Getting Faster-How to Train?

Two magnets don't work. LOL. My mechanic forgot to take the front one off when he installed my new wireless computer last week. Totally messed up my readings when I went for a ride the next day.

What's helped me is time and learning to not stress my entire ride about it. If I'm relaxed I can pedal better and move faster.

Challenging yourself also helps. Last week my DH called asking if I wanted to go to Omaha with him and I had gone to Lincoln earlier to ride one of the trails. He caught me at mile 9 and I knew I had to make it back to the car ASAP. I was doing a nice steady 10mph and headed back at 15-18mph until my body started protesting about 4 miles from the car. I didn't know I was capable of moving that fast even though it wasn't for very long.

I just spent a couple of hours in a bookstore reading about this very thing. The main point I took away from it is this...if you currently avg. 13 mph on your rides then on your next ride warm up for a few miles and then speed up to 14-15 mph and ride that speed for a few minutes or as long as you can. Recover and repeat 4 or 5 times. Over time your overall avg. speed will increase and your "intervals" will become faster. This will work for everyone. Just throw in a couple of minutes at 1-2 mph faster than avg., recover, repeat.

I'm looking forward to trying out this less structured type of training myself.

Stick with it. You'll get faster. :)

Edited to add: I didn't notice how old this original post was...oh well.

[QUOTE=Bethany1;612687]Two magnets don't work. LOL. My mechanic forgot to take the front one off when he installed my new wireless computer last week. Totally messed up my readings when I went for a ride the next day.

In reality it should - if the two magnets were on the same wheel half way apart the sensor would sense the magnet twice as many times and report your speed as being twice as fast as it really is...

humm, i just might have to try this...;)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by li10up

In reality it should - if the two magnets were on the same wheel half way apart the sensor would sense the magnet twice as many times and report your speed as being twice as fast as it really is...

humm, i just might have to try this...;)

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My bike shop coworkers and I have done this to each other. It works exactly as you have described :D

I'll give it a try. Last year what I did was try to ride faster the whole ride. I like this idea of intervals. Thanks for sharing

Quote:

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Originally Posted by li10up

I just spent a couple of hours in a bookstore reading about this very thing. The main point I took away from it is this...if you currently avg. 13 mph on your rides then on your next ride warm up for a few miles and then speed up to 14-15 mph and ride that speed for a few minutes or as long as you can. Recover and repeat 4 or 5 times. Over time your overall avg. speed will increase and your "intervals" will become faster. This will work for everyone. Just throw in a couple of minutes at 1-2 mph faster than avg., recover, repeat.

I'm looking forward to trying out this less structured type of training myself.

Stick with it. You'll get faster. :)

Edited to add: I didn't notice how old this original post was...oh well.

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Thanks for this post. I am going to give this a shot. I am kinda stuck right now and this may help me speed up.

And boy on those days when I look at the computer and get anything over 15.5 mph I just know I have a tail wind.

I have been trying for years to get my average up to be a steady 16+ but in spite of intervals, running, sprints, heavy fast pedaling and spinning, I just don't have enough fast twitch muscles. On the other hand I can ride for hours and hours and hours at 14-15 mph, head winds or not.

I am obviously a tortoise, not a hare but that's ok because I am totally non competitive and much prefer distance to speed.

marni

Quote:

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Originally Posted by li10up

I just spent a couple of hours in a bookstore reading about this very thing. The main point I took away from it is this...if you currently avg. 13 mph on your rides then on your next ride warm up for a few miles and then speed up to 14-15 mph and ride that speed for a few minutes or as long as you can. Recover and repeat 4 or 5 times. Over time your overall avg. speed will increase and your "intervals" will become faster. This will work for everyone. Just throw in a couple of minutes at 1-2 mph faster than avg., recover, repeat.

I'm looking forward to trying out this less structured type of training myself.

Stick with it. You'll get faster. :)

Edited to add: I didn't notice how old this original post was...oh well.

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Once I actually get my computer to work again, I am trying this.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by marni

And boy on those days when I look at the computer and get anything over 15.5 mph I just know I have a tail wind.

I have been trying for years to get my average up to be a steady 16+ but in spite of intervals, running, sprints, heavy fast pedaling and spinning, I just don't have enough fast twitch muscles. On the other hand I can ride for hours and hours and hours at 14-15 mph, head winds or not.

I am obviously a tortoise, not a hare but that's ok because I am totally non competitive and much prefer distance to speed.

marni

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Marni, don't give up...I don't think you are some sort of genetic mutant that can't get faster. :D Keep working at it - you can do it!