My training ideas good, bad, or ugly?

[cyclechick2008]

As you can guess I'm new to this site. I've never been on a cycling forum. I have some questions. I have lurked a bit the last month or so trying to absorb the lingo and answer my own questions.

I like to ride. I'm not ever going to hotdog any ride I do or be the first to finish. I leave that to the professionals. My event rides (I think) will be a 50 mile on 3/29. A 60 miler in April. A century 5/18. I want to do 2 days of BAK about 140 miles in June. A metric century in July and another in August.

I am currently only training indoors at the gym. I do between 10-20 miles at a sitting. My bike is getting tuned up so when I brave the weather soon it is ready. I did 60 miles last week and have 25 already this week.

I worry about distance first (seat time), mile per min second and resistance last. I don't worry about HR or Watts. I am currently at 4.5 min miles. Last summer I could maintain a 16-18 mph ride in a group. I'm working to get back there.

Does this sound horrible for training? I know the 50miles in March will be a hurdle, but I can gut it out.

Kim

[Tiffany]

First of all, welcome to the site. As you can see, I don't have many posts under my belt either but I, too, lurke a lot. Anyway, the thing I can see with your training is that you don't watch your HR. Another is that you don't change up your rides. Here is what I would advise, and please, someone else chime in if you want.

Be sure to track your heart rate. You don't want to be pushing your heart rate to the max at all times. Ride around 65% or so to do your "long" rides. Change it up a couple of times a week. Do "sprint intervals" or "hill clims" to boost your heart rate to around 85% or so for a set period of time, like just say 2 minutes. After those 2 minutes, slow your pace for 2 minutes or until your heart rate goes back down and then repeat. Do this several times during that interval or hill ride. I know this doesn't sound like it will help much but believe me. It will.

[mimitabby]

I hope you will do some outside riding before your first event.

I don't ride with a heart monitor (I have a couple times and it's pretty obvious when the heart rate goes up) and i have managed some fairly decent rides.

if you were riding 16-18 mph last year, i think you'll be fine.
Welcome to TE!

[Tiffany]

I don't ride with a heart monitor (I have a couple times and it's pretty obvious when the heart rate goes up) and i have managed some fairly decent rides.

True. I guess for those of us who have ridden for a while (or who have been involved in physical fitness in general) know what our heart rates are without wearing a monitor. Either way, train while taking note of your HR.

[maillotpois]

You didn't give us much to work with - what's the terrain like for your target rides? As you're from Kansas, I would assume it is flat, but someone told me once never to assume.... ;)

ETA: Also - what's your riding background? What's the longest distance you've done before and when? Have you done other group or organized rides?

[cyclechick2008]

Thanks for the replies. First off, I do change it up. Last night I did a Chris Carmicheal interval workout for 60 minutes then finished the last bit to get 15.
today's 10 was a "recovery" ride, less resistance slower speed.

At the hardest part of the interval my HR was about 165 by the bike. It seems to stay between 140-150 the rest of the time.

The 50 miles will be some flat some rolling hills. the 60 is all flat. the century is mostly flat. BAK is mostly flat some rolling hills. The others I don't know, never tried them before.

Last year I did the Wicked Wind 100. That's May's century.


Kim