How to get "faster"?

[MollyJ]

I started out as a cyclist who would go distances of 10 miles, then 20, then 40 and now I just did my first 50. And I am really proud of myself.

But while my endurance has improved, my average speed is staying at 12-14 mph.

I'm 56 years old. I am built much more for endurance than speed but I would like to pick up my speed just a little.

My brother in law sent my husband a book called _Brain Training for Runners_ and I have read some of this. Basically, it seems to be an approach to pushing yourself to work harder in the areas of speed and endurance to maybe lift your level at which you perceive exhaustion. (While at the same time, "listening to your body".) I am pretty darn sure this has analogies in cycling but not sure I'm ready for such a gung ho approach.

I know people who are working on speed often do interval training.

Do you do intervals outside or on a stationary bike (BOR-ing)?

Anyhow, direct me towards resources for increasing your speed (within modest goals) and share with me your favorite tips.

[indysteel]

I got faster not long after I started riding again as an adult by doing a couple shorter (20-25 miles) rides with a faster group of riders. At first, they kind of sucked, but as those shorter rides got easier, I started going faster bit by bit on my longer weekend rides. But I will tell you, you have to keep training that way to keep your speeds up, so if your heart isn't in it, it's okay to just keep riding as you are. There's nothing that says you have to go faster (although it's also a perfectly reasonable goal).

Part of getting faster is learning good technique and finding a cadence and choosing gears that allow you to maximize your aerobic capacity and leg strength.

[Owlie]

Riding with faster people helps. Try to find people who ride 13-15 to start with.

[BikeDutchess]

But I will tell you, you have to keep training that way to keep your speeds up, so if your heart isn't in it, it's okay to just keep riding as you are. There's nothing that says you have to go faster

Totally agree!

[Velocivixen]

I'm training for my first marathon (just ran my first half on Sunday). Our training involves weekly either hill intervals, tempo runs, or repeats. I won't go into detail, but the point being that if I want to run faster I have to practice running faster. If I always run the same speed, I'll always run the same speed. I suspect it may be the same for cycling. Just a thought.

[MollyJ]

Thanks for the replies. I think I will try some intervals. I think intervals are the answer to what Velocivixen said, "If I always run the same speed, I'll always run the same speed."

I'm not a driven person but I have found that small incremental goals help keep me engaged and some of the reading I saw says intervals even once a week can be good.

Thanks again, ladies.

[Jordyne]

Good discussion. I've been trying for the same thing. I find that the group rides seem to jump from too slow (10mph) to too fast (15mph)...I need an in between but it seems like I'll just have to get faster! :)

[antimony]

Good discussion. I've been trying for the same thing. I find that the group rides seem to jump from too slow (10mph) to too fast (15mph)...I need an in between but it seems like I'll just have to get faster! :)

I've had exactly this problem myself. The slow (10mph) groups are very slow and chatty, but the speed-oriented groups started too fast for me. I finally found one that was running 13-15 (and actually going that speed), but they're rare.

I'm not good about pushing myself to do intervals while riding, so what I've been doing by myself is hills -- which are basically like intervals except you can't slack off and not do them, because you do have to get up the hill. And my speed is coming up -- as is my hill-climbing ability.

[spokewench]

Intervals are great to get faster. Remember that there are different types of intervals. short and intense with short to long breaks in between or longer not quite as intense intervals with a bit longer recover in between. You can also do hill intervals which I always felt were very helpful. Same sort of idea short or longer, if you cannot recover in between by going slower up hill, turn around coast down, turn around and go again! Obviously, these are best done on a non-trafficked road.

Also, intervals take more recovery the day after than your normal same speed workout. You may be more tired and you may just need to go slower the next day or take a rest day off entirely. Intervals build your muscles and your cardiovascular output so don't be surprised to be tired after doing them.

