 70 to 80% HR.

The following 3-4 weeks you can do peaktraining. For example: maintain at least 1 long endurance (6 to 8 hours) ride a week. All the other trainings add in short high-intensity intervals were you go to your peak. So if you do a 3 hour training start with 30" to 1'30" intervals (3 to 5 in total, in between recover but UNcomplete, to make your muscles get used to deal with the acids) of 92% HR. You will train your anaerob capacity by this. But make sure the high intensity is only 10% of total trainings, because otherwise you build up too much acids in your muscles. Only do these training right before a race, never too early in the season, that will make you burn out.

The last days use for recovery (tapering). Build down training and build up glycogeen, 70% of your food are slow carbs. My own problem is I always run out of carbs during races because I completely run on sugars. I don't know about your metabolism but try during the races to be economical with your sugars. Stay in the low zones (under 80% HR) whenever possible so you use fat-burning instead. As you probably know from your own past racing is not just racing ALL the time, it's also about being smart, eat up someone else's plate before start with you own!! So when everyone is out of sugar you will have yours left and go with the speed of lightning!

(sorry for the bad english I just got back from holidays, have to get my mind sharpened)

Good luck, tell us how it went!

[spin-up]

I forgot... in fact I think for racing (and all sport games) you should start earlier than 7 1/2 weeks before. Make sure you set your goals realistic you only have short time to prepare.

[Patrick]

Thanks to all who responded on and off list!