Make sure you slowly start with intervals, i.e. do two intervals and two rest periods in your first try. take a few days off and then the next time do three intervals and three rest periods. Mix it up. do short intervals one day; three days later do longer intervals. Change the rest period in between intervals; but most of the time you want to be almost fully recovered so that you can put your entire effort into the next interval. Soft pedal between intervals and get recovered.

Variety is the key. If you do the same thing over and over, your speed will stay the same. If you want to increase speed, increase your variety.

[MollyJ]

I did my first intervals on the bike. There was some logistic issues (how to ride hard and keep your eye on the clock...and what _was_ my beginning time?) but all in all, I made it. Spokewrench I started with an article on intervals by Selene Yaeger and she recommended 5 intervals of 5 minutes with a max of 3 minutes rest between. I'd say I was pretty done after 3 but I have a rule that I don't keep doing it if it will make me never want to to do it again. and so my last two intervals were not spectacular.

I first did intervals in spinning class but the road put a level of authenticity into things that cannot be replicated in the spinning studio.

I probably will not follow Yaeger's article too compulsively. I don't think I would like such a steady diet of intervals through the week but I really liked seeing that I actually was pushing my speed.

Here's the article if anyone is interested. http://www.bicycling.com/training-nutrition/nutrition-weight-loss/fry-fat-intervals

[ny biker]

You might also be able to use landmarks as start and stop points instead of time. For example, from one intersection to the next, or to the bus stop, or that big yellow house.

[Crankin]

Five intervals of five minutes are a lot for a beginner. Find a flat road and do some 30 second to one minute intervals for 30 minutes. Or, do some ascending intervals, i.e. start with 30 seconds, build up to 2 or 3 minutes in 15 second increments. Take a three minute break in between. You can do these kinds of things in the middle of a regular ride. It works, but I wouldn't do this more than 1 or 2X a week.
I find the kind of hill riding I do serves as intervals. That, and occasionally riding with faster people help me improve. Once a week, I test myself on my own 11 mile time trial course.

[MollyJ]

nybiker, I hate riding my road bike in town, though you have to do it. I fell on my bike in the first time in a long time :o the other day when an excitable dog ran out to greet me and others, and a helpful person on a bike coming toward me stopped her bike and laid it down to try to contain the dog (which she knew) and it left me with no where to go. Couldn't unclip fast enough (because I was very slowed down) and...thar she blows...me down.

So I use city streets to get to the less traveled asphalt around my community which is not hard to do.

Crankin, as for intervals of 5 of 5 minutes each--I tend to think that most training regimens of almost any thing start too "high". There's so much I don't know about cycling but I am fit enough that it takes me a while to get my heart rate up to where I can feel that my exertion is in that 7 to 8 zone and 4 minutes would be "enough" and 5 is challenging, especially as you get into the "later" intervals. But I thought intervals were supposed to s***! Still your words give me the permission and courage to modify. A training exercise you cannot "live" with tends to not get done and do you no good.

[MollyJ]

One more thing, Crankin. Your comment about a flat road.

Living in Kansas, you think that you live in a flat state--and we really do but the road I chose, had some little hills that added some dimension to the challenge.

I haven't really figured out how I'm going to handle this. My community is in a little valley (not anything like Denver but a little valley nonetheless). So anything I do to leave the community involves hills. It may be a case of what doesn't kill you makes you stronger.

So in your riding, do you do intervals several days each week? Not sure I can be that dedicated. But I read that even some intervals will increase your speed.

[spokewench]

Whenever you increase your training, you should not increase more than 10% a week; so one day of intervals is great at first. I would probably not work up to more than twice a week and that would probably be doable for you once you have built up to it. They are hard and it is difficult sometimes to make yourself do them. I still believe in doing a periodic training routine, which is basically this: First week you up your riding a bit, say do intervals one day (you do not have to do 5, I would recommend 2); second week, you do intervals one day and do 3 intervals), up one weekend day ride by 5 extra miles (whatever speed is comfortable; third week, you up the intevals to 4 and add on an estra 10 miles on your weekend ride (whatever speed is comfortable, fourth week, is your rest week, no intervals, a little easier rides than you would normally do, etc. So, this is just an example of increasing your workouts per week by about 10%. you do one week where you put some work in, the next week a little bit more, the third week is your hard week and then you rest for the 4th week. Rest is the key to better performance. If you tear down your body and don't rest, it does not have the time to recover and grow from your efforts.

Also, don't get too bummed out when you put yourself on a training regimen. We all have life get in the way, i.e. dinner with friends, children's activities, work, whatever it may be. You do the best you can to stick to your training regimen and if you don't quite make it, you have done your best! Life is way too short to get too carried away with this stuff. After all, most of us are not professional cyclists!

Spoke

[Giulianna23]

Ride with people faster than you. And if you are above your normal weight it always helps to drop a few pounds. I have not drop any weight in about 6 months. I have been fluctuating in between 5 lbs up and down but that is because I am not really watching what I eat. But I never stop riding my bike. I can tell I am way stronger than before and also lost a few inches and triming down . I trained for about 3 and a half months indoors 3 times a week and the first time I did a real ride with this group on a really challenging hilly terrain with some winds in mid April, It took me about 2 hrs 45 min to complete 32 miles and barely made it that was about 13mph. 5 weeks later I did the same ride in almost same weather conditions in 2hrs ,thats 16mph even though I havent lost a pound. I can imagine if I lose the 25lbs I need to. This ride is once a Week and I try not to miss it. I do ride the rest of the days but this is my training ride. I do another one on Thursdays but I feel the hilly one is the one that really works and I realy like it. To me , when you see others climbing those hills like nothing..that is a motivation for me to try harder and push my self a bit more.

[mariacycle]

Riding with faster people helps. Try to find people who ride 13-15 to start with.

+1 I was amazed at how much longer and faster I rode with other people (even if you aren't drafting).

[Crankin]

Molly, where I live, there isn't much flat, either. When I started cycling, I lived closer to some flat roads, but it still was rolling. Of course, my definition of rolling may be different than others! That's what I mean, when I say that my regular riding, with lots of hills, puts me at an advantage in compared with others. I get my fill of suffering without doing intervals at all. I see this when I go on a group ride and I will be riding at the same speed as others, until we get to a hill. These people mostly live in the city and don't *have* to climb as much. I may not be the fastest climber, but I can get up almost anything. I got faster from riding with my DH, who pushed me a bit (he only does this occasionally now, as he is happier with riding my speed now!) and going on group rides. I do intervals once a week, weather permitting, but I am queen of the "no train" philosophy. This year, I am actually being a little more disciplined, but it's for me, not because I race or anything. I'm doing a hilly metric century in 2 weeks, and while I know I could do now, I want at least 2 more rides to test myself. I suffered greatly last weekend, on purpose, and it felt like I accomplished what I set out to do.
Don't obsess so much. I don't know how old you are, but I started riding at age 47 and I'm almost 60 now. The key is to keep riding.

[MollyJ]

I'm laughing at myself. I was perusing that plan for intervals and I misread it. I am not at all fluent at bicycle lingo. Suffice to say, I worked harder than intended but I'm smarter for it.

Crankin, you and I sound somewhat similar. I'm 56. I like mastering distances and am not obsessed but want to get a little faster here. I did my 50 earlier and I want to do it again and the one I'm looking at would definitely be in hillier terrain. Eastern KS is relatively more hilly than central and western KS.

I just have not done any group riding (except for the charity ride in May). I tend to ride when it suits my schedule and at first I just felt too squirrelly on my road bike and like I shouldn't be around other riders.

I may have to--as my teacher friends say--be _intentional_ about sucking it up and doing a group ride offered by my LBS. I would get pushed and probably learn some improved bike handling skills.

Again, thanks TE friends. I really mull around in my head what I read here and I know I have learned things here.